Maryland football aims to bounce back after a disappointing 42-28 loss to No. 18 Indiana. The Terps, sitting at 3-2, are about to face the toughest stretch of their 2024 season.

Their first challenge on that rocky road is Northwestern, a team they lost to last season, 33-27. The Wildcats haven’t fared much better than Maryland in 2024, starting the season 2-3. Their only wins came against nonconference opponents Eastern Illinois and Miami (OH), while they fell to Duke, Washington and Indiana, who beat them 41-24 last week. All signs point to this matchup being a close one.

Friday’s game kicks off at 8 p.m. and will air on FS1.

Northwestern Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)

2023 Record: 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten)

Head coach David Braun made an immediate impact last season, his first year at the helm. His eight wins tied for the most by any first-year coach in 2023, earning him Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. Braun was also a finalist for George Munger College Coach of the Year, alongside names like Nick Saban and Steve Sarkisian. Before taking the top role, Braun served as Northwestern’s defensive coordinator and was a two-time national champion coordinator at North Dakota State prior to that.

Players to watch

Theran Johnson, redshirt junior defensive back, No. 10 — A rangy and disruptive presence in the secondary, Johnson is tied for first in the Big Ten with six passes defended. He also has 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception.

Devin Turner, junior defensive back, No. 8 — Turner, standing at 6-foot-1, leads the Wildcats with 20 solo tackles, adding a tackle for loss, two passes defended and an interception.

Cam Porter, graduate running back, No. 1 — Northwestern’s leading rusher both last year and this season, Porter has totaled 249 yards and four touchdowns in four games, averaging five yards per carry.

A.J. Henning, graduate wide receiver, No. 8 — Despite Northwestern’s struggles in the passing game, Henning has 296 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also ranks sixth in the conference with 31 receptions.

Strength

Secondary. Northwestern’s defense is middle-of-the-pack overall, but their secondary is a bright spot, ranking sixth in the conference with 23 passes defended. The Wildcats’ defensive backs will be key in containing Maryland’s talented receivers.

Weakness

Passing attack. Northwestern’s passing game ranks fourth-worst in the conference, with just 877 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in five games. Leading passer Jack Lausch has a quarterback rating of just 108.5 across three games.

Three things to watch

1. Injury watch. Several key Terps, including safety Dante Trader Jr. and wide receivers Tai Felton and Kaden Prather, were injured against Indiana. Felton and Prather practiced fully this week, while Trader wasn’t spotted on Tuesday. Their status could heavily impact Friday’s game.

2. Seeking a conference win. Maryland has struggled in Big Ten play, losing to Indiana and Michigan State. Northwestern won last year’s matchup, but the Wildcats’ recent struggles give the Terps an opportunity to secure their first conference win. Maryland hasn’t started 0-3 in the Big Ten since 2019.

3. Defensive line impact. Maryland’s defensive line will need to step up. Not only do they need to stop Northwestern’s strong rushing attack, but applying pressure on Lausch could force mistakes from the man at the helm of a lackluster passing game.