The Washington Huskies (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) will meet the undefeated Maryland Terrapins (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) inside College Park’s SECU Stadium on Saturday. Maryland’s offense is led by true freshman quarterback and hometown hero Malik Washington, who has impressed ahead of his first home game against a Big Ten opponent.
At 6-5 and 233 pounds, Washington is a massive quarterback. And although he’s just a true freshman, the Glen Burie, Md. native has led his Terrapins to four straight wins in which he’s gone 80-of-134 through the air for 1,038 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.
“You look out there, and it’s like you’re looking at Cam Newton,” Huskies defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said.
If the Huskies want to disrupt Washington, they must stop him from connecting with senior wideout Shaleak Knotts, who’s scored in all four games this season and is responsible for five of Washington’s eight passing scores. Only three other Big Ten receivers have five or more scores this year, and all three have played in a fifth game.
Washington football knows Maryland QB Malik Washington is a dual-threat stud
The task of containing Knotts is complicated by the injuries currently plaguing the Huskies’ secondary. Standout cornerback Tacario Davis has been out since Week 2 with a rib injury, safety CJ Christian has been out since Week 1 with turf toe, and safety Rahshawn Clark missed last week after colliding with linebacker Xe’Ree Alexander in the Apple Cup two weeks ago.
Head coach Jedd Fisch had both good news and bad news for reporters at Monday’s press conference.
“We’re probably a week or two away for CJ, but Rahshawn is fully cleared,” Fisch said. “We’re expecting him back, and we’re hopeful that Tacario will be back as well.”
The Dawgs will be focused on stopping the pass, but Washington has also shown the ability to threaten with his legs. He leads the team with two rushing touchdowns, both of which came via simple goal-line read options which Washington pulled and carried to the right.
Thankfully for Huskies fans, Maryland doesn’t have much else in the way of rushing offense. Lead back DeJuan Williams has taken 47 carries for just 183 yards and a touchdown, and the Terrapins’ current average of 102.8 yards per game is the Big Ten’s worst. The Huskies defense is the nation’s No. 13 unit against the run, so the Terrapins will likely be forced to attack through the air.
Can Maryland’s true freshman quarterback handle an air-raid style? We’ll see. His completion percentage of 59.7% ranks 17th among the Big Ten’s 18 starting quarterbacks, and his average of 7.7 yards per attempt ranks only 12th. However, he’s recorded at least 250 yards in each of Maryland’s four games, and he’s won each by double digits.
The Huskies and Terrapins will kick off from College Park, Md. at 12:30 p.m. PST on the Big Ten Network.