Maryland By the #s
Data via NCAA.com database. Team stats only.
Things Maryland exels at:
Natl rank | Value | ||
Passes Intercepted | 40 | 4 | |
Punt returns | 1 | 28.1 | |
Sacks Allowed per game | 13 | 0.75 | |
Team Sacks | 2 | 4.25 | |
Team Tackles for loss | 20 | 7.8 |
This is a small list. And I am being generous putting an item here ranked #40 as "excel". We all know about Will Likely. DO NOT KICK TO WILL LIKELY!!!! Less known was despite all their offensive woes Maryland does not give up a lot of sacks (their QBs prefer to throw quick INTs), and their defense does one thing well - get sacks and TFLs.
And ... that's about all Maryland can do well.
Things Maryland does not excel at:
Natl rank | Value | ||
4th down conversion % | 107 | 13 | |
4th down conversion D | 86 | 14 | |
Completion % | 115 | 50.4 | |
Fewest Penalties/Game | 105 | 8.25 | |
Penalty Yds/Game | 111 | 79 | |
Fumbles recovered | 95 | 1 | |
Net punting | 86 | 36.22 | |
Passed Had Intercepted | 127 | 12 | |
Passing Offense | 98 | 193.3 | |
Passing Yards Allowed | 101 | 267 | |
Rushing Defense | 100 | 200.3 | |
Scoring Defense | 99 | 32.8 | |
Time of Possession | 105 | 26:29 | |
Total Defense | 107 | 467.3 | |
Turnover Margin | 125 | -2.25 | |
Turnovers Lost | 125 | 14 |
So yeah.
NCAA stats is even more cruel to Maryland than advanced stats (S&P+) with that 107th ranked defense. You can choose to run on them (100th) or pass (101st). They take a lot of penalties. When the offense has the ball their passing game is bad. Any time they throw the ball it is essentially a coin flip if it will be a completion. Caleb rowe has a huge arm but loves to throw INTs. Hence they don't have the ball much. And oh yeah when they punt you can usually make up 5+ yds of field position. (But when you punt to them they tend to make up 20 yds of field position - so just dont do that) They suck at 4th down defense so my advice is to GO for it and DO NOT KICK TO WILL LIKELY!
October 1st, 2015 at 7:36 AM ^
But does anyone know what the weather is supposed to be like at the game?
October 1st, 2015 at 7:39 AM ^
under "things Maryland does not excel at".
October 1st, 2015 at 7:53 AM ^
Well, the news seems to keep getting better on the weather front, actually.
Perhaps Maryland football is so atrocious Joaquin would rather chill out over the Atlantic than watch the game.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:05 AM ^
Getting better on the "Weather front"? I see what you did there.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:41 AM ^
It will likely be raining with a chance of the Victor's thunder and Maize and Blue lightning.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:35 AM ^
seems to have sailed over several heads, like a Terrapin pass.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:40 AM ^
will Likely be via the return game....
October 1st, 2015 at 7:45 AM ^
They're passing offense is terrible and their Rush defense is awful?
Blake O'Neill fake punts might be very effective this week.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:52 AM ^
With our projected 39 minutes of time of possession and 80%/20% run/pass ratio we should only have 8-9 drives of which only 3-4 should be unsuccessful. 2 of those will end in Blake end around runs, and 1-2 will be pooch punts of the 30 yd variety (into the wind)...or booming punts 20 yds into the sideline stands (with the wind).
That will be an acceptable Will Likely deterrent.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:55 AM ^
This is a good week to limit Smith and increase the workload of Johnson. Issac is a capable started. Maybe Green can get a few more reps.
October 1st, 2015 at 7:56 AM ^
Thought for sure "analogies" would've made the does-not-excel list
October 1st, 2015 at 7:57 AM ^
they had a players only meeting, they'll be fine.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:08 AM ^
that meeting was at a Holiday Inn Express.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:10 AM ^
how bad they seem. WIN THE GAME.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:12 AM ^
I hope that Michigan is able to increase the number of things that Maryland does not excel at this Saturday.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:30 AM ^
Would be interested to see Michigan's converse rankings (i.e. our ranking for scoring offense vs. their ranking for scoring defense) to identify further matchup strengths and weaknesses.
