Week 2 - Maryland at Temple

Week 2 CFN Fearless Prediction - Maryland at Temple

Maryland (1-0) at Temple (1-0) Sept. 8, 12:00, ESPNU

Here’s The Deal: Maryland and Temple meet for the second straight year in a game won by the Owls last September, 38-7. The newest member of the Big East opened in its season with a convincing 41-10 win over rival Villanova, an encouraging start for second-year head coach Steve Addazio and his rebuilding team. The Owls are taking a gradual ascent in competition before travelling to Happy Valley next week. Troubled Maryland dodged an embarrassing loss last week, getting a touchdown in the fourth quarter to defeat William & Mary, 7-6. Transfers and injuries dogged the Terrapins in the offseason, heaping an extra layer of pressure on embattled second-year head coach Randy Edsall.

Why Maryland Might Win: The offense is feeble, but the Terp D will keep it in a lot of games this fall. Employing a 3-4 for the first time, Maryland allowed just 229 yards and two field goals last week. The program is loaded with quality defenders, such as DE Joe Vellano and linebackers Demetrius Hartsfield and Darin Drakeford. Temple’s offense is one-dimensional, sputtering just enough in the passing game to allow the Terps to press up linebackers and safeties without paying the consequences.

Why Temple Might Win: The Owls offense can be a little monotone, but the running game is often vibrant and difficult to stop. It’s a power attack led by QB Chris Coyer, who barrels down the field as if channeling Philadelphia’s version of Tim Tebow. Out of the backfield, Matt Brown provides the flash, running for 145 yards and a score in the opener, while Boston College transfer Montel Harris is eyeing this week as his true introduction to the new home crowd. It was obvious from the William & Mary game that the green Maryland offense might not be ACC-caliber for at least another year.

What To Watch Out For: The Terps will continue to be littered with true freshmen on offense, which is good for the future, but not so encouraging for the present day. QB Perry Hills had all kinds of problems last week, throwing three picks and showing no ability to stretch the William & Mary D. Temple will take whatever measures are necessary to pressure the young hurler into more mistakes that alter the complexion of the game. The Owls have a lot of newcomers on the unit, but remain an athletic and aggressive bunch that can ratchet up the heat from more than one level.

What Will Happen: There will be absolutely no fireworks in a meeting between these two schools as the defenses and special teams unit will dominate throughout. Scoring will come at a premium, largely because the Terps offense is ineffective and their D is actually pretty good. The difference will be provided by the Temple rushing attack, a deep and unrelenting group that will control time of possession and wear Maryland down. In a game of attrition and a slew of punts, Coyer between the tackles and Brown outside of them will help give the Owls the 2-0 start they’re after.

CFN Prediction: Temple 22 … Maryland 13
ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) Temple -10 O/U: 45
Must Watch Rating (5 – Phineas & Ferb, 1 – Steve Harvey): 1.5