Greg Schiano is plenty familiar with the challenge his Rutgers football team is preparing to face.
Schiano recruited a young quarterback named Malik Washington back when the signal-caller was at Archbishop Spalding in Maryland. He quickly was impressed by the type of player and person Washington was.
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But ultimately Washington decided to stay closer to home. On Nov. 8 at SHI Stadium (2:30 p.m., FS1) the Scarlet Knights defense will try to limit the talented Washington as he leads the Maryland Terrapins’ offense as a true freshman.
“Malik is everything you want in a quarterback,” Schiano said. “He’s big, he’s strong. He’s got great arm talent. Tremendous human being. Everything you want in a quarterback. So we have our hands full.”
Schiano’s team will be trying to bounce back from a 35-13 road loss to Illinois, while the Terrapins are on a four-game losing streak, the latest a 55-10 blowout defeat against No. 2 Indiana.
To say this is an important game for Rutgers is understatement – it’s almost certainly going to determine their bowl chances.
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The Scarlet Knights need two more wins. After playing Maryland, they play at No. 1 Ohio State and host Penn State. A loss to Terrapins would mean they’d have to win both their remaining games – pulling off an upset against the No. 1 Buckeyes would be a monumental task.
But for now Rutgers is just focused on Maryland.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano looks on from the sideline.
The 6-foot-5, 231-pound Washington, who’s completing 58.9 percent of his passes, has thrown for 1,958 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 99 yards on 27 carries with three scores.
Schiano isn’t surprised Washington won the starting job as a true freshman.
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“They have other quarterbacks in the program, he’s just a really good player,” Schiano said. “Arm talent, foot talent, noggin. The whole deal. We thought that of him coming out of high school. We thought he was the complete package. An incredible human being. When you put all that together, it’s what you look for in a quarterback.”
Rutgers vs. Maryland scouting report
Why Maryland has an advantage: Maryland’s biggest advantage is the way Rutgers’ defense has been playing. The Scarlet Knights are the worst defensive team in the Big Ten, and right now they’re having a hard time stopping anybody. While the Terrapins’ offense ranks toward the bottom of the conference, Rutgers still hasn’t looked like a team that’s capable of completing shutting it down. If Washington is able to do what other quarterbacks have done and pick apart the secondary with precision, Maryland will be in good position to end its skid. On the other side the ball the Terrapins boast a ball-hawking defense with a Big Ten-leading 15 interceptions. Schiano called it one of the best secondaries in the nation. Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has to be careful.
Why Rutgers has an advantage: Maryland is coming to Piscataway on a four-game losing streak for a reason. The Terrapins are not a very good football team, and coach Mike Locksley could be coaching for his job. Add in the fact the Scarlet Knights are at home, and they definitely have another advantage. Rutgers is a better offensive team than Maryland. It has the more experienced quarterback, and it has more weapons surrounding him. While the Terrapins do get a lot of picks, overall their defense hasn’t been that impressive, allowing 380.9 yards per game. That could help Rutgers have a good offensive day.
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Rutgers vs. Maryland prediction
Give Greg Schiano credit for this: He’s never lost a team. And even when a season isn’t going well, it’s never gone completely off the rails. And that’s why I think the Scarlet Knights will find a way to get past Maryland. Yes, I know how had the Rutgers defense has been. But I think Rutgers’ offense, which certainly didn’t play well against a struggling Illinois defense, will be more productive against the Terrapins, who are giving up 380.9 yards per game. Maryland’s run defense is also vulnerable, allowing 154.6 yards on the ground per game. Both teams are having bad seasons. Rutgers managed to beat another struggling team in Purdue on the road. The Scarlet Knights should be able to get by Maryland at home. Score prediction: Rutgers 35, Maryland 31
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football vs. Maryland prediction, scouting report, preview
