No. 21 Michigan Seeks Third Straight Big Ten Win At Maryland
The Associated Press
No. 21 Michigan (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) at Maryland (4-5, 2-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)
Line: Michigan by 13 ½.
Series record: Michigan leads 5-1
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Wolverines still have a shot at winning the East Division and playing in the Big Ten title game. For that to happen, beating the Terrapins is a must. Maryland hasn't been eliminated from bowl eligibility, but needs to win two of its last three.
KEY MATCHUP
Michigan run offense against Maryland's defense. The Wolverines have used three different quarterbacks, each performing with varying degrees of success, but their running game has been consistently good. Karan Higdon has run for 816 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry with 10 TDs, and should see plenty of action against a Maryland defense that is yielding 174.8 yards rushing per game and ranks 115th in the FBS in scoring defense (36.3 points per game). Michigan has run for at 300 yards in past two games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Michigan: LB Mike McCray. Defensive captain and the only returning starter on the unit, McCray has appeared in 33 games, starting 21, and leads unit with 135 career tackles. This year ranks second on team with 56 tackles, including four sacks, and has forced fumble.
Maryland: WR DJ Moore. Fleet-footed junior leads Big Ten with 59 receptions and eight TD catches. Needs 19 receptions to break school single-season mark of 77, set in 1994 by Geroy Simon. Moore has started in 32 straight games and has a catch in 30 successive games, longest streak in the conference.
FACTS & FIGURES
Michigan has won two straight by a collective 68-24 score after falling at Penn State. ... Maryland QB Max Bortenschlager was injured last week against Rutgers. If he can't go, Ryan Brand will be Terps' fourth different starting quarterback this season. .. Maryland second-year coach DJ Durkin was Michigan defensive coordinator in 2015. In his return to Michigan last year, Wolverines won 59-3. ... Michigan leads the nation with 6.7 three-and-outs per game. In contrast, Maryland has allowed opponents to convert 49.7 of its third-down plays.
___
More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