October 1st, 2015 at 8:51 AM ^
Here's how TeamRankings stacks them up:
Offense | Michigan | Maryland |
Yards/Play | 5.5 | 5.5 |
Points/Play | 0.384 | 0.349 |
Rush Play % | 57.79% | 45.64% |
Pass Play % | 42.21% | 54.36% |
Completion % | 61.34% | 49.51% |
3D Conv % | 45.76% | 36.59% |
RZ Scoring % | 92.86% | 80.00% |
Defense | Michigan | Maryland |
Opp Yards/Play | 3.4 | 5.6 |
Opp Points/Play | 0.156 | 0.385 |
Opp Completion % | 55.14% | 60.53% |
Opp 3D Conv % | 24.07% | 46.15% |
Opp RZ Scoring % | 83.33% | 75.00% |
October 1st, 2015 at 9:40 AM ^
Wonder if our opponents points per play will drop to under 0.1 after this game. Maryland's a more pass heavy offense, but with us running out the clock they'll likely manage as few plays on offense as BYU did. If they run 55 plays on Saturday, but net zero points, what'll that bring our average to?
October 1st, 2015 at 9:17 AM ^
Could also underscore "Fight Songs" and tradition.
But recall that Maryland is donning their "None More Black" (TM) uniformz for this tilt. That's some ninja-ass shizz right there.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:21 AM ^
The only troubling thing I see in the OP other than the well-known Likely excellence at punt returns is that MD apparently excels in getting INTs. Until last week, Michigan excelled in throwing picks. I see that Rudock's getting better at ball protection each week (which may also be due to the WRs being on the same page as him, and improved OL play). Michigan "picks thrown" have been trending down all season.
I'd love to see that trend continue.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:25 AM ^
Maryland's defensive statistics are awful, but they played two good spread teams and were gashed in both those games. Michigan, by no stretch of the imagination, is a spread team. Hopefully our offense can still impose its will on their defense.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:38 AM ^
that I thought the same about watching BYU/UCLA. I thought, wow UCLA really found some holes but we don't really spread teams out or have UCLA's personnel. As it turned out we didn't quite shred BYU the way UCLA did on the ground but we were very effective moving the ball for the most part.
Football is football, block well and make defenders go where they don't want to and you'll be succesfull.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^
The play right before The Run was a perfect example of that. 2 fullbacks? Houma running into a 9-10 man box, gained 9 yards because they'd never seen most of our looks on offense, and the blocking was well executed.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^
are fugly. Their time of possession and run defense stats indicate near-certain doom for the Terps. Took a look at the stat lines of their games against Bowling Green and USF (the WV and Richmond games are outliers, with Richmond being FCS and the Terps giving away 6 turnovers against the Mountaineers). The Terps gave up 200+ rushing yards to a MAC and AAC school. Feeling even better than I was about this game a couple days ago. Revenge will be sweet.
October 1st, 2015 at 9:55 AM ^
have completed 75 of 125 passes this year for 60%.
The bad news is of the 75, 12 or 9.6% were caught by the other team.
October 1st, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
Part of me feels a little nervous despite all those stats. The last seven years cannot be erased from memory over night. I'm too used to seeing God awful teams put it together against us or a freshman QB torching our secondary for 300 yards. Then those same teams go out the next week and lose to small colleges you never heard of.
Even the joy over the BYU game (and it truly was glorious) can't ease tension because the last time I felt that kind of happiness after a win, it was immediately followed up with Akron being 7 yards away from beating us.
I keep reminding myself....Harbaugh. But the last seven years is screaming louder.
October 1st, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
If their defense is so bad, and their punt return that good, is Harbaugh going for it on every fourth down?
October 1st, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
Good numbers post thanks.
Starting to get my Terp hate on!