UConn football vs. Maryland: TV info, keys to the game, behind the numbers
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UConn Huskies (1-0, FBS Independent) vs. Maryland Terrapins (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Location: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
TV: CBS Sports Network (Jordan Kent, Ben DiNucci, Doug Pederson, Brandon Baylor)
Radio: UConn Sports Network (Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman, Adam Giardino)
Fox Sports 97-9 FM (Hartford), WAVZ 1300 AM (New Haven), WGCH 1490 AM (Greenwich), WILI 1400 AM/95.3FM, (Willimantic); WICH 1310 AM/94.5 FM (Norwich-New London)
Online: The Varsity Network App
SiriusXM 269 and on the SiriusXM App 978
Odds: Maryland favored -12.5, O/U: 52.5
Series History: This is the fourth meeting between the two teams in UConn’s FBS era, with Maryland holding a 2-1 record so far. The Terrapins also prevailed 34-0 in a 1942 meeting in College Park.
The Huskies defeated Randy Edsall’s Maryland, 24-21, in 2012 before losing 32-21 at the Rent in 2013. In 2024, Maryland posted the largest blowout in the short series, 50-7.
Pre-Game Press Conferences:
Fun with Numbers
19 – Maryland has won 19 straight non-conference games, a nation-leading streak.
41.3 – Maryland’s average national defensive ranking in overall efficiency over the last three seasons. The Terps retained a lot of starters on this side of the ball from last season’s 46th-ranked defense.
85 – The Terrapins shut out FCS Hampton in their opening game, holding the visitors to just 85 yards on the day while posting five sacks and three interceptions.
3 – Maryland RB DeJuan Williams needed just three carries to log two touchdowns and 116 yards in their season-opening win. RB Iverson Howard also scored two.
6 – The Terps finished with six rushing TDs in their first game behind a towering 9.1 yards per carry and 365 ground yards.
671 – UConn posted a program-record 671 yards of offense against Lafayette in head coach Jason Candle’s debut.
5 – UConn had five rushing TDs in Week 1, including one each from running backs Kenji Christian, Cyncir Bowers, and Trey Cornist, and two from QB Kalieb Osborne.
Keys to the Game
Defensive Disruption
UConn didn’t get a ton of pressure or force any turnovers in their Week 1 clobbering of Lafayette. The Huskies didn’t need it, but they could certainly use a few flipped fields when Maryland visits on Saturday.
The Terps may not be world-beaters, but they have been in September and in non-conference play. They also crushed UConn handily in their last meeting, the 2024 season opener.
Two years later, the Huskies have a chance to prove they’re better than that 43-point whooping. That means holding up in the trenches, preventing big plays, and keeping their composure if they fall behind.
They’ll also have Maryland’s star QB Malik Washington to contend with. The former four-star recruit didn’t need to do much against Hampton, but he’s certainly primed to pick up where he left off last year after an impressive true freshman campaign.
His running and RPO threat will challenge the Huskies in ways that Lafayette obviously couldn’t. Washington finished last season with a 400-yard, 3 TD performance against Michigan State and also fared well in games against FAU, NIU, and Wisconsin. The Terps lost eight straight to finish 2025, and Washington wasn’t as effective for most of that stretch, but they have every reason to be excited about what they have under center.
UConn gets DT Esean Carter back after some NCAA shenanigans this week, and the defense will need the former third-team All-MAC selection. They need to hold up stronger in the secondary, where the top could be tested by better athletes, and find a way to get in the backfield.
Maryland will be looking to emphasize the run game, and the Huskies can’t be pushed around. K’Von Sherman will be looking to prove his standing as a top-tier linebacker and fellow LB John Lista to prove his standing as an FBS-caliber player. The Huskies have rotated a lot of players, especially in the defensive front, but now is the time for DC Ryan Manalac to tighten that up and see who he thinks he can count on.
The KO Show: Episode 2
The third-quarter hurdle was a bit of unnecessary drama, but otherwise Kalieb Osborne delivered everything you’d want to see from a first-time starter. The level of competition ratchets up this week, of course; passing lanes will close quicker, space to scramble won’t be as plentiful, and the pass rush will be heavier. If the Huskies can’t get the run game going and find ways to ease the initial burden of this challenge, they don’t want to be in the position of asking the young signal caller to win the game for them.
Osborne showed strong poise and playmaking ability in his debut. His accuracy and decision-making were mostly great, and he was sending the ball downfield, with a 73 percent completion rate and 10.2 yards per attempt, though he did have an interception. This may be the toughest defense he faces all season, it will be a serious test of his mettle.
Breakout Guys
Just about everyone is new on the two-deep depth chart, but some guys still broke out in big ways on Saturday, including two receivers.
Javon Brown had eight receptions for Toledo last year. The 6-foot-4 Florida native caught Osborne’s first downfield pass on Saturday and a few plays later grabbed the game’s first touchdown. He finished with six receptions for 92 yards, and earned effusive praise from his head coach for his progress as a player and his dedication to practice.
Raymond Liggins showed his big-play ability with a 60-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown where he simply rounded the corner and blew past the defense. This was late in the game, but still an impressive play from the true freshman.
Two other receivers didn’t have numbers that jumped off the page, but Ryder Treadway and JD Willoughby also showed off some big play ability, only to have some large gains wiped away by penalties.
At tight end, Alex Godavitarne caught three balls for 58 yards while Xavier Watson had a big third-down reception for a first down. Godavitarne transferred in from Division II Wheeling University, where he caught 19 balls for 255 yards and 5 TDs last season. Watson is a former three-star recruit from New York who redshirted at UConn last year.
In the secondary, Zion Paret emerged from a crowded field to play the most snaps by any Husky defender and was also the their highest-rated DB on Pro Football Focus. Saxton Suchanic was also heavily involved at safety after seeing some time as a freshman for UConn last year.
Returning Contributors
Ty Chan is starting on the offensive line and Shamar Porter is in the rotation at receiver, while Kylish Hicks and Matt Hoffman hold rotational roles on defense and Saxton Suchanic appears to be a starter. The participation sheets aren’t filled with familiar names, but there are a few, and they should be celebrated for their contributions to maintaining a standard of success for the program.
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