Maryland football vs. No. 3 Michigan preview

Maryland football, looking for a monumental win once again, hosts No. 3 Michigan on Saturday.

Both teams are coming off important victories, with the Terps snapping a four-game losing streak with a 13-10 win at Nebraska and the Wolverines enhancing their undefeated resume with a wire-to-wire 25-14 victory against No. 12 Penn State.

Michigan has won the last seven games against Maryland.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Terps are 19.5-point underdogs against the Wolverines. The game has an over/under of 43 total points.

Saturday’s game will air on FOX at noon.

No. 3 Michigan (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten)

Michigan has won 26 straight regular-season games. Its last conference loss came on Oct. 30, 2021.

The Wolverines have rolled through the competition this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of nearly 32 points. They’ve won every game by two possessions and have averaged 42 points per game in conference play.

“They are a well-oiled machine, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes, meaning you’re going to have to execute at a really high level.”

However, Michigan will be without head coach Jim Harbaugh this weekend as he serves a three-game suspension for the program’s sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh was also suspended by the university for the first three games of the season for reasons related to an investigation into recruiting violations.

Players to watch

Blake Corum, senior running back, No. 2 — Season in and season out, Corum has been Michigan’s shining star out of the backfield. Through 10 games this year, he has a staggering 18 touchdowns.

Part of a rushing attack that has averaged 170 yards per game, he himself is creeping up on a 1,000-yard season. His 5.2 yards per carry rank second in the conference.

Zak Zinter, senior guard, No. 65 — Michigan’s offensive line has won the Joe Moore Award — given to the best offensive line in the nation — in each of the past two seasons. With 40 starts under his belt, Zinter is the anchor of the unit, which has only allowed 12 sacks this season, the 16th-best mark in the country.

ESPN’s latest 2024 NFL mock draft has Zinter as a second-round selection.

J.J. McCarthy, junior quarterback, No. 9 — McCarthy is well on his way to being a Heisman Trophy finalist. He’s led the Wolverines to 10 straight comfortable victories this season, throwing for 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. McCarthy’s quarterback rating of 92.7 also ranks second in the country.

Jaylen Harrell, senior defensive end, No. 32 — Michigan has the No. 7 scoring defense in the country, and Harrell, who has taken a huge leap in his senior year, has a lot to do with that.

On the season, the edge rusher has 5.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Strength

Defensive dominance. The Wolverines have allowed an average of 7.5 points per game this season. The most points they’ve allowed in Big Ten play is 14. Additionally, they’re second in the conference in takeaways.

“They’re really, really good on defense,” Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa said. “They play unselfish football.”

Weakness

Interim coaching. As mentioned above, Harbaugh won’t be on the sidelines Saturday. Michigan is 4-0 on the season without him, but interim coach Sherrone Moore will need to make sure his team doesn’t look too far ahead to a rivalry matchup with Ohio State next weekend.

Three things to watch

1. Michigan is dominant. The Wolverines have outscored their opponents by an average of 42 points this season and have scored at least 40 points in five of seven conference games.

2. Can Maryland stop the run? Michigan’s two-headed monster of Corum and Donovan Edwards has averaged close to 200 yards per game this year. Maryland has allowed opponents to 121 yards per game, but Michigan runs the ball as efficiently as any team in the nation.

3. Senior day. It’ll be the last game at SECU Stadium for many Terps. Most notably, Tagovailoa, who in his four years has established himself as the program’s leader in virtually every quarterback statistic, will look to make an impression in his final home game.

“It’s been a long, long journey,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m forever grateful and thankful for everything that we’ve been through together.”

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.