Wisconsin @ Maryland preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2014 ) Maryland 7, Wisconsin 52

Wisconsin running back Corey Clement had his day to shine 30 days after undergoing sports hernia surgery on Oct. 1, which is slightly less time than it has taken for Maryland to fire its coach or taste victory. Two teams heading in opposite directions square off Saturday when the Badgers travel to College Park for the first time in school history to face the Terrapins.

Clement, whose only action of the season prior to last weekend was an eight-carry, 16-yard rushing effort in Wisconsin’s season-opening loss to Alabama, sparked the Badgers with 115 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries in a 48-10 rout of Rutgers. Buoyed by the return of the New Jersey native, Wisconsin topped 150 yards rushing (215) and finished with more rushing attempts (38) than passes (28) for the first time in Big Ten play. Maryland, which ousted coach Randy Edsall on Oct. 10 following a loss at top-ranked Ohio State, fell 31-15 last weekend at No. 11 Iowa for its fifth consecutive setback since defeating USF on Sept. 19. The Terrapins will be out to even the series after suffering a 52-7 defeat at Wisconsin in 2014 – their most lopsided defeat of the season.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Wisconsin -12.5

ABOUT WISCONSIN (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten): Clement’s return, which included the team’s longest rush of the year (a 58-yard TD run) served as an excellent complement to the Badgers’ swarming defense, which held its third opponent to fewer than 200 total yards when it yielded 165 to Rutgers. Wide receiver/safety Tanner McEvoy, who ran for a score, notched his first career sack and recorded his third interception of the season last week. He is the first FBS player with at least one sack, two receptions, two carries and two interceptions in a season since Charles Gordon of Kansas in 2005. McEvoy’s interception was Wisconsin’s sixth of the season, matching last year’s total.
ABOUT MARYLAND (2-6, 0-4): While Perry Hills has accounted for 10 of the team’s FBS-high 23 interceptions, the junior quarterback managed to become the first Terrapin since Lance Ball in 2005 to rush for 100 yards in three straight games after finishing with 104 versus the Hawkeyes. Defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue continued his banner season with 1.5 sacks to raise his season total to 10.5 and needs only 2.5 more to tie the single-season school record. William Likely was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after posting 220 kickoff return yards against Iowa, falling only eight yards shy of matching his own school record.

EXTRA POINTS
1. Wisconsin leads FBS in scoring defense (11 points per game). Three of the last four national champions have led the country in that category.
2. Maryland has registered 28 sacks – good for second in the conference and sixth in FBS – but committed 28 total turnovers, one shy of the worst mark in the nation. 3. The Badgers more than tripled the Terrapins in total yardage last season (527-175), giving up 73 of those yards on Maryland’s final drive.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 34, Maryland 13