Under head coach Michael Locksley, Maryland football is 0-9 in games following a bye week.
That is a trend that the Terps would like to change on Saturday against Washington.
“We usually practice how we have to. I grew up in an era where the bye week is used, kind of like a prize fighter in between rounds,” Locksley said. “But we did things a little bit differently. We actually, because of our depth, we didn’t beat them up.”
After a 4-0 start to the season, Maryland has a chance to prove itself as a true Big Ten contender against a team that lost to No. 1 Ohio State last week and will travel across the country to College Park.
Will the long trip affect Washington?
Washington isn’t the same team that made the national championship in 2023.
After Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama, Jedd Fisch hasn’t been able to find the same type of success for the Huskies.
That said, Washington won its first three games and then lost to the best team in the nation, but it kept it relatively close until the fourth quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. took over the full-time starting role this season and has been a strong force, throwing for 951 yards and six touchdowns. Last season he appeared in every game but only started the final two contests. He has yet to throw an interception this season.
Senior running back Jonah Coleman has run for 417 yards and nine touchdowns thus far this season. Coleman also has 176 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown. The Terps will need to contain Coleman; it will be a big test for their defense.
Denzel Boston is a lead target for Williams. He has 19 catches for 275 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, junior safety Alex McLaughlin leads Washington with 29 total tackles and two interceptions. Deven Bryant is Washington’s lead linebacker and has 25 total tackles. Jacob Lane is a formidable edge rusher for the Huskies with 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the season.
The Hukies’ roster is balanced throughout, so it should be interesting to see how the long trip affects them. 2,748 miles separate the two cities, and Washington has struggled in the eastern part of the country.
Last season, Washington lost road games to Rutgers, Indiana, Iowa and Penn State. Washington would like to fix its road Big Ten struggles in its first chance this season.
Can Maryland keep the train moving?
The Terps are off to a 4-0 start and have been on a roll, but the bye week has built expectations for this team.
“Bye week is really productive for us to get some guys back that were injured. We spent time trying to target one one area to get better for each of our players and each coach,” Locksley said.
The Terps should be mostly healthy and rested in a home environment better than any other game thus far. Everything is on Maryland’s side heading into Saturday, with the exception of the Terps’ record after the bye.
Freshman quarterback Malik Washington will have had time to reflect on his historic 4-0 start, after he gained national attention following the 27-10 win over Wisconsin.
Maryland’s offensive line has protected Washington well, allowing only two sacks in four games. With a freshman quarterback, the importance of avoiding sacks has given him amble time to find his receivers and develop within the offense.
Between Maryland’s defense and its offensive line, the trenches have been incredibly strong thus far and will need to pick up where it left off two weeks ago.
Saturday’s game will kick off at 3:30 from SECU Stadium on WMUC Sports.
