How Can the Hoosiers Keep Their Undefeated Streak Alive This Weekend in College Park?
The Curt Cignetti-led Indiana Hoosiers will be traveling to SECU Stadium this Saturday, where they will be facing off against the 4-3 Maryland Terrapins, a team that is trying to claw back in the win column after dropping their last three games. This season has been a dream for the Hoosiers as they are currently the second-ranked team in the nation, with key wins over Illinois and Oregon in Autzen Stadium. Indiana is coming off a dominating win at home against UCLA, where they won 56-6 with QB Fernando Mendoza throwing for three touchdowns, 168 yards, and a rushing touchdown. The game got so out of reach that the backups ended up getting playing time, including Mendoza’s brother, Alberto Mendoza, who is the backup quarterback, and ended up rushing for his first touchdown of the year. It is clear this Hoosier squad has proven their dominance and earned their place in the AP Poll. After head coach Curt Cignetti’s comments last week about not taking the 3-4 UCLA team lightly, he is coming into this week with the same mentality, saying he’s “brilliantly impressed” with the Terrapins as they have one of the highest turnover ratios in the country.
Maryland, on the other hand, is coming off a week of rest following a nail-biting finish against UCLA just the week before. Despite starting 4-0, the Terrapins have dropped their last three, even though their quarterback, Malik Washington, has looked like a star with 11 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions through seven games. As for the defense, they have looked just average, especially in Week Six, when they went into the fourth quarter up 17 against Washington, and ended up allowing 21 unanswered and blowing the game away. Coming off the bye, it would not be a surprise if this Maryland team comes out swinging and gives Indiana a run for its money.
My thoughts
Indiana will be very well prepared for this team despite potentially starting slow with Maryland’s underrated offense. That being said, Indiana still comes out on top with a dominant second-half performance. Which I think will include several Mendoza touchdowns, and maybe one from his little brother. Maryland will play sharp, and I expect them to score at least 24 points, with a final score of 52-27 in favor of the Hoosiers.
