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In order for Tom Allen's Indiana (3-3, 1-2 in Big Ten play) team to fulfill their aspirations of going to a bowl game this season, Saturday's contest against the visiting Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 1-2 in Big Ten play) is about as close to a must-win as it gets.

Currently in the midst of a three-game losing skid, Allen made a change to his coaching staff hoping to right the ship. After not seeing an increase in production and their quality of play not meet the weekly standard the Hoosiers hold themselves to, now-former offensive line coach and run game coordinator Darren Hiller was relieved of his duties following the 31-10 loss to Michigan.

Stepping into his place is Rod Carey, who was extremely candid and open about the challenge he's tasked with. This week presents the first opportunity to see Carey's impact on the field, and it will be an interesting dynamic to watch and see how the team reacts with their backs against the wall.

As for their opponent, Maryland comes into this weekend's matchup having played better than their record suggests, although last week's letdown loss to Purdue is a step in the wrong direction. The Terrapins boast one of the Big Ten's most effective aerial attacks, and might be one of the more underrated squads the conference has to offer.

Ahead of a pivotal Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, here's everything you need to know about the Hoosiers' matchup with Maryland.

New O-line coach Rod Carey isn't a 'miracle worker,' but he's going to try

Indiana offense looks to break through against the Maryland Terrapins

3 keys to an Indiana win over Maryland

Tom Allen, Indiana looking for leaders on defense with Cam Jones injury

Indiana and Maryland met for their annual Big Ten East clash last October, a tightly contested 38-35 Terrapin victory in College Park.

Stephen Carr rushed for 126 yards and Donaven McCulley played his best game as a quarterback in his college career, completing 14 of 25 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns, both to tight end Peyton Hendershot. The two offenses combined for just shy of 1,000 yards of total offense, 433 of Maryland's 512 coming from quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa's right arm.

It's a loaded injury report for the Hoosiers once again this week.

LB Cam Jones is still out for "several weeks" according to Allen.

WR DJ Matthews is tracking towards a game-time decision, but he's "making lots of promise" per Allen's comments on Thursday. TE AJ Barner, after missing last week's contest with a walking boot on his foot, is showing "some positive signs." He is a game-time decision as well.

DB Jaylin Williams is a game-time decision after injuring his shoulder vs. Nebraska. He missed last week's matchup vs. Michigan.

WR Javon Swinton and OL Kahlil Benson are both good to go this weekend.

Can Indiana slow down the potent Terrapin aerial attack?

The defensive back group has had a bit of an up-and-down 2022 campaign so far, which to say they'd underperformed through the first few weeks would be a fair statement to make. However, they've turned around their play a little bit, thanks to guys like Louis Moore and Chris Keys stepping up in the absence of veteran leaders.

This weekend they'll see the aerial bombardment that Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland offense brings, perhaps giving them their biggest test yet. Through six weeks, Maryland has the best passing attack of any team not named Ohio State in the conference.

Tagovailoa is a dynamic weapon who's legs make his arm talent that much more tough to cover. His ability to scramble and find open receivers is one that has opposing defenses in a spiral this season, and it's factors like those that kept Maryland so close with Michigan throughout the entirety of their matchup a couple weeks ago in Ann Arbor.

It's no secret that Maryland wants to throw the ball when they have it. It'll be up to Indiana to see if they can do what other defenses haven't yet and contain the Terrapins' air-centered offense.

How does Rod Carey's impact shine through? Will it in the first place?

Carey himself said he's not a miracle worker. When you're thrown into a dumpster fire mid-season and told to extinguish it, one could understand that change could take some time to fully materialize. The move to shake up the coaching staff and offensive line showed urgency from Tom Allen, knowing he and his program can't afford to continue to tank their own opportunities with poor offensive line play.

However, the move also buys time for Carey and the rest of the coaching staff. Saturday is the first of six audition-like environments where the offensive line's performance will be under the microscope. If it's more of the same type of play, it can be forgiven due to difficulty of the situation. If there's improvement, it's a success.

There isn't really much in the way of getting worse, but anyone who has faultlessly following Indiana football knows that anything is possible with this program. Carey has the opportunity to attempt to right the ship on Saturday, and how the line reacts and is shown in their performance will be something to keep an eye on.

Can Indiana allow Connor Bazelak to get into a rhythm?

It's incredibly tough to make consistent throws when you're always on the run from opposing defensive ends or are flat on your back on the turf. However, too often that has been the situation the the new Hoosier quarterback has been faced with.

Obviously, the switch at offensive line coach is aimed at rectifying that issue, amongst the others that exist within the O-line play. Still, it should be interesting to see how Bazelak is able to get into the flow of the game on Saturday.

When Indiana can make their "space, pace, race" philosophy work, they're able to drive the ball against just about any defense they go up against. What they've lacked is consistency, the ability to do that in and out of each drive. Mixing the run with appropriate short-to-medium throws and smart play calling, the Hoosiers can give the Maryland offense a run for their money on Saturday.

How they'll aim to do that and if they're able to accomplish it will be a completely different story.

Who?: Indiana (3-3, 1-2 in B1G) vs. Maryland (4-2, 1-2 in B1G)

When?: Saturday, October 15th, 3:30 p.m. ET

Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

TV: ESPN2: Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), Taylor McGregor (sideline)

Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play) & Rhett Lewis (analyst)

Vegas: Maryland -11.5, o/u 62.

ESPN's SP+: Maryland 36-21, 81% chance of a Terrapin victory

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