Maryland wasted no time announcing itself in 2026.
The Terps rolled past Hampton 62-0 in their season opener, and the margin only tells part of the story. Maryland looked sharp, fast and brutally efficient from the opening whistle, stacking explosive runs, clean execution and a defense that never let the Pirates breathe.
The play that lit the fuse came early: DeJuan Williams ripped off a 94-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, a burst that immediately put Hampton on its heels and set the tone for what followed. Maryland’s ground game never let up from there. By night’s end, the Terps had six rushing touchdowns, turning the opener into a showcase for the kind of run-game identity head coach Michael Locksley has been pushing since the offseason.
Williams and Iverson Howard each scored twice, giving Maryland a devastating one-two punch on the ground. Freshman Harry Dalton III and Jianni Davis also reached the end zone, a sign of how deep and dangerous the backfield can be.
The Terps weren’t one-dimensional, either. Malik Washington and Cardell Williams both threw touchdown passes, enough to keep Hampton from settling into any kind of defensive rhythm.
Locksley’s view of the quarterback room came with both encouragement and clear corrections. Washington started out “forcing things” and “pressing,” and his early decision-making showed it.
He did settle in during the two-minute drive before halftime and again late in the second quarter, but there were still technical issues the staff wants cleaned up. Locksley pointed to moments when Washington “dropped his eyes to the rush” even with protection holding up, along with a red-zone snap where he missed the “touchdown checkdown” on a flat route when the double move was covered.
As the game moved along, Washington found more comfort operating within the offense, helped in no small part by a run game that kept Maryland on schedule. Locksley said the quarterback room had been a concern entering the season, but Saturday offered encouraging signs alongside the obvious areas that still need work.
Cardell Williams, meanwhile, continues to be more than just a backup option. Locksley described him as a tactical weapon who can change how a defense lines up.
That showed in the opener, where Williams handled the RPO game confidently and created plays with his legs when things broke down. Maryland believes his skill set can be used in a more strategic way as the season goes on, not just in lopsided games, but in matchups that demand a different kind of stress on the defense.
The numbers on the scoreboard were one thing. The numbers everywhere else were even more lopsided.
Maryland outgained Hampton 646-85 in the first-ever matchup between the programs, and the defense spent the night swallowing up everything in sight. The Terps collapsed the pocket, erased rushing lanes and kept Hampton from building any kind of momentum.
That kind of control was exactly what Locksley wanted to see from a roster he’s trying to deepen for the long haul. Maryland rotated heavily throughout the game, using the opener as a chance to develop more contributors before the season gets more demanding. That plan rolls straight into next week’s trip to UConn, which Locksley called the team’s first true “rehearsal on the road”, a chance to see how well the Terps handle communication, preparation and execution away from home.
Across all three phases, Maryland hit the standard the staff expects. Locksley said the challenge now is making sure this isn’t a one-night spike, but a level the team can carry forward as the competition gets tougher. The goal is to turn an “above average” showing into something repeatable.
The win also extended Maryland’s non-conference winning streak to 19 games, the longest active run in the FBS. Oregon is next at 16 after edging Boise State. And for Maryland, the result carried another kind of weight: it was the program’s first victory in nearly 11 months, snapping a skid that stretched through the final eight games of the 2025 season.
For one night, though, the Terps looked every bit like a team with answers on both sides of the ball. The rushing attack was overwhelming, the defensive front was suffocating, and the opener offered a clear snapshot of the ceiling Maryland believes it can chase.
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 Opener Eased Two Early Concerns In A Big Way
Marylands 2026 opener did more than put Hampton away in a 62-0 rout, it quickly answered two of the biggest early questions facing the Terrapins. The running game looked as explosive as advertised, with Dejuan Williams and Iverson Howard helping fuel a six-touchdown ground effort, while the defense spent the afternoon living in the backfield and making life miserable for an FCS opponent.
The pass rush was a major reason the game never felt competitive, with Derrick LeBlanc and Trey Reddick among the defenders setting the tone. For Maryland, the larger significance is less about the scoreboard than the way it won, because a dominant opener against a weaker opponent can still tell you plenty about how ready a team is to lean on its front lines once the schedule tightens. [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 🡒]