Maryland football vs. Virginia Tech preview
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Maryland football head coach Michael Locksley and first-year Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin have a long-standing history.
The two overlapped as assistant coaches at Maryland for three seasons, the lone holdovers kept from a previous regime to work under Ralph Friedgen. While Locksley and Franklin eventually went their separate ways, they reunited in the Big Ten on opposite sidelines.
During Franklin’s tenure at Penn State, he faced Locksley six times. Maryland won just one of those meetings. The most recent clash was memorable but for the wrong reasons. With the Terps trailing by 30 points, Penn State added a touchdown with time winding down — leading to a heated postgame exchange at midfield between the two coaches.
While both insist there’s no bad blood, Saturday’s game will be one of the most important of Locksley’s eight-year career in College Park. Maryland’s 20-game nonconference win streak, which is the nation’s longest active run, only furthers those stakes.
Still, the Terps are treating it as just another game.
“This won’t be about James and Locks,” Locksley said. “This will be about the players that he has and the players that I have that know a lot about each other.”
Saturday’s sold-out contest begins at 7:30 p.m. at SECU Stadium and will stream on FS1.
Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
2025 record: 3-9, 2-6 ACC
After a fourth consecutive underwhelming season, Virginia Tech opted to move on from head coach Brent Pry and sought a proven option as the new coach. The Hokies hired James Franklin, who spent 12 years at Penn State, two months later. He led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024 but was fired after a six-game losing streak last season.
While Virginia Tech returns 69% of its production from its three-win team, Franklin was active over the offseason. He brought in 29 transfers — 12 of which came over from Penn State — and the No. 31-ranked recruiting class to augment the talent.
It’s paid off so far, as the Hokies throttled Virginia Military Institute and Old Dominion to start the season. But similar to Maryland, Saturday will be the first true test of the year for Virginia Tech.
Players to watch
Ethan Grunkemeyer, junior quarterback, No. 17 — Following Drew Allar’s season-ending injury at Penn State, Grunkemeyer got his first real college snaps midway through the 2025 season. He started the final seven games and excelled in that role. Grunkemeyer passed for 1,339 yards and eight touchdowns with a 69.1% completion rate.
A consensus four-star high school recruit, Grunkemeyer’s production has skyrocketed this season. He has 551 yards and four touchdowns during the first two games, fueling the nation’s fourth-best scoring offense.
Mylachi Williams, junior defensive lineman, No. 37 — While the Hokies’ offense has justifiably received most of the credit, the pass rush has been equally impressive. Williams, another Penn State transfer, has been the leader of that unit. He is tied for the team-lead in sacks (3), tackles (7) and forced fumbles (2) while also having the ACC’s third-most tackles for loss (6).
Cortez Harris, sophomore defensive lineman, No. 34 — A native of Largo, Maryland, Harris has been a nightmare matchup this season. He has seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Williams and Harris are a formidable duo that should challenge Maryland’s offensive line on Saturday.
Strength
Balanced offense. Virginia Tech’s depth has made it a daunting offense to slow down. Running backs Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. each have 23 carries, combining for 263 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The receiving corps is equally balanced, with tight end Luke Reynolds and wide receiver Que’Sean Brown each already hitting 150 receiving yards.
Weakness
Frequently penalized. While the Hokies have been nearly flawless through two games, they’ve been susceptible to flags. Virginia Tech has received 17 penalties for 125 yards thus far, a concerning number having only played non-power conference foes.
Three things to watch
1. How will Maryland’s secondary hold up? While the Terps have only allowed two touchdowns this season, the secondary has been a concern. Starters Jamare Glasker and Amari Jackson blew assignments that turned into deep touchdowns against UConn. Virginia Tech’s pass offense should push Maryland defensive backs to their limit.
2. Who gets the bulk of the carries? Iverson Howard and Harry Dalton III were part of a split backfield on Saturday. Howard had 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries before exiting with injury. While Dalton wasn’t as successful — he averaged 2.8 yards per carry — his two touchdowns helped Maryland pull away.
3. Fast start. The Terps combined for 24 points in the second and third quarters against UConn, overshadowing a poor opening 15 minutes. Maryland punted on its first two drives, with only two first downs. Malik Washington’s 60-yard passing touchdown to Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding was the Terps’ only first-quarter offensive highlight.
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