PISCATAWAY - There wasn't much time for Joe Harasymiak to rest during Rutgers football's bye week. The Scarlet Knights' defensive coordinator went to work breaking down the unit and rebuilding it, looking for ways to improve a defense that had struggled to find any consistency for four consecutive games amid a mountain of injuries.

Harasymiak's work paid off - Rutgers' defense had arguably its best game of the season against Minnesota as the Scarlet Knights snapped their skid and earned their fifth win.

"It's great having a coach who cares so much," defensive lineman Kyonte Hamilton said. "He cares about us. A lot. It's more than just his job. He cares about the players, he cares about the individuals, he is willing to go do that just because of how much he loves the unit and how much he cares for us."

Now the Scarlet Knights have a big challenge ahead of them.

Rutgers will need to slow down a solid Maryland offense if it's going to earn its sixth win and secure a bowl bid when the teams play Saturday at SECU Stadium in College Park.

The Terrapins are averaging 417.2 total yards per game, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten.

"They're a very talented team," Hamilton said. "They've got a lot of guys that can make explosive plays and get big yards. We're definitely going to respect them as an opponent. We're up and ready for the challenge."

Part of Rutgers' success against Minnesota (a 26-19 victory for the Scarlet Knights) came down to health - especially linebacker Tyreem Powell, who had eight tackles and forced the fumble that propelled the Scarlet Knights to the win.

But a big part of it also came down to Rutgers playing with the type of intensity, physicality and execution that been lacking for much of the season. Tackling, for example, has been inconsistent. But Rutgers had just one missed tackle against the Golden Gophers.

"I think we've just got to focus on doing what we did in preparation leading up to the game," Hamilton said. "Can't really focused on the result that happened. Just know what we've got to play together, come back in, not looking to the past and lock in the same way we locked in before the last game, and just make sure we're honed in on the details, make sure we're doing our jobs right, making sure we're coming together and play for each other as every game going forward should be."

That means keeping up the momentum Rutgers built against Minnesota.

"We just have more energy," cornerback Robert Longerbeam said. "Everybody's playing for each other. That was the mindset. I feel like we did that well."

Chris Myers will be on play-by-play alongside analyst Spencer Tillman.

Series history: Maryland leads the all-time series 12-7, including the last three meetings. The Terrapins won last season's game 42-24 in Piscataway, while they beat Rutgers 37-0 in 2022 in College Park. The Scarlet Knights last beat Maryland 27-24 in overtime in 2020 at SECU Stadium.

Weather: Forecasts are predicting a high temperature of 64 degrees and a low of 38 for Saturday in College Park, according to AccuWeather. Wind gusts could reach 18 mph.

The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Felton leads the Big Ten with 979 receiving yards on 80 receptions (12.24 yards per catch) with six touchdowns. He has five games this season with 100-plus receiving yards. Maryland has a good wide receiver room, but Felton's at the top. He's going to be a challenge for Rutgers' secondary.

Taulia Tagovailoa isn't with the Terrapins anymore, but they've found a good replacement in Edwards. He's 236-of-357 passing (66.1 percent) for 2,520 yards (third in the Big Ten) with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Hyppolite, in his fifth season with the Terrapins, has a team-leading 44 tackles (4½ for loss with one interception this season. Maryland's run defense has been solid, and Hyppolite's production is a big part of the season why.

This could be a good chance for Rutgers to make some big plays through the air - Maryland has the Big Ten's worst passing defense, yielding 265.4 yards through the air per game. Strong has had a solid season, his second with the Scarlet Knights, hauling in 20 passes for 356 yards with two touchdowns. He's fourth in the conference with 17.8 yards per catch.

Rutgers' defensive backs are going to have their hands full with Maryland's wide receivers, especially Felton and Kaden Prather, who has 503 receiving yards on 47 catches with three touchdowns. Longerbeam has one interception and seven pass breakups this season.

Kaliakmanis is coming off one of his best performances - if not his best performance - of the season against Minnesota. Again, with Maryland's pass defense struggling like it has been, this could be a good time for him to keep that momentum going. Kaliakmanis this season is 148-of-275 passing for 1,890 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

1. Can Rutgers earn a bowl bid?

The Scarlet Knights could certainly help themselves by securing postseason eligibility with two games remaining after they play Maryland. It would be a significant achievement considering how this season has gone - four losses followed by four-straight wins. But to do so, Rutgers is going to have to find success against a team and a coach in Mike Locksley that's had its number the last few seasons.

2. Will running back Kyle Monangai play?

Monangai missed Rutgers' last season against Minnesota due to an undisclosed injury. The Don Bosco Prep product has been banged up much of the season but has managed to play through it. Monangai needs 69 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for a second-consecutive season. If Monangai doesn't play, Rutgers again will need to lean on true freshman Antwan Raymond and second-year running back Ja'shon Benjamin. Schiano leaves any injury questions to the availability report that's released two hours prior to kickoff.

3. Can Rutgers' defense keep its improvement going?

That might be the biggest key to the game. If the Scarlet Knights play like they did against Minnesota, they're going to be tough to beat. But the Terrapins have a much more dangerous offense than the Golden Gophers, so this will be more of a challenge. Still, if Rutgers is healthier on that side of the ball and plays with the intensity it did last week, it's going to give itself a good chance to head into the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game. The Scarlet Knights will need to keep Edwards Jr. from exploiting any soft spots in the defense. They're also going to have to make clean tackles in space against a fast group of receivers.

The Scarlet Knights played really well against Minnesota. While Maryland will present different challenges, Rutgers' defense seems to have found its swagger again. If the Scarlet Knights' defense can limit the Terrapins offense from connecting on big plays, and their offense can take advantage of a poor passing defense, I like Rutgers' chances of escaping College Park with a close victory. I'll say Kaliakmanis connects with Ian Strong for a big touchdown late. Rutgers 28, Maryland 24

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.