Preview: Maryland football embarks on first road game, facing Virginia

Photo courtesy of Maryland Terrapins

Maryland football (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) looks to bounce back on Saturday against Virginia (2-0) following a heartbreaking last-minute loss in week two against Michigan State.

2024 marks the second edition of this renewed ACC rivalry and the 80th all-time meeting between the programs. The Terps took down their most-played opponent 42-14 in 2023 behind four rushing touchdowns — two from Roman Hemby.

The Terps hope to recreate that success after struggling to run the ball in the week two loss. Maryland had just 86 rushing yards on 2.8 yards per carry. The longest carry of the day came on a Nolan Ray 10-yard run, the Terps’ only double-digit rush.

“The best team doesn’t win every game,” Hemby said, “We just have to get back to the drawing board and make sure those six plays that determine the football game are our best six plays. That’s something we that we got to keep working on and take this as a lesson to springboard us into our next game.”

Despite this, Maryland still led Michigan State for the majority of the game. After scoring two first quarter touchdowns, the offense went quiet. A 22-minute scoring drought combined with the big play ability from Spartan quarterback Aidan Chiles, led to the 27-24 loss.

Meanwhile, Virginia is coming off a 31-30 road win against Wake Forest. The Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter with a 13-point deficit and scored two unanswered touchdowns. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea led the comeback and finished the game 33-for-43 with 357 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

“[Colandrea’s] a guy that we have to contain. He runs around and he extends plays. He throws the ball really well,” coach Mike Locksley said. “Last week’s game, the big plays are what the difference in the game was. For us, how do we minimize the big plays.”

Colandrea struggled against the Terps in last season’s meeting, throwing three interceptions with one touchdown and 263 yards.

This marked the second straight 30-point output by the Virginia offense, which has scored 65 total points this season. The majority of the scoring comes through the air – 70% of the Cavaliers’ total yards gained came from passing yards with 327 yards per game.

Defensively, they allow just over 20 points per game. The main weak spot is on the ground – Virginia allowed 147 rushing yards in week one and 141 in week two. 144 yards allowed per game ranks 84th in Division I. Also, the Cavalier defense is yet to gain an interception.

“Their defense made some plays [against Wake Forest] at the end to have a come from behind victory,” Locksley said. “I expect Charlottesville to be loud… it’ll be our first test on the road together.”

If Maryland can find success running the ball, it is poised to bounce back from a disappointing loss. Saturday’s matchup kicks off at 8 p.m. at Scott Stadium.