It's Penn State-Maryland week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more

Penn State starts the November portion of its schedule this Saturday on the road. The Nittany Lions are off to Maryland for their latest Big Ten East matchup. Head coach James Franklin’s team is off a 33-24 victory over Indiana. The Terps, on the other hand, dropped a 33-27 decision to Northwestern.

“Really proud of our guys,” Franklin said. “Battled, were resilient. Found a way to get a win. Found ways to make plays at critical moments. Dani’s play, obviously, was huge. KeAndre’s play was huge. Drew responding like that.

“So, I’m just proud of the guys. So, obviously we’ve got some things that we got to get cleaned up and corrected. But moving forward you know, we’ve got to get back to stacking days, stacking wins and learn from the last few weeks’ experiences.”

Get ready for Nittany Lions-Terrapins with our early game preview below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX. A broadcast team has not yet been revealed as of Monday morning. The game will stream on FOX Sport LIVE.

What is the Penn State-Maryland spread?

The Nittany Lions are a double-digit favorite for the seventh time this season. This week’s number is not as big as last week’s, however. The point spread is 11.5 and the total is 50.5.

Lions’ game week schedule

There will be no media availability on Monday. On Tuesday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.

What’s up with Maryland?

Maryland started the year 5-0 and was flying high. It has spiraled of late, though. It has lost its three games. Two of them were by a single score. Head coach Mike Locksley’s side is now 5-3. It held four of its first five opponents to under 20 total points. It has surrendered 30 or more in two of its three defeats.

“They outplayed us, they out-hustled us, they outhit us, and when that happens, you’ve got to look at everything, including myself and all the way down the roster,” Locksley said after losing to the Wildcats on the road. “Anyone who made this trip played a part in what happened today, and it’s really disappointing.”

Roman Hemby is the team’s top threat out of the backfield. He has four rushing scores. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is a dual-threat passer who Penn State knows well. He has run for four touchdowns. Through the air, he’s completed 189 of 296 attempts for 2,220 yards and 19 touchdowns. But, his six interceptions have been problematic. The Terrapins’ leading receivers are Jeshaun Jones (36 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns), Kaden Prather (30-426-5), Tai Felton (29-394-4), and Cory Dyches (29-301-1). Former Penn State assistant Josh Gattis leads the offense.

Defensively, secondary member Beau Brade leads the way with 47 tackles, five pass breakups, and an interception. Multiple Terrapins have at least two sacks on the season, and coordinator Brian Williams is not afraid to send pressure.

Weather report

The early weather report looks favorable for fans and players. Weather.com writes “A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny. High 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.”

Early Penn State-Maryland storylines

–Will former Terp Chop Robinson be back to face his old team? He missed the Indiana win due to injury. His presence will be key to helping slow down Tagovailoa.

–Is Harrison “Trey” Wallace III going to be available for Penn State? He left the game against the Hoosiers with an upper-body injury and was later on the sideline with his right arm in a sling.

–Can the Nittany Lions’ offense get more big plays like its game-winning touchdown pass? That is the kind of explosiveness Mike Yurcich’s attack has lacked this season.

–Is Maryland going to pack it in for the year after three straight losses? Or, will they be motivated and hungry in this contest?