Maryland QB Malik Washington looks down field before running the ball for a touchdown in the first half against Towson University at SECU Stadium. Credit: Kim Hairston/staff via TNS
The stage was set for Maryland football to finally break through.
The Terrapins had outscored opponents 100-14 over their first two games of their 2026 season — securing a pair of easy wins over Hampton and UConn. They then welcomed Virginia Tech and its new head coach James Franklin to College Park for one of the most anticipated games at SECU Stadium under eighth-year head coach Michael Locksley.?
The result was an all-too familiar one for Maryland in big games under Locksley. The Terrapins? lost to the Hokies, 35-26, to snap a nation-best 20-game nonconference win streak. Major questions — and pressure — loom over the Terps as they begin Big Ten play against an undefeated UCLA team on Saturday.?
The team’s offense has been a mixed bag under first-year offensive coordinator Clint Trickett.?
Quarterback Malik Washington boasts six touchdowns to no interceptions, with Wyoming transfer Chris Durr Jr. emerging as the sophomore signal caller’s top target. Durr has 28 receptions for 256 yards and three touchdowns across his first three games as a Terp — becoming the first Maryland receiver this century with consecutive 10-catch games.?
But the Terps, who were the Big Ten’s worst rushing team in 2025, have again struggled to run the ball. They compiled just 64 rushing yards on 21 carries against the Hokies.?
Their defense has also endured inconsistencies.
The unit dominated in a season-opening shutout win over Hampton before turning in a strong outing on the road against UConn, but it surrendered 445 yards against Virginia Tech. Maryland’s highly-touted defensive line notched only one sack, while star edge rushers Sidney Stewart and Zion Elee combined for just three tackles.
Stewart boasts a team-high eight hurries. Elee, a freshman who is the highest-ranked recruit in Maryland football history, ranks second with four.?
Much of the defense’s success will likely hinge on that duo’s performance in conference play, especially as fellow-star edge rusher Zahir Mathis is out for the season. The secondary will need to step up, too. Cornerbacks Jamare Glasker and Amari Jackson have endured challenging starts to the season, each grading below average via Pro Football Focus.
After consecutive 4-8 campaigns, the loss to Virginia Tech puts an immediate damper and question mark on the rest of Maryland’s season.
