Game #3 The Terps have a regional rivalry game!

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Maryland Terrapins (2-0) needed to show up big last week on the road to face the UConn Huskies , and the Terps took care of business with a decisive 38-14 victory. Now the Terps return to SECU Stadium at the University of Maryland with Coach Michael Locksley needing a win against Virginia Tech to extend the longest active non-conference winning streak in college football to 21 games.

This regional rivalry takes center stage this weekend as Maryland hosts the Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0) for a highly anticipated primetime showdown at SECU Stadium. The former ACC counterparts meet for the first time since Maryland’s dominant 54-10 victory in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl, but the stakes and the sidelines look completely different this time around.

This game will be played under the lights in College Park and not only will Maryland fans be showing up — the Virginia Tech fans will travel the 281 miles from Blacksburg, Virginia. And the University of Maryland announced yesterday that this game is a sell-out. That will mean a crowd of around 46,185 is expected.

The game features an intriguing coaching subplot: Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin, who took the helm in Blacksburg this season after leaving Penn State, and Franklin returns to College Park where he once served as Maryland’s offensive coordinator and coach-in-waiting. Adding to the drama, former Hokies head coach Brent Pry is back on the Blacksburg staff as Franklin’s defensive coordinator.

Last week was a good test for Maryland. Maryland football returned 71 percent of its production from last year’s roster, which ranks second nationally behind only Notre Dame. Star quarterback Malik Washington headlines the Terps’ offense, and 5-star defensive recruit, Zion Elee, is the big name to watch on defense. He will face a lot of double-teams as we have already seen. Elee turned in a strip sack fumble last week in Connecticut that began his collegiate highlight reel with much more to come.

“Obviously pleased with the way we played last weekend. We’re 2-0. Unfinished. The last two games will carry no weight going into this week’s contest. … I expect it to be a packed house and sold-out. We know a lot about them, and they know a lot about us. … This will be our first Power-4 opponent [this season].”

“We have to make ‘The Shell’ a hard place to play [for oppontents].”
— Coach Michael Locksley said

The Trenches Will Dictate the Terms

The defining matchup of the night pits Maryland’s fierce pass rush against Virginia Tech’s vulnerable offensive line.

The Terps’ Trench Terror: Maryland leads the Big Ten with 10 sacks through just two games. It all starts with true freshman Zion Elee who is a playmaker. Linebacker DD Holmes (2.5 sacks) along with defensive linemen Derrick LeBlanc and Eyan Thomas have absolutely suffocated opposing ground games, holding Hampton and UConn to minimal rushing yards.
Hokie Protection Problems: While Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has thrown for 551 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, he was sacked four times by Old Dominion last week. The Hokies managed just 89 net rushing yards against the Monarchs, signaling major questions up front.
The Altuner Factor: The health of starting Hokie center Kyle Altuner will be crucial. Dubbed the team’s “juice guy,” Altuner missed last week’s game with a nicked-up knee but is expected to return to stabilize the interior alongside right guard Montavious Cunningham.

Aerial Fireworks Expected

Maryland’s Malik Washington threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns while completing a program-record 18 consecutive passes at UConn.
This week, Washington was named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week list. His 347 yards were his second-most in a game and his 34 completions are tied for eighth most in a game in Maryland history. If Virginia Tech’s quarterback, Grunkemeyer, gets time to throw, he has an elite target in tight end Luke Reynolds, who is fresh off an 8-reception, 108-yard, two-touchdown performance against Old Dominion. The Terps defensive backs have to key on him.

Maryland answers with an equally explosive aerial attack led by quarterback Malik Washington. Washington put on a clinic last week against UConn, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target, wide receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, exploded for 130 yards on eight receptions in that contest, and Virginia Tech’s secondary will have its hands full trying to limit his explosive, downfield vertical routes.

Streaks on the Line

Maryland enters the game protecting the nation’s longest active non-conference winning streak at 20 consecutive victories. Conversely, Virginia Tech is looking to break a frustrating drought, having not won a non-conference game against a Power Four opponent since 2017.

Oddsmakers expect a tight, hard-hitting affair, listing the visiting Hokies as narrow 3-point favorites with the Over/Under set around 52.5 points. In a game where yards will be at a premium, success on third downs and structural field goals from kickers like John Love could ultimately decide who walks away with their undefeated record intact.

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