Maryland’s first real measuring stick arrives Saturday night, and Daniel Wingate sits right at the center of it.
The Terrapins, 2-0 after double-digit wins over Hampton and UConn, welcome in-state rival Virginia Tech to SECU Stadium under the lights. Maryland has opened 2026 with momentum, and the Hokies have done the same, rolling past VMI 73-3 and Old Dominion 44-21 to start the James Franklin era at 2-0.
The matchup gives Maryland a chance to extend a remarkable run: the Terps have won 20 straight against non-conference opponents, the best streak in the FBS. But this one feels different. Virginia Tech is bringing an offense that has been scoring fast and piling up yards, averaging 58.5 points and 517.5 yards per game through two weeks, including 321 yards through the air.
That puts a lot on Wingate, Maryland’s senior linebacker and the man wearing the green dot on defense. He’s already totaled six tackles this season, with four solo stops and two assists, and his job Saturday is bigger than any stat line. He’ll be the one helping organize the defense, adjusting on the fly, and filling gaps wherever the play demands it.
Wingate’s value shows up in the messy parts of the game - the open-field tackles, the quick reactions, the ability to keep a run from turning into a sprint. That matters against a Virginia Tech team that was held to just 89 yards last week, a performance that left the Hokies leaning heavily on their passing game. Maryland has the personnel to force that kind of struggle again.
The senior has already shown he can handle the workload. Last season, he piled up more than 100 tackles, a reminder of how often he finds his way to the ball and finishes the play.
Asked during the Terps’ press conference yesterday what the defense needs to clean up before Week 3, Wingate pointed to the details.
"It's just the little things, you know," Wingate said. "The front end, the defensive line being able to cage the quarterback a little better.
We allowed UConn to escape the pocket a little bit and scramble, and we just have to limit the explosives after giving up some last week. We got in the film and corrected it, and we're ready to make the corrections this week."
Wingate also said that doing their "[defense] jobs" will help slow down Virginia Tech’s weapons, including tight end Luke Reynolds, who is coming off an eight-catch, 108-yard, two-touchdown outing.
If Maryland is going to make this a comfortable night, it starts with Wingate keeping the defense connected and the Hokies from getting loose. Ted Monachino’s group has a chance to sharpen up again - and to show a little more of what it can be.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Brings Back A Familiar ACC Rival In 2027
The ACCs 2027 football schedule release gave Virginia Tech a fresh look at the road ahead, and it comes with a familiar twist. After years of conference realignment and shifting divisions, the Hokies will once again see former Coastal Division rivals on the slate, a reminder of how much the leagues old neighborhood still shapes the new setup.
Virginia Techs conference lineup, along with its nonconference dates, fits the ACCs broader scheduling principles, including protected rivalries and Power Four nonconference games. The leagues athletic directors approved the 2027 slate during recent meetings, but more sweeping scheduling conversations remain on hold for now as the ACC waits for clarity on College Football Playoff expansion. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Is 2-0 But One Doubt Still Follows The Hokies
The ACC spent Week 2 looking much deeper than a one-team league, and Virginia Tech was right in the middle of that conversation after moving to 2-0. The league posted a 12-1 mark for the week and even went 4-1 against other Power conferences, which only sharpened the focus on where the Hokies stand as the schedule gets tougher and the weekly rankings start to settle.
Virginia Tech has done enough early to keep itself in the mix, but the real question hanging over Blacksburg is whether the Hokies have already answered their biggest concern or simply delayed it. With Boston College, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and the rest of the ACC also making noise, this is the point where early wins start to matter less than how a team handles the next layer of pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's Fast Start Now Faces Its First Real Test
Virginia Tech has spent the first two weeks looking like a team that can dictate games on both sides of the ball, with a defense that has piled up tackles for loss and sacks at a national-best pace while helping push the Hokies to a 2-0 start. Grant Wells has given the offense enough stability, Jalen Williams has been part of the pressure that has set the tone up front, and Dalton Keene has been one of the more reliable options as the Hokies settle in around him.
Maryland now brings a different kind of challenge, and it arrives at a good time for a team trying to find out how real this opening burst is. The Hokies have reason to trust their special teams and the line play in front of Wells, but this is the sort of nonconference game that tends to show where the cracks are, and Virginia Tech is about to learn whether its fast start can hold up when the opponent forces a longer, tougher night. [Read more 🡒]