Maryland’s first real test of the season is here, and the oddsmakers have made sure the Terps know it.
After rolling past Hampton and UConn by a combined 100-14 to start the 2026 regular season, Maryland now turns to a non-conference finale that feels bigger than anything College Park has seen in years. Virginia Tech comes to town Saturday, and the Terps opened as a 1.5-point home underdog, according to DraftKings. The over/under sits at 54.5.
It’s a surprising line for a team that has looked sharp through two weeks, but Maryland’s recent history at home helps explain the skepticism. The Terps are just 2-11 as home favorites since 2021, even though they’ve gone 20-16 in all home games over that stretch.
The matchup also brings a familiar challenge for Mike Locksley. Since 2019, he has dropped five of six against James Franklin, and Maryland has been overwhelmed in the three meetings in College Park by a combined 141-29.
Two of those games landed among the 25 highest-attended in program history, and next Saturday is already trending toward a near sellout. That gives Locksley a chance to grab attention in a major way against a regional opponent.
Maryland’s injury situation adds another wrinkle. The team has not confirmed a timetable, but running back DeJuan Williams is not expected to be available in week three after he did not travel in week two. Former wide receiver and current radio analyst Steve Suter said during the pregame show that the redshirt sophomore is expected to miss several weeks.
There is better news on Iverson Howard. He went down in the week two win over UConn, but Locksley said after the game that the sophomore was available to return and will be available against Virginia Tech.
Maryland enters the week at 2-0 after the UConn win, while Virginia Tech is making its first road trip of the James Franklin era after opening with home wins over VMI and Old Dominion by a combined 117-24.
In Other News...
Marylands Fast Start Just Changed The Big Ten Conversation
After two weeks of college football, ESPNs FPI has already started reshaping the Big Ten picture in ways that matter to Marylands long-term outlook. The models latest update came with a few eye-catching swings across the sport, from Oklahoma States big rise after upsetting Oregon to notable drops for Arkansas and Minnesota, while Ohio State and Washington moved in directions that didnt line up neatly with the scoreboard. For Maryland, that kind of early shuffle is part of the backdrop as the conference begins to sort out which teams look like real postseason threats and which ones might be fighting simply to stay in the mix.
Marylands own early surge is now feeding into a bigger conversation about how the Big Ten hierarchy might look once league play settles in. FPI is built to weigh more than just one Saturday, so the Terps fast start matters not only for the standings but for how the numbers view their playoff path and bowl odds over the rest of the season. The next few weeks will tell whether this is just an early boost or the start of something more durable, and thats where the intrigue really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Washington Just Gave Maryland A Reason To Believe Again
Saturday night offered Maryland a cleaner, sharper version of itself in a 38-14 win over UConn, and Malik Washington was at the center of it. The quarterback was efficient from the start, spreading the ball around and keeping the Terps on schedule as the passing game found a rhythm that had been missing at times earlier in the season.
Naeem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr Jr. did plenty of the heavy lifting in the receiving game, giving Maryland a pair of dependable targets when the offense needed a spark. On the other side of the ball, Zion Elee added his first career sack, a small but notable marker for a defense that helped turn a promising showing into a comfortable result, even as the Terps have another concern lurking beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands First Road Test Revealed A Different Level For The Terps
Marylands first road test of the season offered a cleaner look at what the Terps can be when the offense and defense are both in sync. In a 38-14 win over UConn, quarterback Malik Washington was sharp from the start, finishing with 347 passing yards and two touchdowns while the defense settled in after giving up an early score and kept the Huskies from building any momentum.
The bigger takeaway for Michael Locksley was how comfortably Washington managed the game, with the ball spreading to several playmakers as Maryland steadily pulled away. Harry Dalton III helped spark one scoring march, Naeem Abdul-Rahim Gladding added another key play, and the Terps showed the kind of balance that makes a September road game look a lot less stressful than it could have been. [Read more 🡒]