Preview: UVa, UMd renew their rivalry tonight in College Park

7 p.m., FS1

Maryland Terrapins (2-0)

Head Coach: Mike Locksley

Conference: B1G

Last Game: 38-20 win over Charlotte (last week)

The Cavaliers renew an old rivalry tonight as they travel north to take on the Maryland Terrapins in a game that cannot come fast enough for those Wahoo fans that wish to forget about last week’s disastrous fourth quarter against James Madison.

However, Maryland comes into this game with momentum after picking up two early season wins over Towson and Charlotte. Locksley has slowly transformed this program during his tenure as head coach and the Terps have become a solid force in the B1G.

Tonight’s game marks the 79th meeting between these two border state schools. While UMd holds the all-time series lead (44-32-2), UVa is 15-7 since 1991. The Terps and Hoos haven’t met since 2013, when Maryland won 27-26.

This installment will see the two programs going in opposite directions. Maryland has picked up two nice wins this season, albeit against lesser opponents, while UVa has not fared well against Tennessee and JMU, dropping both contests. On paper, Maryland holds an advantage in all three phases of the game and, with both teams playing on a short week, the added advantage of playing in the friendly confines of College Park.

Locksley has stockpiled a wealth of talent on the offensive side of the ball, starting with QB Taulia Tagovailoa. The former Alabama signal caller has been Maryland’s most consistent offensive player for the last three seasons. He was an All-B1G performer in 2022 and is positioned to have a big year in 2023. Josh Gattis was brought in as offensive coordinator this season to spearhead the Terparpin attack and through the first two games, Maryland averages 38 points and 490 yards of offense per content. Gattis, a former Broyles Award winner for the best assistant coach in the country, modernized Michigan’s offense years ago and after an unsuccessful stint at Miami in 2022 has been charged with giving the Terps an offensive boost.

Alongside Tagovailoa in the backfield stands Roman Hemby. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound redshirt sophomore tailback has been a consistent force for Maryland. After compiling 1,287 scrimmage yards in 2022, he is the bell cow this season. Last week against Charlotte, Hemby sparked the Terps with an explosive second half.

Sophomore Delmar Glaze (6-foot-5, 328 pounds) leads an offensive line that has other experienced pieces at center Aric Harris (6-foot-3, 295) and Connor Fagan (6-foot-8, 300) at tackle. They lead a balanced offensive attack that has rushed for over 400 yards in their two contests so far.

West Virginia transfer Kaden Prather (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) caught four balls last week for 80 yards and a touchdown, while 6-foot-2, 215-pound tight end Corey Dyches has notched six catches in both games so far this season for Maryland. Look for Jeshaun Jones to factor in the passing game as well, as he returns as Maryland’s leading receiver from 2022.

Brian Williams is back as Maryland’s DC and brings a 4-2-5 scheme into 2023. However, they do morph into some 3-3 stack and traditional 4-3 looks at times. Throughout the first two weeks, the Terps have been stingy, particularly through the air and they’ve been outstanding on 3rd downs, allowing teams to only convert 28 percent of their attempts.

Sophomore linebacker Jaishawn Barham is the best player on the Terrapin defense. The 6-foot-4, 233-pound Mike backer was a CFN Freshman All American in 2022 and has two sacks so far this season. Beau Brade (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) leads the defense in tackles this season from the safety position, while defensive lineman Isaac Bunyun (6-foot-4, 310) is a force up front with two sacks as well.

1. Bring plenty of (balanced) energy.

After last Saturday’s emotional dagger, UVa will need to find some juice on the road and in a hostile Friday night environment. Tony Elliott needs to find something to steady the ship and allow his team to focus on the task at hand. Not only will this UVa team be dealing with the arduous task of defeating Maryland on the road but also the rough start to the season, specifically last Saturday. The players must find some balance in their emotions this week.

2. Settle in at quarterback.

One of the lone bright spots last week was Anthony Colandrea. The ACC’s Freshman of the Week, he threw for 377 yards against JMU last Saturday and truly looked like he belonged. Elliott has said publicly that if healthy Week 1 starter Tony Muskett would not lose his job because of injury, but the fans will likely be restless. At any moment, the Wahoo faithful will start to clamor for No. 10. If Muskett plays this week as expected, he will have to take command of this offensive unit and play a clean game to not only give the Hoos a chance to win but to keep a grip on his starting job.

3. Get much more from the defense.

With an average defensive performance, UVa would be 1-1 going into Friday’s game. Full stop.

The D has struggled mightily through two games, both on the ground and against the pass. JMU and Tennessee each had their way with the Wahoo defense. This unit MUST find some consistency at all three levels. There are far too many mistakes and breakdowns for a group that should be the strength of this team. It does not get any easier this week against a Maryland team that is balanced and talented on the offensive side of the ball.

UVa and UMd have shared the field for some great games through the years. It was a great conference rivalry for decades and should be a series that is played annually.

Maryland comes into the game with two wins over lesser opponents, while UVa is winless against a SEC powerhouse and an up-and-coming FBS program in the Sun Belt. Ideally, the Hoos should be prepared for the talent that they will see tonight. However, going into old “Byrd Stadium” and grabbing a win will be challenging.

We are asking a lot of this Cavalier football team to go on the road in a short week and defeat a quality B1G program. Maryland is not vastly more talented than Virginia, but the Terapins are balanced on offense and should be able to move the ball against a shaky UVa defensive unit.

We don’t expect the Hoos will be able to do enough offensively, specifically on the ground, to keep up with the home. Unfortunately, we think UVa falls to 0-3 on the season with the ACC opener staring the Cavaliers in the face next Friday night in Charlottesville.