Counting down Iowa’s most-tantalizing 2021 football games: No. 10 Maryland

This is a countdown of Iowa’s most-tantalizing 2021 football games, from the 12th-most to the most. Previously:

No. 12: Kent State

No. 11: Colorado State

And now, No. 10:

Oct. 1: At Maryland

I’m hoping for a better result on my next trip to an Iowa-Maryland athletic event in College Park. A better result off the field, that is.

I covered the Iowa-Maryland men’s basketball game there on Jan. 7. The day before was an interesting time to be flying into the Washington, D.C., area, lemme tell ya.

The Hawkeyes are hoping for a better result, too. Their first and only visit to Byrd Stadium was in 2014, a 38-31 Maryland win after Iowa took a 14-0 lead.

I was there. Don’t remember it too well. I got a tour of the White House the night before. I remember that very well. The hallways are really narrow.

Stefon Diggs had nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in that game for Maryland. Diggs has 6,158 NFL receiving yards, 1,535 of them last season alone with Buffalo.

When will Iowa ever have a Stefon Diggs?

Maryland is picked to finish in last place in the Big Ten East. It was 2-3 last season, including a 43-3 embarrassment at Northwestern. But the Terrapins did win 35-19 at Penn State.

The Terps may not be too bad in 2021, but quick, name any of their players or their coach.

See what I mean.

Maryland hasn’t had a winning record since that 2014 season in which it beat Iowa and marched on to the Foster Farms Bowl, where it endured a 45-21 loss to Stanford.

Imagine flying all the way from Maryland to California to play in the Foster Farms Bowl. The things we do for love.

This year’s Iowa-Maryland game will be on a Friday night. The Terps’ last two Big Ten home games went to overtime. The Iowa game will be their first Big Ten home game of 2021. If it goes overtime, it won’t speak well for the Hawkeyes.

Maryland allowed at least 234 rushing yards in four of its five games last season, and 325 at Northwestern. Tyler Goodson, you could get fed that night.

Anyway, in summation: Iowa-Maryland isn’t anything resembling a rivalry. The Terps, as usual, enter the season with no buildup. It’s a Friday night game, which isn’t a big deal to college football followers.

But it’s a conference game. So there’s that.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com