Maryland @ Wisconsin preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2015 ) Wisconsin 31, Maryland 24

Top 10 teams seem to fall every weekend, but No. 5 Wisconsin just keeps rolling along on its way to the Big Ten championship game. The Badgers will try to stay undefeated and knock off another conference opponent when they host Maryland on Saturday.

Wisconsin, which does not have to face fellow top-10 teams Ohio State or Penn State in the regular season and gets No. 19 Michigan at home on Nov. 18, overcame three turnovers and leaned on the defense while fighting off Purdue 17-9 last week. "It's how do you find a way to score one more point than the opponent," Badgers coach Paul Chryst told reporters. "And games play out in all different fashions and never once do we think it's going to be perfect. We want guys to go out and play and enjoy playing. And when you're in those tough moments embrace them, and I think guys are doing that." The Terrapins have allowed 99 combined points in back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Northwestern and are surrendering an average of 36.5 points - 115th out of 130 FBS teams. "I think that we've got to get some sort of pass rush," Maryland coach DJ Durkin told reporters. "All those routes take a lot of time to develop, so the quarterback has five seconds to stand back there and he’s going to find someone. We got to win a matchup or get pressure with a four-man rush."

TV: Noon ET, FOX. LINE: Wisconsin -24

ABOUT MARYLAND (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten): Terrapins running back Ty Johnson rushed for at least 124 yards in three of the first four games but was limited to 57 yards on 12 carries at Ohio State and slumped to a season-low 20 yards on 10 carries against Northwestern. The offensive star for Maryland is junior wide receiver D.J. Moore, who caught 12 passes for 210 yards and a pair of scores against the Wildcats to bring his total on the season to seven TDs. “He’s been that way pretty much every week," Durkin told reporters. "He’s a really talented guy that plays hard. He runs good routes and has good ball skills. We do a lot to get him the ball and design it that way and he always answers the call."

ABOUT WISCONSIN (6-0, 3-0): The Maryland defense is surrendering an average of 174.3 yards on the ground and this week has to go up against Badgers freshman star Jonathan Taylor, who is on the verge of a 1,000-yard season. Taylor upped his total to 986 yards with 219 on 30 carries last week - his third 200-plus game of the season - and scored at least one touchdown in each of the first six contests. The offensive guys in the huddle give me so much confidence," Taylor told reporters. "Every play they juice me up. With that kind of confidence, anything is possible."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Taylor is attempting to match the NCAA record for fewest games needed to reach 1,000 yards (seven)

2. Moore has recorded at least one reception in 27 straight games - the longest current streak in the Big Ten.

3. The Badgers are outscoring opponents 119-24 in the second half.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 45, Maryland 12