Michigan State Football: Spartans battle Maryland for bowl eligibility

A pair of Big Ten middleweights look to keep momentum going into November. Will Michigan State football or Maryland win to reach bowl eligibility on Saturday?

Michigan State did to Purdue what Ohio State could not, beating the Boilermakers 23-13 at home in Week 9. Playing in East Lansing certainly helped some, but far more critical to the victorious effort was bottling up Purdue quarterback David Blough. The Boilermakers passer threw for 277 yards and three interceptions on 29-of-49 passing.

On the other side of the ball, Rocky Lombardi filled in for Brian Lewerke and notched 318 yards and two touchdowns on a 26-of-46 day in his first college start. Depending on how Lewerke’s shoulder is feeling, Lombardi could end up getting a second start against the Terrapins.

If he does start against Maryland, Lombardi will encounter a secondary that is tied for the national lead in interceptions. The Terrapins have picked off 14 passes in their first eight games of the season, and they rank 22nd in passing yards allowed and 26th in opponent passing efficiency. This is despite a front seven that struggles to get much push at the line of scrimmage, ranking 109th in sacks and 83rd in total tackles for loss.

The Terps are coming off a resounding 63-33 victory at home over Illinois, and they get to stay in the familiar territory of College Park for another weekend. Kasim Hill had his best passing day of the season against the Illini, throwing for 265 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-19 passing.

Can the Maryland quarterback keep up his momentum against a tougher opponent in Week 10? Which team will reach bowl eligibility in the battle of Big Ten East foes and stay on the margins of the division race? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday game between Michigan State and Maryland:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 3
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: College Park, Md.
Venue: Maryland Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Playing on the road, Michigan State’s top-ranked rushing defense faces one of the country’s best run-based offenses. As strength meets strength, the Spartans need to hold up at the point of attack and prevent the Terrapins from running roughshod on their front seven. Whichever quarterback starts for Mark Dantonio, the Spartans offense needs to avoid turnovers against a ballhawk Terps secondary.

For Maryland to win as a slight underdog at home, they need to limit the time that the Spartans have with the football. Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country at maintaining possession and grinding out the clock, while the Terrapins struggle to keep drives going and pick up first downs. They need to do a better job moving the chains on Saturday to knock off their visitors.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Michigan State -2
Over/Under: 46

Prediction

Maryland is one of the few teams in the country that remains perfect when they get into the red zone, and that could prove critical on Saturday. The Terrapins have the muscle memory of upsetting favored opponents at home, including Texas in the season opener. With both teams in a spiral of wins and losses, look for this one to finish tied in regulation and won in overtime by the hosts.

Final Score: Maryland 23, Michigan State 20 (OT)