Michigan State Football: What can we expect from Maryland in Week 10?

It has been a chaotic week for Maryland. Head coach DJ Durkin was in and now he is out. What does this mean for Michigan State football?

Mark Twain once said, “It is never wrong to do the right thing.” How much did former head coach DJ Durkin know in the death of Jordan McNair will never be fully known. However, more puzzling was why the school thought it would be appropriate to bring Durkin back. Even if he was innocent of the claims against him, it would have been difficult for Maryland turn the chapter as a program with him at the helm.

What interim head coach Matt Canada has done at Maryland has been impressive. He was the offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi in 2016 and was a Broyles Award finalist that season. However, he left the Panthers to be the offensive coordinator for LSU and it proved to be a disaster. He uses many shifts and motion in his offensive attack, which enables his playmakers to get favorable matchups.

It’s amazing with all the Terrapins have endured this season that they stand on the brink of a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Albeit, they do face the toughest part of their schedule with games against Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State and MSU. Quarterback Kasim Hill has failed to reach 100 yards of passing in four games, and has yet to pass for over 300 yards. Not one wide receiver has been able to get more than a 100 yards in a single game this season.

Maryland’s game plan plays into the Spartans’ strength against the run. Senior running back Ty Johnson missed last week’s against Illinois. If he’s good to go agains MSU then he brings an explosive element to the Terrapins. He ran a 98-yard kickoff back against Michigan and has 468 yards rushing this season.

The Terrapins also use talented true freshman Anthony McFarland in the rushing attack and he has 497 yards on the ground. The Spartans have been known to give up the big play on the ground. They held the likes of PSU’s Miles Sanders mute for most of the game, but two long runs tarnished their amazing job. Michigan State will have to do a good job of tackling.

Prediction: Michigan State 24, Maryland 10. The Spartans’ strength is making teams one-dimensional and Maryland plays into their hands. MSU quarterback Rocky Lombardi gets another start. I believe the Spartans do not want to rush Brian Lewerke back. They want to make sure Lewerke will be ready for the Ohio State.