Penn State 2022 Opponent Preview: Maryland, Rutgers, and Michigan State
Our final Penn State opponent preview article of the offseason will be very similar to yesterday's two-for-one special. Instead of looking at two teams today, we'll be looking t Penn State's last trio of games against Maryland (11/12), Rutgers (11/19), and Michigan State (11/26.
Maryland Terrapins (November.12)
Overview/Recap
Maryland is coming off the first seven-win season or better since 2014 and will enter 2022 with the chance to have one of the Big Ten's best offenses. Mike Locksley has his program pointed in the right direction but the next key for them will be able to build consistently from season to season. Can they do so in 2022?
Offense:
The Terrapins will be led this season offensively by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa who probably deserves more recognition than they deserve. He completed 69.2% of his passes last season for 3,860 yards and 26 touchdowns while throwing just 11 interceptions. Returning with Tagovailoa is the Terrapins' entire offensive line from a season ago as well as wide receivers Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus. As long as those two are healthy, they'll be one of the country's top wide receiver duos.
That being said, the Terrapins did lose quite a bit on offense as well, outside of Jarrett and Demus, they lost their next five wide receivers on the stat sheet as well as running back Tayon Fleet-Davis.
The good news for them, however, is that as long as they have Tagovailoa, they'll be fine offensively. Look for them to put up similar numbers to their 29 points and 408 yards per game from a season ago.
Defense:
The Terrapins are also returning quite a bit of talent on the defensive side of the ball with seven starters returning. That being said, last year's defense for Maryland was a major weakness, giving up 31 points and over 400 yards of offense per game. Additionally, while they return seven of 11 starters, they lost their top two defenders in cornerback Jordan Mosley and safety Nick Cross. Those are two major losses for a Maryland secondary that already struggled last season with those two as part of the defense. The defense may take a step forward in 2022 but don't expect any major improvements out of the unit as a whole. Two big names to know on the defense will be linebacker Ruben Hyppolite and defensive back Tarheeb Still.
Special Teams:
On special teams, the Terrapins return both of their punters from last season in Colton Spangler and Anthony Pecorella. Both punters averaged over 40 yards per punt last year, they should be strong once again in 2022.
They will have to replace kicker Joseph Petrino went 13-for-20 last year in his attempts but brought in Eastern Michigan kicker Chad Ryland who should provide consistency at the position. In the return game, expect the aforementioned Tarheeb Still and Rakim Jarrett to lead the way on punt and kick returns respectively.
Overall:
Overall, Maryland is a tough team to gauge this season but a 7-5 record seems likely. A favorable non-conference schedule shout put them at 4-0 before entering Big Ten play but games against Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Ohio State are all likely losses. The final trio of teams is three of their final four games this season. Don't be surprised if the Terrapins are 6-2 heading into November but before finishing 7-5. If Penn State's defense isn't careful against Maryland, it could quickly turn into a shootout.
Overview:
Rutgers had one of their best seasons in a while in 2021 going 5-8 on the season. After a 3-0 start to the season, the Scarlet Knights unshockingly struggled in Big Ten play but did pick up victories over Illinois and Indiana. The Scarlet Knights return 12 starters in 2022 but have a tough schedule this season including a non-conference matchup with Boston College. Will they take the next step?
Offense:
Rutgers returns six starters from last year's offense this season but will have to replace key pieces such as Isaiah Pacheco and Bo Melton. Redshirt freshman Gavin Wimsatt will enter the season as the likely starter and will bring some higher upside to the quarterback position but will also likely go through his fair share of struggles.
It will be interesting to see who emerges on Rutgers' offense as their key playmakers running back Aaron Young and wide receiver Shameen Jones will be two names to know. Perhaps it will be former Wisconsin Badger Aron Cruickshank. A lot of questions on this Rutgers offense, as the season progresses, they should improve but the first few weeks of the season could be slow going for their offense.
Defense:
Rutger's defense has slowly improved over Schiano's time in Piscataway and did so again in 2021. They return six starters from last season including three of their top four from last season. The defense should show some improvements again this season. They'll have a tough time with some of the better offenses on their schedule but should be able to have success against the lesser explosive offenses.
Special Teams:
The Knights were very good on special teams last season and return all their major starters from their special teams unit from last season. They should once again be amongst the best special teams units in the Big Ten.
Overall:
Greg Schiano has Rutgers going in the right direction and winning five games last season was a nice step forward for the program. However, with a touch schedule this season, it will be tough for Rutgers to get back to that five-win mark. Look for the Scarlet Knights to win three or four games this upcoming season but the back half of their schedule is extremely tough, finishing the season off with Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Maryland. Penn State should be able to take care of business against Rutgers quite easily but the Scarlet Knights always play Penn State tough.
Overview:
"Transfer Portal U" surprised everyone in the Big Ten last year by returning to its former form of being a dominant team. Mel Tucker's team led primarily by transfer portal additions got off to a great start last season, winning their first eight games and being ranked as high as fifth in the country. A November trip to Purdue tripped the Spartans up for their first loss of the season before a demoralizing loss to Ohio State just two weeks later. They would finish their season off with wins over Penn State and Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing with an 11-2 record. In 2022, they enter the season without a few key contributors on offense but return nine of 11 starters from the defensive side of the ball. Expect Michigan State to be among the Big Ten's best once again.
Offense:
Last year's offense for Michigan State averaged 32 points and 429 yards per game behind a strong rushing attack that averaged over 175 yards per contest. Star running back Kenneth Walker is now gone after netting over 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago but Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard will look to step into his place and not miss a beat.
Quarterback Payton Thorne was efficient last season for the Spartans completing 60.3$ of his passes for 3,233 yards and 27 touchdowns. He loses receivers Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward but top receiving threat Jayden Reed returns after posting a 1,000+ yard season with 10 touchdowns in 2021.
Only two of their five offensive line starters from a year ago return this season, making that a key area to watch early this season for the Spartans. If the offensive line is able to fill those holes without missing a beat, there's a chance this offense is just as good, if not better than last season's.
Defense:
As mentioned above, Michigan State returns nine of 11 defensive starters from a season ago. Their defense last year allowed just 21 points and 274 yards per game, so expect an even better defense this season. Key starters in LB Cal Halladay and cornerbacks Xavier Henderson and Darius Snow all return this season. Last season, the secondary was Michigan's biggest issue, allowing 325 yards per game, which should improve in 2022. I don't expect them to be a shutdown secondary but they should be improved by quite a bit
Special Teams:
On special teams, Michigan State will have to replace kicker Matt Coghlin but return starting punter Bryce Baringer who averaged 48.4 yards per punt last season. WR Jayden Reed was the Spartans' primary kick and punt returner from last season and will once again be a dynamic threat in the return game. He returned two punts for a touchdown last season.
Overall:
Michigan State is likely in for some regression this upcoming season but still will be an extremely competitive team and winning 9 or 10 games again wouldn't be shocking. The defense should be strong this season, the biggest question will be if the offense can replace their lost talent in Kenneth Walker, Jalen Nailor, and Connor Heywood. If they can do so, this will once again be an extremely dangerous Michigan State team capable of beating almost everyone on their schedule. This should be another close game between Penn State and Michigan State.
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