2-Minute Drill: Maryland Terrapins

IOWA RUSH OFFENSE VS. MARYLAND RUSH DEFENSE

The Terrapins were dominant last week against Penn State, holding the Nittany Lions to a season-low 48 rushing yards (lowest output in nine games). Penn State won the game with the arm of QB Christian Hackenberg, but it only won 31-30 and Iowa doesn't have a Hackenberg (few do).

Iowa will want to run into 1) Maryland's 4-3 alignment, which is new this season under first-year defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski, the former inside linebackers coach who was promoted in February after Brian Stewart's departure to Nebraska. After falling behind early at Maryland last season, the Hawkeyes chucked the run and went with 11 personnel (one RB, one TE) in 55 snaps (63.2 percent). Iowa passed 56 times and when the defense knows you have to pass, you're going to give up sacks and pick sixes. That happened and Iowa rushed for only 116 yards. Iowa is different this year (4.98 avg. rush on first down is nicely efficient), but so is Maryland.

2) The Terps lost a ton up front last season, but they gained speed up front with former pass-rush linebackers Yannick Ngakoue (6-2, 255) and Jesse Aniebonam (6-4, 248) moving to end spots and former end Quinton Jefferson (6-3, 289) sliding inside to tackle. Defensive end Roman Braglio (6-2, 265) returned for Penn State after missing a game with mono. Tackle Azubuike Ukandu (6-0, 307) was the guy who popped off the screen against Penn State.

Ngakoue is pretty good with his hand on the ground. He's third in the nation with nine sacks.

The Terps know Iowa is 7-0 and ranked 11th (USA Today coaches poll) and the chip on the shoulder is deeply set in.

'I hope they overlook us,' Braglio said. 'It's more of an advantage if we get overlooked, because they're not going to expect us, coming up there — going up there as a team, playing physical, playing hard and getting a win. We're not going to come up there and just lay down.'

Iowa's running game has been the star of the Hawkeyes' offense this season. You want to say it's been QB C.J. Beathard, and what he's done has been considerable. But . . . he's also been much less than 100 percent physically since the third quarter of the Illinois game, and so the Hawkeyes have leaned heavily on rush offense, posting 572 yards on 102 carries their last two games (best back-to-back totals since 486 vs. Maine and Florida International in 2008).

Iowa gets a little healthier this week, with sophomore tackle Boone Myers and junior running back LeShun Daniels likely returning to the lineup. Can sophomore running back Akrum Wadley follow up his Big Ten offensive player of the week (204 yards, four TDs) against Northwestern?

Advantage: Iowa

IOWA PASS OFFENSE VS. MARYLAND PASS DEFENSE

You already know William Likely and have probably developed a healthy and probably somewhat irrational dislike for the 5-7, 175-pound junior cornerback. Yes, last year his 45-yard pick six in the fourth quarter gave the Terps a 31-21 lead in what turned out to be a 38-31 Maryland victory. So, there's that. Then, in the Terps' season-opening victory over Richmond, Likely rolled up 233 punt return yards to snap Nile Kinnick's record of 201 yards set back in 1939.

So, you want a piece of William Likely, but you still have to catch him. Likely is from Belle Glade, Fla., and so, yes, like former Hawkeyes Brad Banks, a Heisman runner-up at QB for Iowa in 2002, and wide receiver C.J. Jones, he chased rabbits in the sugar cane fields surrounding Belle Glade. He'll be the fastest player on the field Saturday.

Maryland has faced some high-powered offenses in Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan and Bowling Green (BGSU quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation with 29 TD passes), and the numbers in the secondary reflect that. The Terps have allowed 17 TD passes with just five interceptions. On third down, QBs have completed 35 of 66 against Maryland for 24 first downs and three TDs. Cornerback Sean Davis leads the nation with five forced fumbles and is the active team leader with 282 career tackles.

Against Northwestern, with Beathard clearly ailing, the Hawkeyes passed the ball well, completing 15 of 25 for 176 yards. They passed the ball differently, too, with a lot of short 'gimme' balls that are quick passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. Wide receiver Matt VandeBerg caught eight of nine targets for 78 yards, with terrific blocking from fellow WR Jacob Hillyer on WR screens.

Iowa tried only four passes of 20-plus yards and one of those was intercepted. Against Penn State, the Terps defense often put seven-plus players in the box and committed to stop the run. Dudzinski had confidence in Likely and Davis to shut down the outside. Still, Hackenberg made throws, specifically back-shoulder, underthrows, and the Lions made a living through the air.

