Maryland football opens up the gauntlet of Big Ten play on Saturday with a game unlike any other in program history.

The Terps will travel to Madison to potentially take on a familiar face, Billy Edwards Jr. and Wisconsin. 

Edwards spent the last three seasons with Maryland and was the program’s starting quarterback last season. 

“I spent a lot of time with Billy Edwards, it’s been well documented. The mental makeup of the quarterback, if he were to play — we know that part about Billy,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said. “But we also thought enough about Billy that he was our starter here and did some good things for us a year ago as a starter.” 

In what could be considered some sort of revenge game, Edwards is questionable to play after missing Wisconsin’s last two games with a left knee sprain. 

If Edwards takes the field against his former team, it heightens the stakes for a crucial game on both teams’ schedules.

“I think that anytime a guy plays their former team, it’s an emotional thing,” Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell said in his midweek press conference. “We’re not going to overlook this. We’re going to communicate and talk about this. It’s not gonna go away either.” 

An equally important game for Wisconsin

The Badgers head into Saturday after a crushing, 38-14 loss at No. 14 Alabama in a type of game that Maryland football wouldn’t dare to schedule in nonconference play. 

With two wins over Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee and the loss to an SEC powerhouse in Alabama, it’s unclear where Wisconsin stacks up compared to Maryland. 

Danny O’Neil has started the last two games for Wisconsin after Edwards got injured in the first half of its opener. Depending on who starts at quarterback, the Badgers’ nonconference slate may not be indicative of how they’ll play against the Big Ten. 

Maryland freshman defensive lineman Sidney Stewart made it clear that the Terps are prepared for whatever quarterback takes the field for Wisconsin.

“Nameless faces, objects. I really don’t even know his name, but I do wish the best to him,” Stewart said. “We just gonna get after him, like we would anything else. It’s like, a dog don’t know your name when it’s chasing you.”

On offense, the Badgers rely on three main targets, senior receiver Vinny Anthony II, senior tight end Lance Mason and redshirt senior Jayden Ballard. 

Anthony has 115 receiving yards and a touchdown as a top target and lead kick returner. Mason had a big game against Middle Tennessee with 102 receiving yards, he also has one touchdown on the season. Ballard is in his first season with the Badgers after transferring from Ohio State, he leads the team this 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns. 

Dillon Jones and Darrion Dupree share carries in the backfield for Wisconsin, combining for 229 yards on the ground. 

On defense, Wisconsin is led by two impactful safeties. Senior Austin Brown has 14 tackles on the season after racking up 11 against Alabama. Graduate student Preston Zachman already has two interceptions on the season.

At linebacker, graduate student Mason Reiger, previously from Louisville, has been impactful with eight total tackles and one sack on the season. Junior linebackers Curtis Tackett and Christian Alliegro lead the team in tackles with 16 and 15 respectively.

The Badgers defense will try to bounce back after allowing 38 points to Alabama. 

How can Maryland pull off a Big Ten road win?

For the Terps, Malik Washington will get his first taste of Big Ten football in a difficult environment in Madison. A potentially concerning sight for Maryland as the freshman has yet to play on the road. 

“We do the same thing that we do with all first year, but you know, it is a great environment to play football,” Locklsey said. “Wwhat I’ve learned about from Malik Washington pretty early is that I haven’t seen it ever be too big, I think we’ve done a really good job in how we’ve brought him along and so that it isn’t about him and being too big.”

Senior receiver Octavian Smith Jr. could be someone that Washington looks to early on with experience playing on the road in the Big Ten. Redshirt sophomore tight end Dorian Fleming didn’t have a reception last week against Towson, Washington should look to get him back on track on Saturday. 

Maryland’s rub game has improved over the first three games of the season. DeJaun Williams and Nolan Ray have done a better job of getting chunk plays on the ground and Maryland will need it on Saturday. 

“It’s always what I said about creating balance, being able to do both well when you have to,” Locksley said. “We have a system that allows us to, if we add RPOs, it helps to run games we decide to take them off. It develops us as a physicality,” 

Maryland’s defense will have a chance to show its true colors on Saturday. The defense has played very well thus far, but hasn’t been challenged. Under the leadership of Daniel Wingate, among others, this unit will show how it can defend a Big Ten offense. 

The anticipated return of defensive back Jamare Glasker will certainly boolster Maryland’s secondary.

No matter who Wisconsin plays at quarterback on Saturday, Maryland’s defense will have a tall task if it wants to take home a win. 

Kickoff is set for noon at Camp Randall Stadium and you can listen live here at WMUC Sports.