A new look is not always an improvement, but there is a lot more to like about Maryland because of two fresh faces — coach Mike Locksley and quarterback Josh Jackson — and a fast-paced offense that is putting up mind-boggling numbers.
Jackson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, totaled seven touchdown passes in victories over Howard and Syracuse. The Terrapins won those games by a combined score of 142-20 while rolling up 636.5 yards and 71 points per game to rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring. The 63-20 knockout of the Orange was the most lopsided win by an unranked team over a ranked team since 1999.
Locksley was the offensive coordinator at Alabama last year and must have learned something under Nick Saban. Locksley was an incompetent head coach during his brief stay at New Mexico (2009-11) that resulted in a 2-26 record. Is Maryland’s sudden emergence a mirage?
The Terrapins are seven-point favorites at Temple, which opened by blasting Bucknell 56-12 and is off a bye. A year ago, the Owls were 16-point underdogs in a 35-14 win at Maryland.
Rod Carey, Temple’s new coach, had a highly successful run at Northern Illinois. Carey inherited a tough, veteran defense and junior quarterback Anthony Russo, who passed for 409 yards and four TDs two weeks ago. Take the points in Philadelphia, where the ’dog will put up a fight.
The pick: Temple, +7.
Kansas State (+7½) over Mississippi State: Bulldogs senior quarterback Tommy Stevens left last week’s game with a shoulder injury but is expected to start against the Wildcats, another vastly improved team with a new coach.
Chris Klieman, who left North Dakota State to replace Bill Snyder in Manhattan, Kan., is 2-0 after Kansas State’s 52-0 victory over Bowling Green. Klieman took over a team that returned eight starters on each side of the ball. His offense, led by quarterback Skylar Thompson, tops the nation in rushing (347 yards per game).
BYU (+4) over Southern California: The Trojans’ season did not end when quarterback JT Daniels went down with a season-ending knee injury. True freshman Kedon Slovis passed for 377 yards and three touchdowns as USC made it look easy in a 45-20 victory over Stanford. But Slovis now makes his first road start.
The Cougars, who stunned Tennessee, 29-26, in two overtimes last week, are 6-1 against the spread in their past seven games. USC is 9-20 ATS in its past 29 games under coach Clay Helton.
Last week: 0-2-1
Season: 0-5-1