Iowa won't try to do that, but last season against Maryland, it was forced to the air and the results were bad. Iowa is different this season in passing personnel. Still, Beathard has injuries that likely will limit his mobility this week. Myers is coming back to left tackle after missing three games and four weeks (and Maryland has 24.0 sacks, fourth in the B1G). Iowa probably won't be able to get Tevaun Smith (who's coming off a sprained knee) and Jerminic Smith on the field at the same time. Jerminic Smith, a true freshman, only knows one position and that happens to be the same one Tevaun Smith plays.

Advantage: Push

IOWA RUSH DEFENSE VS. MARYLAND RUSH OFFENSE

Last week against Penn State, Maryland quarterback Perry Hills dual threat'd the living daylights out of the Nittany Lions. The 6-2, 210-pound junior threw for 225 yards and rushed for 124 and a TD. Unfortunately for Maryland, he fell into the turnover volcano a few too many times, with a fumble and three interceptions eventually spelling doom.

Hills won the starter's job in a three-way camp race with Caleb Rowe and Oklahoma State transfer Daxx Garman and then, after two starts, he was replaced by Rowe. Since Hills was renamed starter, Maryland has gone from 11th (162.6 yards/game) to third (186.7) in the Big Ten in rushing offense.

Hills' first start in his redo was against Ohio State. Maryland lost, everyone does against Ohio State, but it took a bite of the Buckeyes' defense largely thanks to Hills, whose 170 rushing yards were a program record for a QB.

Interim coach Mike Locksley has a run-first offense. The Terps run out of every personnel group, which mostly comes out of a pistol formation. Last week, Hills was exceedingly good on the read-option. Also, the Terps weren't shy with the jet sweep and threw Likely in the slot with four carries for 30 yards.

Hills knows his reads (backside defensive end is in the crosshairs). Locksley, who's in his second game as former head coach Randy Edsall's replacement, runs a lot of hurry-up and keeps the pressure on. Running back Brandon Ross (5-10, 210 pounds) has averaged 5.43 yards on 90 carries.

This is an offense that gouged Iowa for 212 rushing yards last season. The O-line has that taste of blood in its mouth and would like another bite.

'This year, it's going to be kind of the same mind-set,' said guard Ryan Doyle, whose helped produce a 100-yard rusher in three of the four games since he moved to left guard. 'They're not giving up many yards, and we'd like to prove them wrong.'

The Terps will be the most 'read-option' offense the Hawkeyes have faced this season. Yes, Illinois State and Tre Roberson, but that was FCS and with defensive end Drew Ott taking away one side of the field. This will be the test for Iowa's improved perimeter rush defense. Gaps and assignments will be at a premium. Iowa's improved linebacker play also will be front and center.

Iowa is 7-0 because of its rush defense. Really, is there a bigger factor? A very different test this week that won't be easy.

Advantage: Iowa

IOWA PASS DEFENSE VS. MARYLAND PASS OFFENSE

Locksley's offense can run out of every formation. It also can throw the ball, with prostyle and spread elements involved. Hills isn't Hackenberg. He doesn't have an arm that will stretch a defense, but it's really hard to gauge what he can do through the air. His last two starts were Ohio State and Penn State. The Buckeyes allowed just 10 of 27 (37.0 percent) and picked him off twice. That's the No. 1 team in the country. Penn State is third in the Big Ten in pass defense, and Hills connected on 19 of 28 (67.9 percent) with three picks and one TD.

In four starts, Hills has passed for 664 yards and six TDs. He's accurate, patient, isn't afraid of taking a hit. He needs to be careful with the ball against an Iowa secondary that is tied for the B1G lead with nine interceptions.

Maryland's receiving corps took a hit with Stefon Diggs and Deon Long moving along (Diggs might be on your fantasy team). Junior Levern Jacobs (5-11, 188) leads UM with 26 catches and 272 yards. Freshman D.J. Moore is next (14 catches, 217 yards), but everyone kind of gets in on the act with the Terps, with seven players at or near 100 yards receiving this season. Maryland isn't a huge 'tight end' team, mainly sticking in 11 (one back, one TE) and often using 10 (one back, no TEs and four WRs) or 20 (two backs, no TEs).

There has been some minor chirping this week. Iowa RB Akrum Wadley said 'it could be a good day' for Iowa's rushing game. UM wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo said, 'Coach (Locksley) has challenged us to focus on the little things like technique,' Etta-Tawo said. 'Against Iowa we feel like we can take advantage of their secondary with the front seven loading the box. We feel like we have a good chance of spreading out and working on what we did last week with the passing game.'

It's minor chirping, nothing more. Still, the raw numbers here favor Iowa. Maryland ranks 13th among Big Ten passing offenses at 172.4 yards per game. The Terps have passed for 200-plus yards just twice this season.

Iowa cornerback Desmond King, who leads the Big Ten with six interceptions, is Iowa's best talker and he hasn't been heard from yet.

