Rivalry lacking, but games have been exciting

Five things to look for in Terps’ game with Rutgers

When Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, there was hope that the proximity of the two schools would help some sort of football rivalry develop.

The two teams have not been good enough or even consistent enough to get their respective fan bases fired up, though the games themselves have been for the most part quite entertaining.

It started with Rutgers overcoming a 35-10 deficit to beat Maryland, 41-38, in College Park in 2014 behind the play-calling of former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who was the offensive coordinator for the Scarlet Knights that season.

It continued with the Terps winning a 46-41 shootout the following year in Piscataway, N.J., which proved to be the only victory and the last game for interim coach Mike Locksley after he took over for Randy Edsall midseason.

While Maryland’s 31-13 win in the 2016 regular-season finale was rather routine, it ended a four-game losing streak and gave the once-5-2 Terps their sixth win to make the team bowl-eligible under first-year coach DJ Durkin.

And then last year, in a game that was moved from Yankee Stadium to High Point Solutions Stadium because of a scheduling conflict, the Scarlet Knights survived, 31-24, with the help of a controversial fourthdown no-call in the end zone.

The series has made for some exciting games and endings, but except for 2014, Saturday, noon TV: BTN Radio: 105.7 FM; 980 AM Line: Maryland by 251⁄ when both teams had winning records, neither Maryland nor Rutgers have been above .500, and one or the other has finished in the division basement each year since.

Here are five things for the Terps to look at in Saturday’s game at Maryland Stadium: 1. Getting off to a fast start offensively.

In Maryland’s best two performances this season, in the opener against then-No. 23 Texas at FedEx Field and two weeks ago against Minnesota at home in the Big Ten opener, the Terps have come out strong offensively.