How to watch Oregon Ducks vs. Maryland Terrapins: Preview, Prediction, TV Channel

EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks remain at No. 1 in the AP Poll Top 25 after another win, this time over the Michigan Wolverines. Oregon’s 38-17 victory over the defending national champions increased Oregon’s record to 9-0.

Ducks players held their thumbs down throughout the game to indicate “no mercy,” an action used by the character Commodus in the movie Gladiator to encourage death. This no-mercy mentality has proven successful. In the world of sports, highly touted teams and programs can overlook their opponents, which can lead to dream-crushing upsets.

The Ducks have made it clear that they are tireless and will approach every challenge with the same mentality, regardless of an opponent’s rank or reputation. This week, the Ducks will look to show that same ruthless mentality in their game against the Maryland Terrapins.

Here’s how to watch

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks (9-0) will face the Maryland Terrapins (4-4) on Saturday, November 9th at 4:00 p.m. PT.

The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

preview

The Oregon Ducks enter Saturday’s game as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll Top 25 and the top team in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings. The Ducks’ momentum has only increased over the course of the season, not losing any games and winning by a relatively large margin.

The Ducks also just had their eighth straight game in which they scored 30 or more points. Oregon’s offense is led by Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel, who has proven to be as effective in the air as he is on his feet. The senior quarterback has thrown for 2,665 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for six touchdowns himself.

“I think everyone in the nation needs to realize what kind of quarterback we have. “He’s a really special player,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said of his quarterback. “I think everyone here has realized that this is not an everyday occurrence, right? We’re really blessed to have a special quarterback who does a really good job week in and week out.”

“He has earned the trust and admiration of all of his teammates and the coaches around him, but this guy prepares extremely hard,” Lanning continued. “He’s the calmest guy you’ve ever seen on the field, which is impressive, but I’m really proud of him and what he’s been able to do for this team.”

Not only does Oregon have a Heisman-caliber play caller leading the offense, but they also boast arguably the most explosive offense in college football. Oregon’s wide receiver room is stacked, and even without leading receiver Tez Johnson, the Ducks have still stepped up and found success.

After Johnson’s injury at Michigan, senior wide receiver Traeshon Holden had six catches for 149 yards. These were the most yards of his career and the first time he broke 100 yards in a single game. Receivers Evan Stewart and Justius Lowe have also proven to be reliable players throughout the season.

Oregon also has a dominant wide receiver room that will see a drastic boost with Terrance Ferguson returning to play after having an appendectomy. The strength of Oregon’s offense will certainly be a challenge for Maryland’s defense, which allows nearly 28 points per game and recently lost 48-23 to Minnesota.

One player who could put some pressure on Oregon’s dominant offense is Maryland linebacker Caleb Wheatland. The junior linebacker has 31 tackles this season while leading the Terrapins in tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (3).

Oregon’s offense will also have to protect Gabriel from one of the Big Ten Conference’s top linebackers, Ruben Hyppolite II. Last season, Hyppolite ranked second on the team with 66 tackles and leads this year’s team with 39 tackles.

On the other side of the ball, Maryland has a solid quarterback in Billy Edwards Jr., who is averaging 289 yards per game for his career.

“He’ll get there,” Oregon defensive back Jabbar Muhammad said. “He likes his guys and trusts his guys. Like I said, we’re going to get our ops (opportunities) this week.”

Ferguson isn’t the only player to recently return from a break for the Ducks. Defensive end Jordan Burch is also ready to take the field on Saturday.

“Everything should go well in the future. I think I’m there,” Burch said when asked if he was ready to play a full game.

Burch has been a dominant force in Oregon’s defense through the Ducks’ first five games of the season, and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is thrilled to have him back on the field. Before his injury, Burch had 22 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss, with five sacks and four pass breakups, a career-best.

Forecast:

Although Maryland has shown improvement this season, it is highly unlikely that they will upset the Oregon Ducks. Oregon enters the game undefeated and has a strong offense led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Their defense was also solid and limited opponents’ scoring opportunities. Maryland, on the other hand, faces challenges, and playing in hostile Autzen Stadium doesn’t help their chances. Maryland’s struggle for consistency poses a problem as the program looks for a win against the No. 1 Ducks.

Score: Oregon 42, Maryland 17