Maryland seeks bowl eligibility against No. 22 Penn State

ESPN logo
Thursday, November 4, 2021

No. 22 Penn State (5-3, 2/3 Big Ten) at Maryland (5-3, 2-3), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (FS1).

Line: Penn State by 9 1/2, according to .

Series record: Penn State leads 40-3-1.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Maryland hasn't played in the postseason since 2016, but the Terrapins have a chance to become bowl eligible with a victory. Penn State is trying to avoid back-to-back losses in a series the Nittany Lions have dominated. Maryland won last year's meeting 35-19.

KEY MATCHUP

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa vs. the Penn State secondary. Tagovailoa threw for 419 yards last weekend and leads the Big Ten's No. 2-ranked passing offense. Penn State is second in the league in defensive passing efficiency.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Penn State: WR Parker Washington. Jahan Dotson often steals the show with his highlight-reel catches, but Washington has been pretty sure handed lately, too. He had a career-best nine grabs for 108 yards in a loss to Ohio State last weekend and could enjoy an uptick in targets, especially on short routes and screens, if Penn State struggles again to run the ball.

Maryland: WR Rakim Jarrett. He had five catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns at Penn State a season ago, and he's a leader of a Maryland receiving corps that has been hurt by injuries this year.

FACTS & FIGURES

Before last year's loss, Penn State was having little trouble with Maryland, winning the previous three meetings 66-3, 38-3 and 59-0. ... Nittany Lions coach James Franklin was an offensive coordinator at Maryland from 2008-10 and a receivers coach there from 2000-04. During the earlier stint, he overlapped with current Maryland coach Michael Locksley, who was a running backs coach. ... Tagovailoa has four 300-yard passing games this season, one shy of Scott Milanovich's school record set in 1993.

------