Penn State football vs. Maryland: scouting report, prediction
Whenever a Penn State football team is in need of some kind of uplifting, right-the-ship juju, just head to College Park, Maryland.
From an early-season confidence boost (66-3 victory in 2017) to a late-season pick-me-up (59-0, 2019) to halting a perilous free-fall (31-14, 2021).
So here we are now. The 7-1 Nittany Lions are in desperate need of the proper tuning and recovery to prepare for one last season-defining effort in two weeks. Has quarterback Drew Allar finally freed himself from the tightening burden of avoiding turnovers and mistakes? Can the banged-up offensive line steel itself for the final push? Will the stellar defense grow from first-time blunders last week?
Maryland, once again, seems like a good place to find answers.
Though a seemingly whole outfit for the first time in forever, the formerly 5-0 Terps have quickly regressed − tripping away a wondrous chance against Ohio State, falling flat at home against Illinois and now, somehow, losing to the thoroughly undermanned Northwestern Wildcats.
Drew Allar vs. Taulia Tagovailoa
A Maryland team that seemed finally improved and proficient on defense and along its offensive line has slid back to previous renditions. It's one thing for Northwestern's backup quarterback to shred the Terps' pass defense, it's quite another for a toothless pass rush to dump QB Taulia Tagovailoa six times.
While Maryland and Penn State may both be in need of mental and emotional massaging, the Lions are still the more talented entity — and the one with more motivation, more to play for.
Even more, their QB appears as if ready to begin growing again into his prolific 5-star recruiting possibilities. Allar finally made his big mistake last week, then recovered even bigger. He immediately looked and sounded as if a burden was lifted.
A look into PSU's future: Hope or folly? Here's what the biggest save now can mean for Penn State football later ...
He certainly may need a handful of his best throws to beat Michigan in two weeks. So more warm-up, confidence-building work Saturday could certainly help.
Against an opponent the Lions have owned in College Park by a 156-17 margin the past three meetings.
The one that appears crumbling, again, with the leaves beginning to fall.
One that should have its stadium taken over by another pro-Penn State crowd.
Which means that things are coming together, almost as expected, right on cue.
Prediction: Penn State 34, Maryland 13
Penn State's to-do list: 4 things Penn State football must do to recover, rev in time for Michigan
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Why Drew Allar beats Maryland, Taulia Tagovailoa
