Maryland opened the 2026 season exactly the way a team is supposed to handle an FCS opponent: by taking control early, leaning on its depth, and never letting Hampton breathe. In a 62-0 win on Saturday, the Terrapins scored six rushing touchdowns, picked off three passes, and held the Pirates to 85 total yards in front of one of the largest crowds for a season opener. For Mike Locksley, now in year 8, it was another clean out-of-conference result.
The clearest sign of where Maryland wants to go this season came on the ground. Offensive coordinator Clint Trickett had already talked up the run game, and the Terps backed it up with 365 rushing yards on 40 carries, good for 9.1 yards per attempt.
That number jumps off the page even with the opponent caveat, especially because last year’s ground game struggled even against lower-level competition. Maryland managed just 3.2 yards per carry against Towson, 3.1 against Northern Illinois, and 3.7 against Florida Atlantic.
This time, the Terps looked like a team intent on changing that script. Dejuan Williams broke loose for a 95-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Iverson Howard handled much of the workload with efficiency, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scoring twice.
Backup quarterback Cardell Williams also made his presence felt as a runner, piling up 49 yards on five carries and adding a touchdown. There was enough burst there to notice, and enough production to reinforce the idea that Maryland has more than one way to attack defenses on the ground.
Malik Washington didn’t need to do much with his legs, though he did pick up an important first down on a third-down scramble. His first game directing the offense under Trickett was uneven, though.
Washington completed 61% of his passes, threw for 186 yards and a touchdown, and mixed in some strong throws on the move and into traffic. He also missed too many easy ones, including a few high throws to a wide-open Kaleb Webb.
The footwork still looked a little rushed at times, and some of his passes carried too much heat in tight spaces.
The defense made sure any offensive imperfections never mattered. Hampton’s quarterbacks were under siege all night, and Maryland finished with five sacks while also collecting three interceptions.
The front seven set the tone, with the interior line especially disruptive. Derrick LeBlanc stood out inside with a TFL and a pass deflection, while Eyan Thomas recorded two sacks of his own.
DD Holmes flashed early with two sacks on one drive, and Nahsir Taylor was a constant problem on the edge. Javon Parker added a sack in combination with Taylor, and Lavon Johnson got in on the TFL work too.
Trey Reddick led Maryland in tackles and kept flying to the football from his outside linebacker spot. It was the kind of start that can get overlooked when the roster includes more talked-about names, but his impact was obvious.
The same goes for the overall front-seven performance, which looked as deep and active as Maryland expected. Even with players like Wingate, CJ Smith, and Zion Elee in the mix, the unit already looked ready to do its part.
Maryland now heads to East Hartford to face UConn next Saturday, carrying a season-opening win and a clear early identity: run the ball, wreck the pocket, and let the defense take over.
In Other News...
Maryland Has A New Team In The State Top 25
Guilford Park has forced its way into the latest High School On SI Maryland Top 25, giving the state rankings a fresh name after a strong start to the 2026 season. The Panthers opened with a 35-6 win over Frederick, a result that helped them crack the list at No. 25 and added another early-season data point for a rankings race that already features the usual heavyweights near the top.
Saint Frances Academy still sits at No. 1, with DeMatha Catholic, Archbishop Spalding, Our Lady of Good Counsel and McDonogh School rounding out the top five. The rest of the board continues to shift with recent results and a handful of ranked matchups on deck, which means Guilford Park will have to back up its first impression quickly if it wants to stay in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands First Road Test Comes With More Questions Than The Spread
Marylands season opener went exactly the way a favorite is supposed to handle a much smaller opponent, with a 62-0 rout of Hampton that offered little beyond a clean start. The first real measuring stick comes on the road against UConn, where the Terps are again expected to be in control, but the setup is more interesting than the spread suggests because the Huskies are under new leadership and already look very different from last year.
Jason Candles arrival from Toledo has brought a familiar backbone with him, and that matters for a Maryland team trying to prove the opener was more than a tune-up. The roster includes several of Candles former players, and the transfers give UConn a level of continuity that can make even a heavily favored trip a little less comfortable, especially this early in the season. [Read more 🡒]