Game Preview: IU football travels to College Park to face Maryland

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington gets ready to throw a pass.

No. 2 Indiana football is back on the road and headed east for a Saturday matinee with Maryland at SECU Stadium.

Last time out, the Hoosiers handled UCLA with a 56-6 blowout victory at home for their eighth-straight triumph to open the season. The Terrapins are fresh off a bye week, but are on a three-game skid in conference play.

Indiana remained at No. 2 in both the Coaches and AP Polls. The first College Football Playoff rankings are to be released next week.

Ahead of Saturday’s afternoon kick, here is Inside the Hall’s preview of the afternoon tilt between the Hoosiers and Terrapins.

Game information

Who: No. 2 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 in Big Ten) vs. Maryland (4-3, 1-3 in Big Ten)
Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025. 3:30 p.m. EST
TV: CBS, Brad Nessler (Play-By-Play), Gary Danielson (Analyst), Jenny Dell (Sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Indiana -21.5, Over/Under 50.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 32, Maryland 16 (84 percent chance of an IU win)

Meet the opponent

Under seventh-year coach Mike Locksley, Maryland squandered its chances in October. The Terps lost all three games by one possession, leading late in each. Maryland is 1-8 in October over the past three seasons.

Led by true-freshman quarterback Malik Washington, the Terps have become a pass-heavy team this year. Over 60 percent of plays this season have been passes for the 6-foot-5, 231-pounder, the fifth-highest percentage in FBS. Maryland is scoring 25.7 points per game and 23.8 in conference games this season.

The offensive line is Maryland’s strength, as it allows the lowest sack rate in the country.

On the other side, the Terrapin defense has been rejuvenated under new defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. Maryland has allowed just 17.3 points per game while getting multiple takeaways.

The two teams last squared off in week five last season in Bloomington. Then Maryland running back Romby Hemby scored a pair of touchdown runs, including a 75-yarder. The Hoosiers prevailed on a rainy September day, 42-28.

Indiana leads the all-time series 8-5 dating back to 2014. The Hoosiers are 2-3 in games at SECU Stadium.

Injury Update

Curt Cignetti announced on Monday that linebacker Aidan Fisher is probable for Saturday afternoon.

Kicker Brendan Franke is questionable after an injury on the opening kick against UCLA.

The required Big Ten availability report will be released two hours before kickoff, at 1:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Storylines

How will Indiana fare against the tremendous Maryland line?

Washington has only been sacked twice this season, a testament to the strong play by a relatively new offensive line. The Terps are the best at keeping their young quarterback’s jersey clean, allowing him to find receivers in a clean pocket.

That said, Indiana’s defense is known to wreck even the best offensive lines. Oregon had only allowed one sack of Dante Moore up until the Indiana game. The Hoosier defense brought the elusive Moore down six times in their road victory.

Indiana is still awaiting production from Mikail Kamara, whom Cignetti called out by name during his Monday press conference.

“I think he’s got another level he can play at,” he said. “And I’m waiting to see it.”

The Hoosiers did a fantastic job in the trenches against UCLA last week. However, Maryland brings a much tougher test. It will be known early in this game whether Indiana will continue to have its way against Maryland or whether Maryland can hold its own at the line of scrimmage.

Can Indiana stay focused in the most challenging remaining game?

It is safe to say that Indiana has completed the most challenging portion of its schedule. With Penn State’s catastrophic collapse, this weekend is, by record, the most challenging game left on Indiana’s regular-season schedule.

A Cignetti team will never take a team lightly, especially on the road in the Big Ten. Indiana controls its own destiny for the remainder of the season, aiming to secure the program’s first-ever trip to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. Every game carries significant implications for that historic opportunity. The combined conference record of Indiana’s final four regular-season opponents is a dismal 1-14.

However, after breezing by UCLA last week and outside noise breaking in praise of IU, it will be an actual test of how the Hoosiers can handle the fame.

Cignetti spent the first four minutes of his press conference likening Maryland to the 1985 Chicago Bears to draw his players’ attention.

Entering the game with a poor mindset could be an issue, especially in a near-sold-out environment in College Park.

Outlook

Indiana and Maryland are programs heading in opposite directions. While Cignetti is dazzling in Bloomington, Locksley is floundering in College Park.

The Terrapins are desperate for a season-changing victory and have the tools to give the Hoosiers a run for their money. Saturday will mark the first time Indiana will go on the road since earning the No. 2 ranking. The target is officially on Indiana’s back and it will get the best from all four of its remaining opponents.

As mentioned in every preview (including this one), Cignetti will have his team ready for the week ahead. There is no looking past any opponent under his leadership.

Maryland may keep it close for a half, but Indiana is likely to run away and win by multiple scores for its second-straight 9-0 start.

(Photo credit: Maryland Athletics)

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