Maryland football opens its truncated season against the Northwestern Wildcats Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Second-year head coach Mike Locksley has yet to announce whether redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre or sophomore transfer Taulia Tagovailoa will start at quarterback.
Both have limited experience, with LeGendre appearing three games for the Terps last season and Tagovailoa playing sparingly in five games. Tagovailoa’s older brother, Tua, was recently named the starting quarterback for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
Four Maryland players take the field for the first time after suffering torn ACLs last year. After being hampered by in each of the last two seasons, redshirt senior Jake Funk enters Saturday’s contest as the lead back. Wide receiver Jeshaun Jones, safety Antwaine Richardson and Durell Nchami, who were injured in the 2019 offseason, are back as well, all as starters or one of two options to start.
Both Funk and Richardson will serve as team captains, along with JUCO transfer offensive lineman Johari Branch. Branch is one of 57 new pieces to the Terps’ roster this season, 39 of which are freshmen.
This will be just the second all-time matchup between the two teams and the first in Evanston. Northwestern defeated Maryland, 37-21, in an October 2017 meeting in College Park. The Terps are seeking their 11th consecutive opening day victory.
The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
The Numbers (2019)
Maryland: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
Northwestern: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
All-time Series: Northwestern leads 1-0
Odds: Northwestern is an 11-point favorite
How to watch and listen
Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET, Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois
TV: BTN (Chris Vosters, play-by-play; Jeremy “J” Leman, analyst; Olivia Dekker, sideline)
Radio: 105.7 FM (Baltimore) / 980 AM (Washington, D.C.), TuneIn Radio App, Sirius XM 382 (Johnny Holliday, C.J. Brown and LaMont Jordan)
Stream: FOX Sports App
Catch up before the game
- Maryland football vs Northwestern preview: First game of 2020
- Three thoughts ahead of the 2020 Maryland football season
- Testudo Times Podcast: 2020 Maryland Football Preview
- Maryland football releases depth chart ahead of 2020 season opener
- Despite its youth, Maryland’s secondary is set to improve dramatically in 2020
- Maryland football’s offensive line looks to build key consistency in 2020
- Wide receivers look to lean on chemistry and trust in 2020 for Maryland football
- Where Maryland football stands less than three weeks from kickoff
- Maryland football returns with a deeper appreciation of ‘being on the grass’