Maryland gets its Big Ten opener at home Saturday, and the Terps walk into it carrying equal parts urgency and opportunity.
At 2-1, Michael Locksley’s team is trying to steady itself after last week’s 35-26 loss to Virginia Tech, a game that put Maryland’s tackling and first-half defense under the microscope. Locksley didn’t try to dodge the criticism this week. He put the fix where it belongs.
“I understand why the fans are frustrated. They’ve earned the right for us to play better than we have.
It won’t get fixed here at the podium. It will be fixed across the street with the work we do Monday through Thursday, Friday… and then showing up and getting it executed.”
The opponent won’t make life easy. UCLA arrives in College Park at 3-0, powered by a first-year head coach in Bob Chesney and one of the most explosive offenses in the country.
The Bruins just put up 645 total yards in a 52-38 win over Purdue, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Wayne Knight leading the charge. Knight gashed the Boilermakers for 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
That creates a true strength-on-strength feel. UCLA is rolling with a rushing attack that averages 286.7 yards per game, while Maryland has been stout against the run, giving up only 69.3 rushing yards per game.
On the other side, the Terps have been clean with the ball, with quarterback Malik Washington guiding an offense that has not turned it over through three games. UCLA’s defense, though, has already forced seven takeaways, the most in the Big Ten.
The numbers around Maryland’s offense are strong, too. The Terps are averaging 42.0 points per game, rank fourth in the Big Ten with 330 passing yards per game, and have scored 126 points through three games, the second most in school history.
Maryland’s passing attack has stayed near the top of the league for years, finishing fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game last season at 255.7 and leading the conference in 2023 at 278.9. This season, Maryland has returned 71 percent of its production from last year’s roster, second nationally only to Notre Dame.
Defensively, Zion Elee is one of the names to watch. The 5-star recruit has already flashed with a strip sack against Connecticut, and Maryland knows he’s going to draw plenty of attention from opposing offenses.
Saturday also brings a rare meeting between the schools. It will be only the fourth time Maryland and UCLA have played, and the Bruins’ trip to College Park is their first since September 1955.
In that game, No. 6 Maryland beat a top-ranked UCLA team 7-0.
The history between the programs tilts slightly toward the Bruins, who lead the all-time series 2-1. UCLA won the first meeting in 1954 and also took the most recent matchup, 20-17 in 2025.
Availability will matter, too. Maryland is dealing with 16 players ruled out, including running back Harry Dalton III.
Tailback Iverson Howard is expected to play through a lower-body issue, while lineman Teagan Cox is listed as doubtful. UCLA will be without wide receiver Mikey Matthews for the season after foot surgery, and starting defensive back Tao Johnson remains out along with five other depth players.
For Maryland, the mission is simple: clean up the defense, protect the football, and get the season pointed back in the right direction.
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Maryland Faces Early Season Pressure In A Big Ten Opener It Needs
Maryland heads into its Big Ten opener against UCLA with a different kind of pressure than it faced during its nonconference run, because the margin for error is already thinning after a loss snapped that winning stretch. The Terps are also trying to manage injuries at running back, which puts even more of the load on the passing game and Malik Washington as they try to find a way to keep the offense moving.
UCLA brings a rushing attack that can stress a defense in a hurry, and that makes this opener feel bigger than a normal September conference game for Maryland. The result matters for the seasons direction, and it also sits in the background of a larger conversation around Mike Locksleys job security, which only adds to the pressure on a team that could use a clean response right away. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Is Giving Shawne Merriman A Moment Terps Fans Will Love
Shawne Merriman is about to get another formal nod from the program that helped launch him, with Maryland set to induct the former standout into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 16. Merriman, who spent three years in College Park before moving on to an eight-season NFL career, was once the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his path from Terps defender to pro honors is the kind of rsum that still resonates with Maryland fans.
The ceremony is shaping up as a personal one, too, with family members and coaches who supported Merriman along the way expected to attend. Merriman has long expressed gratitude for the people and backing he received throughout his journey, and this latest recognition gives Maryland a chance to celebrate not just what he accomplished, but how much of that ascent was built inside the programs orbit. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Reese Just Landed A Shot Maryland Fans Should Watch
Julian Reese has found another NBA opportunity, with the New Orleans Pelicans signing the former Maryland forward to fill an open two-way roster slot ahead of 2026 training camp. For Terps fans, it is another chance to track one of their own as he continues to work his way around the league after spending time with the Toronto Raptors G League affiliate and later getting into 13 games with the Washington Wizards last season.
The assignment gives Reese a real runway into preseason, where he will be trying to separate himself from several other frontcourt players competing for a roster spot. It is the kind of opportunity that can turn into something bigger if he makes his case early, and Maryland supporters will have a reason to keep an eye on how he handles the next step. [Read more 🡒]