The Michigan State Spartans and Maryland Terrapins are set to meet this weekend to kickoff Big Ten Conference play for each other.
The Spartans squeaked past the Florida Atlantic Owls, 16-10, to open the 2024 season while the Terrapins had a much different opener. Maryland crushed the UConn Huskies, 50-7, and forced the Huskies to change quarterbacks in the loss. The Terrapins look like a formidable team when everything fully clicks for them, while the Spartans have not necessarily found a way to click yet.
Michigan State Spartans Set to Travel to Take On Maryland Terrapins
Michigan State is fresh off of a win over the Florida Atlantic Owls, and now must take a jump in the level of their competition. The Spartans will travel to Maryland to take on the Terrapins, who just defended their home turf against the UConn Huskies, 50-7. Maryland scored five touchdowns against the Huskies with two of their scores coming from long-range.
The Spartans, however, did not have as great of an offensive showcase in their first game of the 2024 season. Quarterback Aidan Chiles transferred over to the Michigan State football program from Oregon State, following his coach to a new team. Chiles earned the starting role with the Spartans, but really struggled in his Michigan State debut.
The Michigan State football team and Chiles could not get anything going on offense between penalties and mistakes. Chiles threw two interceptions and missed a handful of open receivers downfield which ended drives. The Michigan State football team also had two major plays called back due to penalties, with one being a touchdown by running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams.
The Michigan State football staff needs to find their offensive identity before playing against the Terrapins this weekend. Maryland proved they can score at will when they find a weakness in a defense, and once UConn allowed one big score the flood gates opened. The Spartans are going to have to find ways to score against the Terrapins because Maryland certainly will.
What Does the Michigan Football Team, Maryland Need to Win?
For Michigan State, winning is going to come down to limiting the big, explosive plays the Terrapins are accustomed to. Maryland broke off big 48-yard and 75-yard scores that really killed any momentum the UConn Huskies defense had. The Terrapins are a strong team and can put together small yardage gains and make a successful drive out of it.
The Michigan football staff is going to have to have their team prevent the big plays to force the Terrapins into playing a gritty football game. The Spartans are no strangers to playing gritty football and did just so against the Florida Atlantic Owls. If Michigan state replicates what their defense did against the Owls this weekend against the Terrapins, it should be a close win.
For the Maryland Terrapins, there is a pretty clear path to victory and it involves putting pressure on quarterback Aidan Chiles. Chiles struggled in his first game as a starter, recording 114-yards and two interceptions, completing just 11 passes against an okay defense. Chiles is a runner, and while the quarterback has a big arm the accuracy is still developing.
The Terrapins are going to have to force Chiles to throw under pressure in order for the team to shutdown the Spartans offense. Chiles was sacked once against the Owls and avoided multiple sacks by forcing errant throws. The quarterback is going to look to run the ball first when he feels pressure and if he cannot do that, the Terrapins defense might create some turnovers.
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