If Hills can freeze Iowa, make his reads and throw where Iowa isn't, he could do damage. Pressure might be hard for the Hawkeyes to come by, but disruption has to be there.

Advantage: Iowa

SPECIAL TEAMS

Likely has a share of or owns four Maryland special teams records, including season yards per kick return (31.0 in 2014), longest kick return (100 yards vs. Stanford last season) and the Big Ten single-game punt return record. Likely leads the nation with 789 return (punt and kick) yards this season. His two punt returns for TD leads the nation. He's third in the country with 19.9 yards per punt return.

Senior kicker Brad Craddock arrived at Maryland as an Australian punter. He's still Australian, but he is also an all-American (FWAA all-American last season) and won the Lou Groza Award. He's been good this season, too, hitting 8 of 10 field goals. The Terps weren't able to get to FGs in four straight games, but against PSU, Craddock nailed 3 of 4. He also suffered a minor ankle injury, but returned to the game.

Five of Nicolas Pritchard's 30 punts have been downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. His 39.4 yards per punt is No. 10 in the league (Iowa's Dillon Kidd is No. 3 at 44.8, which is on pace for Iowa's best showing since Ryan Donahue averaged 44.5 in 2010).

Opponents are on to Iowa return specialist Desmond King. He has fielded just three punts in Iowa's last three games since starting the season with 26, 34 and 71 yards in three of the first four games. He's stuck on 15.7 yards a return, No. 2 in the league behind Likely. After 65 yards on three returns against Wisconsin, King hasn't returned a kickoff in the last two games.

Advantage: Maryland

INTANGIBLES

1. The Interim Coach Call to Arms — Locksley probably isn't going to be the choice for Maryland when the season ends. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, a Maryland graduate and former Terrapins football player, has pledged $25 million to the school and all the momentum is going toward making UM the Oregon of the east, except trade Under Armour for Nike. In other words, money will spill from the heavens as the Terps swing for the fences.

Still, Locksley has a ton to gain. This is his second stint as a head coach. His first was New Mexico (2009-11) and it included a 2-26 record, a one-game suspension for punching one of his assistant coaches and being sued for sexual harassment by a former administrative assistant (all legal claims in the matter were resolved).

This is a shot to show future employers there has been growth, maturity. Locksley seems intent on making the most of it, and, even though they've lost four straight, the Terps seem to be on the same page.

2. The 7-0 Blues — You've seen the 'Joe Talks to his Kids about an Undefeated Iowa,' and if you can't admit that it was funny or the kids were at least cute, then that's a you thing. Still, it's totally understandable if a few of you have heard enough national punditry reject undefeated Iowa. Throughout Iowa's bye week, the barbs piled up. Lots of national voices (Colin Cowherd perhaps the loudest) can't comprehend an undefeated Iowa in the playoff race. Head coach Kirk Ferentz can't comprehend an undefeated Iowa, but that's his job.

Iowa's players here this. They didn't get to 7-0 by floating along on airwaves or bandwidth. Whether the national talk fuels them or not, this is a team that will click on the chinstrap and try to go 8-0 (meaning, it's well grounded, focused, in the submarine, that sort of thing).

3. Related but not by blood — This probably plays to the emotions of . . . well, who knows, but this is a business transaction between two Big Ten associates. Not rivals, but associates. How long before this feels like a Big Ten game? Well, the next time Iowa-Maryland will face off is 2018. Now, no, not every game has to include rival fervor, but let's be honest, those games get our attention. This game will never be that game. As of Tuesday, Iowa still had 8,700 tickets available. Iowa is 7-0 and ranked No. 11 in the country, by the way. Is this a bit of an empty-headed grumpy rant? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less correct. Give it time, maybe lots of time.

IOWA WILL WIN IF ... The Hawkeyes are up across the board in offensive efficiency over 2014. The biggest leap, according to CFBMatrix, has been in percentage of scoring drives without reaching the red zone. Through seven games, the Hawkeyes have 13 scoring drives from beyond the opponent's 20-yard line. Last season, it produced 14. There's the number that says Iowa has been explosive and has gotten points for being explosive. One or two of those is a winning element this week. Defensively, Iowa is 12th in the country, according to CFBMatrix, in drives ending in turnovers. Maryland is coming off a week with five turnovers and is last in the Big Ten with 24 turnovers and a minus-13 turnover margin. That's the smell of opportunity.

MARYLAND WILL WIN IF ... The Terrapins absolutely have to take care of the football. This will be tricky. The read-option comes with that degree of difficulty. Maryland's winning numbers also could come from stacking three-and-outs on Iowa's offense and quarterback hits/hurries.

PREDICTION: Iowa 27, Maryland 17

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com