The University of Maryland Terrapins host the Bowling Green State University Falcons at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium this week. The game starts at 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sep 12 and will air on BTN and the BTN2.
Maryland routed Richmond 50-21 last week. Brandon Ross had a big game on the ground in the win, rushing for 150 yards and one TD on 18 carries. Ty Johnson also had a big day, contributing 83 yards and a TD on 10 attempts. Bowling Green didn’t have the same success as Maryland, losing big to Tennessee 59-30 in its matchup. Matt Johnson had an outstanding performance passing the ball for the Falcons, completing 27 of 49 passes for 424 yards and two TDs. Gehrig Dieter also had a big game with 133 yards and a TD on seven receptions.
The Terrapins, a 10-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Bowling Green visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 65 points.
Heading into Week 2 of the college football season, the Terrapins are unbeaten with a 1-0 record Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). They rank 24th in the nation with 50.0 points per game, making them one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses. The Terrapins have America’s 10th-ranked running attack with 341 yards per game. Maryland’s scoring defense, which allows 21.0 points per game, will have a chance to build upon its numbers against the Falcons. The Falcons might have a difficult time running the ball against the 23rd-best run defense in the nation. The Terrapins give up 56 rushing yards per game. One of the keys to the game will be if the Falcons can protect the quarterback against Maryland’s aggressive pass rush. The defense ranks 14th in the nation in sacks with four per game. Maryland usually finishes games strong, averaging 21 points in the fourth quarter. For Maryland, special teams has provided an extra spark. They average the most return yards in Division I with 302 per game.
On the other side, the Falcons have come out of the gate playing poorly with records of 0-1 SU and ATS this season. If earlier games are any indication, the Falcons will throw the ball a lot. They average 433 passing yards per game, good enough for fourth in Division I.
Predictions: SU Winner – MD, ATS Winner – MD, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Maryland’s last 9 games.
Maryland is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home.
Maryland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Maryland’s last 7 games at home.
Maryland is 1-0 SU when leading after three quarters this year.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Maryland is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 10th-ranked rushing attack will face the 124th-ranked run defense of Bowling Green, while its 23rd-ranked run defense will look to contain the 96th-ranked rushing game of the Falcons.
