No. 2 Indiana football is back on the road, heading east for a Saturday matinee with Maryland at SECU Stadium.
Last time out, the Hoosiers pulled off a 56-6 victory at home to UCLA for their eighth straight victory to open the season. The Terrapins just completed a bye week, but are trailing by three games in conference play.
Indiana remained at No. 2 in both the Coaches and AP polls. The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released next week.
Ahead of the Saturday afternoon kickoff, here’s a preview from Inside the Hall of the afternoon tilt between the Hoosiers and Terrapins.
Game information
WHO: No. 2 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 in Big Ten) vs. Maryland (4-3, 1-3 in Big Ten)
Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025. 3:30 PM EST
TV: CBSBrad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst)
The line: Indiana -21.5, over/under 50.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 32, Maryland 16 (84 percent chance of an IU win)
Meet the opponent
Under seventh-year coach Mike Locksley, Maryland lost its chances in October. The Terps lost all three games by one possession and led late in each game. Maryland is 1-8 in October the past three seasons.
Led by true freshman quarterback Malik Washington, the Terps have become a pass-heavy team this year. More than 60 percent of the plays this season have been passes for the 6-foot-1, 231-pounder, the fifth-highest percentage in FBS. Maryland is scoring 25.7 points per game this season and 23.8 in conference games.
The offensive line is Maryland’s strength as it allows for the lowest sack rate in the country.
On the other hand, the Terrapin defense has been rejuvenated under new defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. Maryland has allowed just 17.3 points per game while getting multiple takeaways.
The two teams last faced each other in week five in Bloomington last season. Then Maryland running back Romby Hemby scored a pair of touchdown runs, including a 75-yarder. The Hoosiers prevailed on a rainy day in September, 42-28.
Indiana leads the all-time series at 8-5 dating back to 2014. The Hoosiers are 2-3 in games at SECU Stadium.
Injury update
Curt Cignetti announced Monday that linebacker Aidan Fisher will likely be there Saturday afternoon.
Kicker Brendan Franke is questionable after suffering an injury on the opening kickoff against UCLA.
The required Big Ten Availability Report will be released two hours before kickoff, Saturday at 1:30 PM EST.
Storylines
How will Indiana fare against the massive Maryland line?
Washington has been sacked just twice this season, a testament to the strong play of a relatively new offensive line. The Terps are the best at keeping their young quarterback’s jersey clean, allowing him to find receivers in a clean pocket.
That said, Indiana’s defense has been known to break down even the best offensive lines. Oregon had allowed just one sack of Dante Moore until the Indiana game. The Hoosier defense brought down the elusive Moore six times in their road win.
Indiana is still waiting on the production of Mikail Kamara, who Cignetti mentioned by name during his press conference on Monday.
“I think he has a different level he can play at,” he said. “And I’m waiting to see it.”
The Hoosiers did a fantastic job in the trenches against UCLA last week. Maryland, however, presents a much tougher test. It will be known early in this game whether Indiana will continue to have its way against Maryland or whether Maryland can hold its own at the line of scrimmage.
Can Indiana stay focused in its most challenging remaining game?
It’s safe to say Indiana has completed the most challenging part of its schedule. With Penn State’s catastrophic collapse, this weekend is, historically speaking, the most challenging game remaining on Indiana’s regular season schedule.
A Cignetti team will never take any team lightly, especially on the road in the Big Ten. Indiana controls its own destiny for the remainder of the season, aiming to secure the program’s first-ever trip to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. Each game has significant implications for that historic opportunity. The combined conference record of Indiana’s last four regular-season opponents is a dismal 1-14.
However, after last week’s UCLA and the outside noise honoring IU, it will be a true test of how the Hoosiers can handle the fame.
Cignetti spent the first four minutes of his press conference comparing Maryland to the 1985 Chicago Bears to get his players’ attention.
Entering the game with a bad mentality can be a problem, especially in a nearly sold-out environment in College Park.
Outlook
Indiana and Maryland are programs moving in opposite directions. While Cignetti dazzles in Bloomington, Locksley flounders in College Park.
The Terrapins are desperate for a season win and have the tools to give the Hoosiers a run for their money. Saturday will be Indiana’s first time on the road since earning the No. 2 ranking. The target is officially on Indiana’s back and will get the best of all four remaining opponents.
As mentioned in every preview (including this one), Cignetti will have his team ready for the week ahead. There is no looking past an opponent under his leadership.
Maryland can keep it close for another six months, but Indiana will likely run away and win by multiple scores for the second straight 9-0 start.
(Photo credit: Maryland Athletics)
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