J.J. McCarthy is getting ready for his first B1G opener as a starter.

Athletes do many things to calm the mind ahead of games, whether it be listening to music, eating a specific snack, wearing the same piece of clothing—anything that they can control ahead of a game where there is not much to control.

As for McCarthy, he was seen meditating on the field like a monk would in a monastery. Meditation isn’t unusual, but it is usually done in a place such as the locker room. McCarthy has been doing his pregame meditation since last year and addressed it in his post game press conference following last weeks win over UConn.

“I (meditate) every single day, twice a day,” McCarthy said. “Before the game, it’s about getting into that present moment and finding that flow. I wake up, and I’ll meditate for 30 minutes. And as everyone sees out by the field goal post, I’ll meditate for 10 more minutes before the game.”

As the starting quarterback of one of College football’s premier programs, a lot can happen in the mind. And the quicker a quarterback can win the mental part of the game, the quicker he can display talent.

“Everything is slowing down,” McCarthy said. “My mind is not racing anymore. Everything is just slowing down. I feel at ease out there. I really do,” he said. “And that’s changed from last year to this year. Just through having those kinds of experiences, it’s putting me on that exponential growth track.”

McCarthy’s methods will be put to the test in his first B1G start against 3-0 Maryland. Kickoff is at noon ET on FOX.