UW Huskies vs. Maryland: Keys to the game, how to watch and prediction
Washington (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) at Maryland (4-0, 1-0)
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Md.
TV: Big Ten Network
Latest line (via ESPN Bet): Washington -6.5, Total 53.5
All-time series: Washington leads 1-0
UW key players
QB Demond Williams Jr.: 75.6% completions, 951 pass yards, 68 completions, 90 attempts, 6 pass TD, 47 carries, 192 rush yards, 2 rush TD
WR Dezmen Roebuck: 10 catches, 162 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
S Alex McLaughlin: 29 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 2 PBU
EDGE Jacob Lane: 18 tackles, 5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
Maryland key players
QB Malik Washington: 59.7% completions, 1,038 pass yards, 80 completions, 134 attempts, 8 pass TD, 1 INT
WR Shaleak Knotts: 14 catches, 276 receiving yards, 5 receiving TD
LB Daniel Wingate: 39 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT
DL Sidney Stewart: 14 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 safety
Ingredients for a trap
Even before Maryland got off to a hot start to the 2025 campaign, this game had all the makings of a classic trap game.
Washington is coming off two massive games – the 117th Apple Cup against in-state rival Washington State and a showdown with No. 1 Ohio State. UW has to travel to the Eastern time zone, where it suffered three of its worst losses during 2024: uncompetitive blowouts against ranked Indiana and Penn State teams, along with a 21-18 defeat against a Rutgers squad that went on to drop its next four games.
Maryland is also coming off a bye week, the second of five teams that will be idle right before playing Washington this season.
Now, factor in the Terrapins’ surprising form. They’re undefeated to start coach Mike Locksley’s seventh season in College Park, thanks in large part to freshman quarterback Malik Washington and a stout defensive line.
Maryland opened Big Ten play with a 27-10 beatdown of Wisconsin and quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who transferred to join the Badgers from the Terps during the offseason. Wisconsin scored more points during its nonconference game against No. 10 Alabama. Maryland is one of three teams in the country that hasn’t trailed at any point this season.
Injuries for the Huskies have also put them in an uncertain spot as they head east to play the Terps. Coach Jedd Fisch didn’t have any updates Monday about the status of fifth-year edge rusher Zach Durfee (elbow) or sixth-year left tackle Carver Willis (knee). Fisch said he was “hopeful” senior cornerback Tacario Davis (ribs) might be healthy enough to play for the first time since Sept. 6.
That’s not even considering the season-ending injury to starting linebacker Taariq “Buddah” Al-Uqdah or the long-term collarbone injury that required surgery for sophomore wide receiver Rashid Williams, who’s still weeks away from a potential return, according to Fisch’s projection shortly after the injury.
So the Huskies have a massive challenge before them, and they will need to overcome a variety of on- and off-field trials to win their first conference win of the season and the program’s first Big Ten road victory.
Limiting Terps QB Washington
The Maryland signal -caller didn’t appear out of nowhere.
Washington, a 6-foot-5, 231-pound quarterback from Glen Burnie, Maryland, was rated the No. 10 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He was a top-100 player nationally and a consensus four-star recruit.
He’s turned that potential into immediate production. Washington has thrown for at least 250 yards during each of his first four games at Maryland. He’s already been named Big Ten freshman of the week twice this season.
Washington currently leads all FBS freshmen quarterbacks by averaging 259.5 passing yards per game, and is tied with California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele with eight touchdowns passing despite Maryland playing one fewer game.
Washington ranks 37th nationally with 20 completions per game and touchdowns passing. He ranks 26th in yards passing per game and 34th in yards passing per completion. UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters compared Washington, who’s also a threat to run on the goal line with two touchdowns rushing this season, to former NFL MVP Cam Newton.
“Big arm,” Walters said Tuesday. “Throws with a lot of velocity. A lot of off-platform throws that get to the right location. He’s accurate. He takes care of the football.”
Washington also has weapons on the perimeter. Maryland’s trio of veteran wide receivers – senior Shaleak Knotts, senior Octavian Smith Jr. and senior Jalil Farooq, an Oklahoma transfer – all have at least 180 yards receiving this season. Only junior Denzel Boston has surpassed that mark for UW.
Pressuring Washington will be crucial for the Huskies. The freshman has been kept relatively clean by Maryland’s offensive line through four games, facing pressure on just 23.2% of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, and being sacked just twice. He’s completed 39.3% of his throws – 11-for-28 passing – during those situations.
“The future’s bright for him,” Walters said. “He’s just scratching the surface, you can tell. A really good player.”
Protecting Williams
While getting after Washington will be key for UW, keeping sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. upright will also be extremely important for UW.
Maryland enters Saturday averaging four sacks per game, tied for first nationally with No. 15 Tennessee and No. 5 Oklahoma. It tallied six sacks against Edwards and Wisconsin, and 13 different Maryland players have registered at least a half sack this season. The Terps have 85 total pressures as a team, including 51 hurries and 16 quarterback hits, according to PFF.
“It’s the Big Ten,” UW offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty said Tuesday. “Every single week, you’ve got to be ready.”
The Terps are led by a pair of true freshmen defensive linemen: 6-2, 255-pound Sidney Stewart, whose four sacks are tied for second in the Big Ten, and 6-6, 222-pound Zahir Mathis, who has 2.5 sacks and a blocked kick. Maryland also ranks 15th nationally in tackles for a loss, averaging 7.8 per game. Seven different Terps have multiple tackles for a loss.
“No doubt, their two defensive ends cause a problem,” Dougherty said about Stewart and Mathis. “Very athletic. Very physical. Very active guys that we know are going to be a problem.”
Additionally, Maryland has been able to convert its pressures into turnovers. Its eight interceptions rank second in the country, and it’s tied with Alabama for the national lead in turnover margin. Williams hasn’t thrown an interception this season, and still has zero turnover-worthy plays through four games.
It’ll be another big test for UW’s rebuilt offensive line, which surrendered six sacks against Ohio State and may be missing Willis, the Kansas State transfer who’s been a massive part of stabilizing the beleaguered unit this season. Willis suffered a knee injury during the first half against the Buckeyes, and will likely be replaced by fifth-year offensive lineman Maximus McCree, a former Terp himself, if Willis is unavailable to play.
Andy Yamashita’s prediction
Maryland feels a bit like UW a week ago. The Terrapins are putting up ridiculous numbers defensively, while riding the arm of an exciting young quarterback in Washington. Yet they remain significantly untested. Their nonconference schedule consisted of two comfortable wins against Florida Atlantic and Northern Illinois, along with a multiscore win against FCS-opponent Towson. Wisconsin, meanwhile, looks destined for another season at the bottom of the Big Ten.
UW got its reality check against top-ranked Ohio State, and this is going to be the closest game the Terps have played up to this point. However, UW is facing more than just Maryland. The travel, injuries and a potential letdown after two high-intensity weeks put the Huskies in a difficult position. And if the Terps are legit, that challenge will be even larger.
The Huskies still enjoy a manageable schedule for the rest of the season. UW can still reach nine victories by winning one of its remaining matchups away against No. 20 Michigan or at home versus No. 2 Oregon or No. 22 Illinois. So beating Maryland may be the difference between a nine-win season or an eight-win season.
Prediction: Huskies 24, Terrapins 21