Maryland is giving up 5.6 yards per play: Football gods say that we must bludgeon them to death with Power O

Submitted by Brandon_L on

I did an exercise before the season started predicting the Big Ten Order of finish for this season based on numbers from last year and returning production. My exercise predicted that Maryland would not win a Big Ten game. After watching them get heel stomped by West Virginia, I am starting to believe that the numbers did not lie. 

 
Maryland had a hard time getting off the field last season and that has not changed in 2015. 
 
Maryland is giving up 5.6 per play and 466 yards per game. Maryland is also dead last in the Big Ten vs. the run giving up over 200 yards per game on the ground. Not a good matchup vs. power football. West Virginia averaged 3.8 yards per carry vs. Liberty the week prior and averaged 5.1 yards per carry vs. Maryland. West Virginia also had 37 first downs against Maryland. 
 
So with all this said, I decided to throw out a simple number that will have a huge impact on Saturday night on the road. If Michigan ever faces a third down on offense, they will likely convert it at a tune of 40% or more against Maryland. Below I compared the Maryland third down Defense against Michigans Third down Offense. The "12" next to Maryland is not the national rank; it is the Big Ten ranking. They rank 12th in third down D in the Big Ten. 
 
Maryland D
Name G Attempts Conversions Conversion %
12 Maryland 4 64 26 40.63
 

Michigan O

 
Name G Attempts Conversions Conversion %
Michigan 4 59 27 45.76

 

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WolvinLA2

September 28th, 2015 at 8:25 PM ^

I hope we run the ball at least 75% of the time and only throw every now and then when it gets so incredibly obvious not to.  I say we just really shorten the game, win 28-0 or something and get home without any injuries.  No reason to get fancy or give anything away.  Maybe run a handful of plays we have no intention of running in an important game so that MSU spends time preparing for it.  

Joined: 11/13/2009

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Tater

September 28th, 2015 at 9:45 PM ^

While a lot of teams like to pile it on for style points against weaker opponents, Harbaugh seems to be satisfied to score between 28-35 points and then start shortening the game.  With a defense like Michigan's, a four possession lead is pretty much insurmountable if he can keep the second half down to five possessions per team.

My guess: if Michigan scores more than 42 points under Harbaugh, it is because the other team is really weak or because they pissed him off.

Joined: 08/13/2008

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Perkis-Size Me

September 28th, 2015 at 8:36 PM ^

Harbaugh won't allow this team to take Maryland lightly. He'll be on them all week about every little thing that they could've done better against BYU.

Every week is different. Maryland knows it's season is on the verge of disaster, and they'll pull out all the stops against a top-25 Michigan team in what could be a very rowdy night game environment. But if the progression of this team from the last few weeks is any indication, the defense will smother a hapless Maryland offense all night, and De'Veon Smith, if he's back, should continue punishing anyone who tries to bring him down.

Just do not punt to Will Likely.



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Saint_in_Blue

September 28th, 2015 at 8:43 PM ^

This is the perect game to rest Deveon and give them healthy dose of Isaac, Drake, and Green. Maybe we can have three 100 yard rushers in this game? Could we win without Rudock even throwing a single pass?

Joined: 10/17/2011

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VauntedD

September 28th, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^

Last year losing to Maryland and Rutgers was the lowest I have ever felt as a fan.   Winning these games will do a lot.  I think this team can take it one game at a time and continue to suprise people.  Soon thier will be a team that will stop the run and I hope Rudock can open things up down the field and yes I am talking further than ten yards down the field. 

Joined: 02/11/2015

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MichiganMAN47

September 28th, 2015 at 8:48 PM ^

At worst I see us winning by two scores, and that's under the condition that Rudock throws a couple picks and the defense plays its worst game... That won't happen. If we lose in an upset it will be to Northwestern or Minnesota, not this joke of a team.

Joined: 02/24/2015

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softshoes

September 28th, 2015 at 8:56 PM ^

I still get a burning sensation behind my eyes when I think about last years Maryland game. Add in Rutgers and I curl up into a little ball. Little for me anyways.

I hope we hang 70 on em.

Joined: 09/09/2010

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Naked Bootlegger

September 29th, 2015 at 2:22 PM ^

I'm embarrassed to even utter the words "Maryland" and "revenge" in the same sentence.  I live in Madison, WI, so I attend a Badger game every now and then if the opportunity arises.  I watched the Badgers utterly destroy Maryland 52-7 last year in late October and remember thinking that an obviously flawed Michigan team would still be able to defeat Maryland AT HOME in late November.   How wrong I was.  The dual losses to Rutgers and Maryland were so deflating.  In hindsight, I think we were lucky to win as many games as we did last year.

Anyway, let's commence the Maryland/Rutgers revenge tour this weekend.

Joined: 01/28/2011

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LSAClassOf2000

September 28th, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^

Other Maryland highlights, statistically speaking, and their rank among their Division I brethren:

On offense - 

Points per game - 22.7 (#86)

Yards per game - 359.3 (#91)

Points per play - 0.349 (#73)

Yards per play - 5.5 (#50)

Same stats on defense - 

Points per game - 36.7 (#96)

Yards per game - 531.0 (#117)

Points per play - 0.385 (#69)

Yards per play - 5.6 (#67)

Joined: 01/07/2011

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jonesie022

September 28th, 2015 at 9:09 PM ^

Neg away but all of this overconfidence makes me sick. Yes, it's s different team, with a different coach but come on guys.

We need to see this team perform under the lights away from home against ANYONE before we start predicting blowout wins. I'm sticking with 24-13.



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Mr. Yost

September 28th, 2015 at 9:16 PM ^

The worst part is just the fact that people so easily forget what we just went through.

It's like shut up and be grateful for 2 seconds. Be Bama or OSU and THEN be cocky, elite programs with national championships, BCS wins, etc. to back it up.

We've won 4 non-conference games. That's it.

We can be happy, we don't have to sit around being debbie downars...all ocverly cautious.

But the arrogance is like damn, can we at least get back to that elite status as a program before we start this again? Did we just forget everything since 2008? Can we be thankful we've got a team that we're excited to see again?

We haven't done anything.

I dunno, maybe it's just me...like I said, I'm enjoying all of it. But until we've evened the score with OSU and MSU, I'm keeping the famous Michigan Arrogance to a minimum. I appreciate this team - I look at Texas and it's a quick dose of reality.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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jonesie022

September 28th, 2015 at 9:20 PM ^

Great points. Three wins and many people using because "This is Michigan" to justify their belief that we can just show up with Harbaugh, our winged helmet and the other team will fold.

Don't think for one second that every team on our schedule wasn't sick of all the offseason media attention our squad got all summer...

They'd love nothing more than to knock us off for that reason alone. Add in the fact that this win would make the Terps' season AND we are due for alert down.



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