NFL
For those unfamiliar, the Big Ten conference schedules so that every team faces each other at some point during the non-conference portion. The Maryland Terrapins’ first opponent. The Minnesota Golden Gophers, in the aftermath of the win against Mount St. Mary’s, Head Coach Brenda Frese was happy but disappointed with how the team performed in some areas of that game, saying, “We’re gonna have to play a lot better than we did tonight.”
The Golden Gophers have won six games so far this season, looking to build on a successful 25-win season last year. The Golden Gophers have won five straight at home, and their two losses were at the hands of Kansas and Alabama.
Let’s Preview the Game:
A True Road Test
There have been critics of the schedule, but the Terrapins have earned quality wins over Princeton, George Mason, Kentucky, and Georgetown. The confidence should be high. The Big Ten for Maryland this year should be there for the taking. The Terps were picked to finish second in the Big Ten, behind just UCLA. USC, Michigan, and Ohio State rounded out the predicted top five. Last, they won 13 games. The Series between Maryland and Minnesota is 15-1, with Maryland winning eight straight.
The Bench
Throughout the ten wins, the Terrapin bench has made key contributions. But against Minnesota, it will be unknown. Against Princeton and George Mason, Coach Frese shortened the bench, and in fairness, some do need more development and are not ready, but one could argue that the bench might be extended somewhat.
Beating Minnesota in their own game
The Golden Gophers are a strong passing team, averaging 18 assists, forcing opponents into 20 turnovers, and recording nearly 10 steals per game. In Wednesday’s win, the Terrapins turned the ball over 17 times. “There’ll be a lot of things we can show in film that to be able to prepare us.” It will be interesting to see how the Terrapins push pace and tempo. Maryland does have a trick up their sleeve getting to the free-throw line. Both teams are shooting in the 70% range. Maryland has done a good job, particularly at rebounding. It will be interesting to see how the Terps contain sophomore Sophie Hart.
Addressing the elephant in the room
Injuries are part of the game. Once again, injuries are a reality in sports. During the Discover Puerto Rico Classic, Ava McKennie suffered a left knee injury. A few days later, a TikTok post featuring her and freshman Lea Bartelme revealed what we had feared: McKennie would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Bri McDaniel tore her ACL last year (in this calendar year) and will return at some point this season. Lea Bartelme is out for the season.
No matter how you look at it, this could happen to any team. Chloe Kitts from the University of South Carolina Gamecocks is out for the season. Judea “JuJu” Watkins has redshirted this season while recovering from an ACL injury. The same kind of injuries happen in football, men’s basketball, baseball, and even hockey.
