COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Maryland Terrapins (2-1) open their Big-10 schedule on Saturday against UCLA. Last year the Terps traveled to California to play UCLA, and this year the Terps are back home for this showdown. Coach Michael Locksley came into criticism after last week’s loss to Virginia Tech, and mostly about the poor defense in the first half. Hopefully Maryland cleans up those defensive mistakes and gets a much needed win to get the season back on track.
The visiting UCLA Bruins football team enters the matchup riding high at 3-0 under dynamic first-year head coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins possess one of the most explosive offenses in the country, fresh off a dominant 52-38 victory over Purdue where they accumulated a staggering 645 yards of total offense. UCLA’s offensive surge is powered by the lethal combination of quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Wayne Knight, who tore through the Boilermakers for 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns last weekend.
This game sets up a classic “strength versus strength” battle. While the Bruins boast a high-powered rushing attack, Maryland features one of the conference’s premier run defenses, surrendering only 69.3 rushing yards per game so far. Furthermore, Maryland’s offense, led by quarterback Malik Washington, has managed to play nearly error-free football, and that includes no turnovers through three games. They will be tested by a disruptive UCLA defense that currently leads the Big-Ten with seven takeaways generated on the season.
Historically, this weekend marks only the fourth-ever meeting between the two schools, and it is the first time the Bruins have traveled to College Park since September 1955. In that legendary matchup 71 years ago, a top-ranked UCLA squad fell 7-0 to the No. 6 Terrapins. As part of the university’s Family Weekend, Maryland fans will be looking for a similar defensive stand to secure a vital victory and set the tone for the rest of their Big Ten campaign.
Maryland football returned 71 percent of its production from last year’s roster, which ranks second nationally behind only Notre Dame. 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 in the game against Connecticut that began his collegiate highlight reel with much more to come.
Maryland ranks fourth in the Big-Ten with 330 passing yards per game. Maryland’s offense has ranked among the top four in the Big-Ten in passing yards per game in each of the last five seasons. The Terps ranked fourth in the league in passing yards per game last season (255.7) and led the Big Ten in the category in 2023 at 278.9 yards per game through the air. Maryland’s 126 points through three games is the second most in school history.
By The Numbers: Statistical Matchup
| Statistic | UCLA Bruins | Maryland Terrapins |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Offense | 41.7 PPG | 42.0 PPG |
| Scoring Defense | 24.0 PPG | 16.3 PPG |
| Passing Offense | 203.7 YPG | 330.0 YPG |
| Rushing Offense | 286.7 YPG | 184.7 YPG |
| Passing Defense | 253.7 YPG | 181.7 YPG |
| Rushing Defense | 108.7 YPG | 69.3 YPG |
The pressure has intensified in College Park following a frustrating 35-26 home loss to Virginia Tech last weekend, a defeat that exposed fundamental lapses in tackling and defensive containment. With the Terps entering the heart of their schedule trying to prevent a single loss from spiraling into an extended slide, Locksley addressed the mounting external noise with extreme candor during his Tuesday press conference.
“I understand why the fans are frustrated. They’ve earned the right for us to play better than we have. It won’t get fixed here at the podium. It will be fixed across the street with the work we do Monday through Thursday, Friday… and then showing up and getting it executed.”
— Coach Michael Locksley said
The Injury Report: Next Man Up
Depth will play a massive factor on Saturday, as both teams are managing lengthy availability reports coming out of Week 3.
- Maryland: Coach Locksley’s team is fighting the injury bug heavily, with 16 players ruled out for this matchup. Among them is running back Harry Dalton III. Tailback Iverson Howard is expected to play through a lower-body issue, but the offensive front remains thin with lineman Teagan Cox listed as doubtful.
- UCLA: The Bruins suffered a major blow as head coach Bob Chesney announced wide receiver Mikey Matthews is out for the season following foot surgery. Defensively, starting defensive back Tao Johnson remains sidelined along with five other depth players.
Head-to-Head History:
The UCLA Bruins hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Maryland Terrapins:
2025: UCLA won the most recent matchup 20-17.
1955: Maryland won 7-0 in College Park.
1954: UCLA won the first-ever meeting between the programs.
How to Watch:
- Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Location: SECU Stadium — College Park, MD
- TV Network: Big Ten Network (BTN)
- Local Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network (Check local D.C./Maryland affiliates like 106.7 The Fan or The Team 980 for pre-game coverage).
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