The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the the Maryland Terrapins this weekend, and there are several position clashes that should get extra attention.
First Matchup: Maryland Wide Receiver D.J. Moore vs. Minnesota Cornerback Kiondre Thomas
Moore is a 215-pound receiver with great hands and body control. He can go up for 50/50 balls and has the size of an X receiver, all while possessing the sticky hands and quickness to play out of the slot.
To disrupt the timing of these routes, Thomas needs to play physical football right on the line of scrimmage, bodying Moore whenever he can. He should also be ready to move around, as Moore bounces around the offense and plays multiple roles.
While the safeties will offer help on several plays, they will still run some trap coverages by leaving him on an island while checking into a blitz or rolling the coverage to the other side of the formation. He needs to play tight, but not lose Moore playing press coverage on the line of scrimmage.
If Thomas can hit the perfect balance of contacting Moore to disrupt his route timing, without overcommitting to overpowering Moore at the line, he will win the matchup.
Second Matchup: Maryland Running Back Ty Johnson vs. Minnesota Linebackers Kamal Martin and Thomas Barber
Johnson is a an explosive back, but is at his best on the edge bouncing runs or making catches in the flat. After the ball is in his hands, he’s most effective out in the boundary side of the field where he can make tacklers miss.
In order to handle Johnson and the run, Martin and Barber need to deal with the field first. They have to play fast on the outside because Maryland’s new starting quarterback, sophomore Max Bortenschlager, will try to use Johnson as a safety blanket throughout the day. Along with bouncing Johnson to the outside on running plays, they’ll try to get him open on quick out-routes, banking on him turning upfield. Martin and Barber’s goal will be to take away Johnson’s impact and force Bortenschlager to go deep.
Third Matchup: Maryland Quarterback Bortenschlager vs. Minnesota Safeties Duke McGhee and Jacob Huff
With Bortenschlager set for his first collegiate start, the Maryland offense should be simplified accordingly. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell will likely look to get the ball out of his hands quickly to avoid duress-filled decisions.
McGhee and Huff both have to shift around to give Bortenschlager a flurry of looks, hiding the coverage and forcing him to make his reads post-snap. If the linebackers pick up Johnson while Moore is blanketed by Thomas, the talent left over should be easier for the safeties to handle. The play from Huff against Middle Tennessee, for example, resulted from a combination of pressure on the quarterback and not cheating in coverage.
While, ideally, pressure forces a quick read and under-thrown ball, Huff playing to the middle of the field – still within range -allows him to dash over the top for the pick. This is how they can trap against Maryland with similar results.
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