The Illinois Fighting Illini travel to face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, October 14 at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. Live coverage will be on NBC, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. Keep reading for how to watch and key storylines for the game.
Illinois
Illinois is 2-4 overall and 0-3 in conference play, having been outscored 94-39 in those Big Ten matchups. The latest loss came by the hands of Nebraska last Friday when the Illini could only manage a touchdown to the Huskers’ 20 points.
A year after going 8-5 in its first winning season since 2011, the Illini is grasping for solutions, especially on defense, which led the FBS last season in points allowed per game (12.8).
“It’s just infuriating to have the same issues pop up over and over and over again. … To be a 2-4 football team right now is just absolutely a very painful, painful thing,” head coach Bret Bielema said.
The Illini offense is struggling to convert points and is currently scoring just 19.2 points per game (119th out of 130 teams in the FBS). In its opening drive against Nebraska, Illinois had a 14-play, 74-yard drive that resulted in a turnover on downs after the Illini failed to score on two rushes from inside the 1-yard line.
Of their 12 drives against Nebraska, three ended in a turnover on downs, two on turnovers and one on a missed field goal.
Illinois vs. Nebraska last Friday:
- 7 points (fewest since 2021)
- 310 total yards (fewest this season)
- 21 rushing yards (fewest since 2019)
- 16 first downs (fewest this season)
To make matters worse, Bielema revealed Monday that leading rusher Reggie Love III is unlikely to play this week due to a lower-leg injury. (He missed the Purdue game two weeks ago due to an ankle injury as well.) The team is also down its second option at running back, Josh McCray (season-ending neck injury), and redshirt freshman Jordan Anderson (ACL), so now they have just three scholarship running backs available if Love is out: freshman Kaden Feagin, redshirt freshman Aidan Laughery, and junior Nick Fedanzo.
On the positive side, quarterback Luke Altmyer, who has thrown the second-most interceptions in the FBS this season (8), has cut down on his pick-throwing as of late; he’s thrown just one in his last three games after seven in his first three.
“Obviously the one interception (against Nebraska) is totally unacceptable, but he’s been pretty good in making better decisions since the Penn State game (on Sept. 16).” Bielema said.
Maryland
Maryland might’ve had its first loss last week, but the team remains within striking distance of first place in the Big Ten East.
The Terrapins’ performance against Ohio State, especially in the first half, showed promise, going up 10-0 on the No. 3 team in the country. It was turnovers and a lack of fire from the offense in the second half that saw the Buckeyes pull away to win 37-17.
A win this week would make Maryland 5-0 at home this season and go a long way in setting the tone for matchups against No. 6 Penn State and No. 2 Michigan in November.
After starting the season 5-0 for the first time since 2001, the Terps are hoping to avoid a second half slide that has been the trend in recent years:
- 2022: Started 6-2, went 2-3 in final 5 games
- 2021: Started 4-0, went 3-6 in final 9 games
- 2019: Started 3-2, lost final 7 games
- 2018: Started 4-2, went 1-5 in final 6 games
- 2017: Started 3-1, went 1-7 in final 8 games
Taulia Tagovailoa has been crucial to the Maryland offense for the past few seasons and holds program records for passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns.
The Terrapin offense is averaging 35 points per game, which is tied with Ohio State for the third best in the Big Ten and only behind Penn State and Michigan.
“He is a talented player. … How he goes, we go and when he’s in rhythm … some guys are scorers and he’s got that scoring mentality,” head coach Mike Locksley recently said of Tagovailoa.
How to watch the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Maryland Terrapins
- When: Saturday, October 14
- Where: SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Watch: NBC