Maryland has had their way against Indiana lately.
Dating back to the 2021 season, the Terps have won three straight against the Hoosiers (two in College Park and one in Bloomington). Maryland has scored at least 38 points in all three of those matchups, highlighted by a 44-17 win at SECU Stadium last year.
It’s the Terrapins’ longest streak of games scoring 38+ points against a single opponent since a four-game streak against Duke between 1982 & 1985.
But Maryland head coach Mike Locksley knows all about new IU coach Curt Cignetti. And he knows the last few years have very little to do with Saturday.
“Indiana, man. Curt Cignetti has done a tremendous job,” Locksley said. “And if you look at the way he’s coached and the way he came up from Elon, goes to (James Madison), continued the great tradition that JMU had, and then he gets this opportunity at Indiana.
“I know his family, his dad was a legendary coach at the other Indiana University [IUP]. At Towson we played them every year,” Locksley said. “He comes from a football family.” “I can just tell you, they are a well-coached team.”
Like Cignetti, Locksley comes from the Nick Saban coaching tree. And he knows there are certain trademarks of a team from that line to expect this weekend.
“The things that jumps out to me, they are not going to give us this game,” Locksley said. “They are going to make us beat them.”
“They will figure out who to take away from us, and our complimentary players are going to have to step up.”
“If you think that (wide receiver) Tai Felton, that they’re not going to try to do things to take Tai Felton out of the game, that’s where I know the family he comes from as a coach, they’re not going to let our best (players) win.”
Here’s a bit more of what Locksley had to say about the Hoosiers:
ON TIGHT END ZACH HORTON
“He is the glue for them on offense,” Locksley said. “This is a guy that’s really talented in the run game. You get enamored in catches and production there (at receiver), but as a coach when you look at things as I think of things on offense, he’s the heart and soul of it. His style of play is what you like. I respect the way he plays.”
ON INDIANA IN GENERAL
“Really, really talented roster,” he said. “The way I see it as I kind of look at is as kind of executive producing this game, is a combination of the three teams, Michigan State, Virginia and Villanova that we just played, it’s like combining all three of those teams. And so, we got a big challenge on our hands, and it’s on the road. We’ll find out a lot about ourselves.”
ON INDIANA’S DEFENSE
“Their best players on defense, the two linebackers who were with them a year ago at JMU (Aiden Fisher, Jailin Walker) know the system,” Locksley said. “They have a corner (D’Angelo Ponds) that knows the system. They got two guys up front (James Carpenter, Mikail Kamara). So this isn’t an Indiana team that has a bunch of people that don’t know each other.
ON INDIANA’S OFFENSE
“On defense, best offense that we will face,” Locksley said. “Really sound in RPO game. They’ve got a set of backs that are both really talented.”
ON KURTIS ROURKE
“That quarterback is tough as nails, Ohio University. MAC player of the year two years ago. I know he suffered an injury (in 2022), but really talented player and they’ve got him playing at a high level.”
Indiana (4-0) and Maryland (3-1) kick at Noon ET Saturday in Bloomington (BTN).
You can watch Locksley’s full press conference this week below, via Maryland Athletics:
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