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Iowa football 2024 early opponent preview: Maryland
Terrapins may need new ways to win games after losing four-year starting QB Taulia Tagovailoa
Editor’s note: 11th in a 12-part series previewing each of Iowa’s 2024 regular-season opponents.
IOWA CITY — Iowa was on top of the football world when it last visited Maryland.
After practically manhandling Maryland in a 51-14 rout, Iowa moved up to No. 3 in the Associated Press Poll — tied for Iowa’s highest AP ranking in the Kirk Ferentz era at the time. The Hawkeyes were 5-0, and all five wins came with double-digit scoring margins.
When the Hawkeyes return to College Park this year on Nov. 23, they will face a Maryland team that is coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons. (While that feat might not impress many people in the Hawkeye State, it was a first for the Terrapins since the early 2000s.)
The way that Maryland wins games in 2024, however, may look different from how Maryland won games in 2022 and 2023.
Taulia Tagovailoa — Maryland’s starting quarterback for the last four seasons and the Big Ten’s all-time leader with 11,256 career passing yards — has moved onto his professional career.
NC State transfer M.J. Morris appears to be the most likely candidate to replace Tagovailoa. Morris completed 55.8 percent of his passes in 2023 while throwing seven touchdowns versus five interceptions. Billy Edwards Jr. is another possibility after backing up Tagovailoa for the last two seasons and starting in the Music City Bowl.
Meanwhile, Maryland returns its top two running backs from last year — Roman Hemby and Colby McDonald. Hemby amassed 680 rushing yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year. McDonald had 306 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry.
With an abundance of starting experience coming back, Maryland’s defense might be the team’s strength in 2024. The Terrapins will benefit from the return of starting defensive linemen Quashon Fuller, Jordan Phillips and Tommy Akingbesote. Other key returning players include linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II and defensive back Glendon Miller.
Iowa has a 3-1 advantage in its all-time series against Maryland, with all three wins coming by 16 or more points. The lone loss was a 38-31 defeat in 2014 in College Park.
Iowa vs. Maryland: 3 things to watch
- How effectively does Maryland’s passing attack operate in the post-Tagovailoa era? Whether it is M.J. Morris or Billy Edwards Jr. behind center, replacing Tagovailoa’s production will be no small feat.
- Iowa’s rushing attack vs. Maryland’s front seven. Without the star-powered offense that Maryland has enjoyed in past years, the Terrapins will need to rely more on their experienced defensive front against the Hawkeyes.
- The pregame/postgame Ferentz family reunion. Brian Ferentz — the ex-Iowa offensive coordinator and Kirk Ferentz’s oldest son — is an offensive analyst at Maryland.
2024 prognosis
Will Iowa duplicate its 37-point blowout win from 2021? That’s unlikely. But this is a very winnable game for the Hawkeyes.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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