After a big road win to start Big Ten conference play, the Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Maryland Terrapins on homecoming, kicking off a tough October gauntlet for the Huskers.
Led by eighth year head coach Mike Locksley, the Terrapins entered this season with some pretty high expectations around the program, most of which can be attributed to their young and elite sophomore quarterback Malik Washington.
Washington is a solid quarterback who can make plays with his arm and his legs and the Huskers saw the best out of Washington when these two teams met last season. The Huskers won 34-31, but Washington tore up the Huskers defense for 247 yards and a touchdown.
Unfortunately for Washington and the Terrapins, 2026 has not started the way anyone expected it to.
After opening the season 2-0 with wins against Hampton and UConn, they would go onto lose their next two games against Virginia Tech (35-26) and UCLA (54-3).
The most shocking statistic from those losses is that the Terrapins ran for a combined 103 total yards against the Hokies and Bruins.
All in all, with a major game for the Huskers next week against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium, you certainly can not overlook any team in this conference or on your schedule and the Huskers need to be prepared for whatever the Terrapins decide to throw at them this weekend.
What to expect on Offense:
The play caller for the Terrapins is first year offensive coordinator Clint Trickett who comes over after spending last season at Jacksonville State.
Led by Malik Washington, the Terrapins rank 44th nationally in total offense, but were ranked 13th nationally before their collapse against the Bruins last week.
I really think it’s a play calling and offensive line issue for this Terrapin offense. Washington is a solid and future NFL quarterback, but he is just not in an offense that will allow him to show his full potential.
The Terrapins average 148.3 yards per game on the ground, ranking 92nd nationally but have been without DeJuan Williams since the season opener, Iverson Howard leads the team in rushing with 177 yards and four touchdowns.
On the outside, the biggest name to know is junior wide receiver Chris Durr Jr., who leads the nation in receptions with 35, adding 312 yards and three touchdowns. Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding is also a top target for Washington.
The Terrapins run a high tempo, majority passing offense under Trickett and if Husker defensive coordinator Rob Aurich isn’t ready for it, it could lead to a lot of explosive plays for that offense.
What to expect on Defense:
Ted Monachino is the defense coordinator for the Terrapins and his unit has shown some improvement from last season.
The Terrapins ranked 77th nationally in total defense in 2025, but forced 19 interceptions, ranking 4th. This season, the Terrapins rank 39th in total defense, but struggle in the redzone, allowing opponents to score 87% of the time, ranking 83rd in the nation.
This is a very experienced defense that includes many transfers that contribute, along with running the same 4-2-5 formation defensively as the Huskers, granted they are completely different schemes and identities, there still are some similarities.
Against the pass, this Terrapins defense looked superior against Hampton and UConn, but struggled mightily against Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.
Grunkemeyer completed 31 of his 39 pass attempts for 314 yards and three touchdowns against the Terrapins and that should be a good indicator for Husker offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen to open up the playbook a little bit this weekend.
The Terrapins rank 45th against the pass, allowing 188.5 yards per game through the air. Sophomore linebacker Carlton Smith leads the team in tackles with 26, while edge rushers Derrick LeBlanc and DD Holmes have 2.5 sacks each.
What to expect on Special Teams:
Matt Barnes is in his first season coaching special teams for the Terrapins and he brings in a solid punter-kicker combo in Bryce McFerson and Sean O’Haire.
O’Haire is 14 for 14 on extra point attempts and 4 for 5 on field goal attempts this season.
They’ve had limited opportunities in the return game, returning just 6 punts for 73 yards and are averaging 8.5 yards per kick return, with the majority of kickoffs being unreturnable.
