Mike Locksley and Maryland head into Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten opener with the kind of pressure that only gets louder after a home loss. The Terrapins are back in College Park, Md., trying to steady things after last weekend’s defeat to Virginia Tech, and the challenge doesn’t get any easier with unbeaten UCLA coming to town.
Maryland is 2-1 and 0-0 in conference play, but the mood around the program has already turned tense after closing last season with eight straight Big Ten losses. Locksley is dealing with the growing belief that the Terrapins have slipped, and he didn’t try to dodge that reality.
"I understand why the fans are frustrated. They've earned the right for us to play better than we have," Locksley said.
"It won't get fixed here at the podium. It will be fixed across the street with the work we do."
UCLA, meanwhile, arrives with momentum under first-year coach Bob Chesney, who has already matched last season’s win total by guiding the Bruins to a 3-0 start and a 1-0 mark in the Big Ten. Chesney has brought a new edge to a team that has looked far more balanced early on, especially on the ground.
A big part of that shift has been Wayne Knight, the 5-foot-7, 193-pound running back who followed Chesney from James Madison and has quickly become a problem for defenses. Knight has run for 345 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per carry, and he’s sharing the load with Anthony Woods, who has added 228 rushing yards of his own.
"He is patient, waiting for something to open," Chesney said. "I think he hides behind a lot of the offensive linemen and then all of the sudden, when something opens, he's at full speed within two or three steps."
That ground game has given UCLA a much more complete offense than it had a year ago. Last season, the Bruins ranked 85th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing at 139.7 yards per game. This year, they’re up to 286.7 yards per game, good for fifth nationally.
The passing game has climbed too. Nico Iamaleava is producing more through the air as UCLA averages 203.7 passing yards per game, an increase from 180.3 last season.
Maryland will lean on Malik Washington after he threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in the 35-26 loss to Virginia Tech. But the Terrapins will also have to deal with UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho, who made a major impact in last week’s 52-38 win over Purdue with two sacks and two forced fumbles.
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UCLA May Finally Be Giving Nico Iamaleava The Help He Needed
Nico Iamaleava has spent much of his early stretch at UCLA trying to make do with an offense that has not always been able to give him the same look twice. Injuries at wide receiver have made target consistency a moving target, but the Bruins are headed into the Maryland game with a chance to be healthier on the perimeter, and that alone could matter for a quarterback still settling into the job.
The broader picture may be even more encouraging for UCLA. A stronger run game can take heat off Iamaleava and help the offense stay on schedule, while better chemistry across the group gives him a cleaner runway to grow. If the available receivers stay on the field, this could be the first stretch in which the Bruins are finally helping their quarterback as much as he is helping them. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Needs Nico To Keep Rising In A Big Maryland Test
UCLA heads into Week 4 with a little more confidence in the passing game, and a lot of that starts with Nico Iamaleava. After a rocky beginning to the season, the Bruins quarterback has shown signs of settling in, which matters even more now with Maryland on deck and the schedule beginning to tilt toward games that can shape the rest of the fall. If UCLA is going to keep building on that progress, this is the kind of matchup where Iamaleava has to keep climbing.
Marylands defense gives the Bruins a chance to do exactly that, but the game still figures to hinge on whether UCLA can protect the football and hold up on the other side of it. Both teams have shown defensive vulnerabilities, which opens the door for big plays and mistakes in equal measure, and UCLA may need its defense to produce a takeaway at a key moment to tilt the field. For a team still trying to establish a steady identity, this feels like one of those early-season tests that can say plenty about where it is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Faces Early Season Pressure In A Big Ten Opener It Needs
Maryland arrives at its Big Ten opener against UCLA with some early-season momentum checks already in place, and the matchup comes at an important moment for Mike Locksleys team. The Terps non-conference winning streak is gone, the running back room is banged up, and that shifts even more weight onto the passing game led by Malik Washington as Maryland tries to get back on track.
For UCLA, the game offers a chance to lean on its strong rushing attack against a Maryland defense that has shown some vulnerability in pass coverage. For the Bruins, though, this one also matters because it helps set the tone for how they handle a conference race where every early result can shape the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]