Virginia Tech football vs. Maryland: Preview, betting odds, how to watch

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The Virginia Tech Hokies are on the road for the first time in the James Franklin era on Saturday as they face an old foe. The Hokies travel to College Park, where they’ll battle the Maryland Terrapins in a matchup between two 2-0 teams.

It’s the first real test of the season for both schools, with the Hokies posting blowout wins over VMI and Old Dominion, while the Terps have dominated Hampton and UConn.

This is a big game for both head coaches, Franklin and Mike Locksley. Once upon a time, these two were on Maryland’s staff together in the 2000s. Both eventually left, but Franklin returned in 2008 as Maryland’s head coach-in-waiting behind Ralph Friedgen. That didn’t happen, as the Terrapins changed athletic directors and Franklin moved on to his first head coaching job at Vanderbilt.

Maryland moved to the Big Ten in 2014, which was also Franklin’s first year at Penn State. He never forgot, going 9-2 against Maryland as Big Ten rivals. Locksley and Franklin’s relationship doesn’t appear as solid as it once was either. In 2024, Franklin’s backups threw a touchdown pass at the end of the game against Locksley’s Terps. It didn’t sit right with Locksley, who confronted Franklin after the game during the handshake. They traded words, and Franklin later spoke about it at his postgame press conference.

Plenty of storylines set up Saturday’s game. But when everything goes live, all of that goes out the window.

We previewed Maryland by the numbers; now, here is our official preview for Saturday’s game between the Hokies and Terrapins.

3 Maryland players to watch

• QB Malik Washington: The 6-foot-5, 227-pound sophomore quarterback had Maryland and Virginia Tech as finalists when he came out of high school in 2025. He went to Maryland and had a standout freshman season. In two games this season, Washington has looked sharp, setting a school record with 18 consecutive completions in last week’s win over UConn. Washington is athletic, but is a pocket quarterback. The Hokies can’t ignore his running ability, but that’s not his primary strength. Washington has a lot of completions around the line of scrimmage, so Virginia Tech needs to force him to throw downfield more, where he’s less accurate.
• LB Daniel Wingate: The 6-foot-5 senior is Maryland’s unquestioned leader on defense. He wears the green dot and gets everyone lined up. The Hokies will want to run the ball with Marcellous Hawkins and Jeff Overton. They struggled some last week, as ODU clearly sold out to stop the run, allowing quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer to light them up. Wingate had over 100 tackles last season, and he’ll be the key to limiting Virginia Tech’s ground game on Saturday.
• EDGE Zion Elee: The No. 2 overall recruit in the country, Elee chose to stay home and play for the Terps. In his first two games, he has four tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. The 6-foot-4, 233-pound Elee may only be a true freshman, but he’s a dangerous player off the edge. Virginia Tech’s offensive tackles will have their work cut out. Elee’s length and athleticism are off the charts, even if he lacks experience. You don’t want to be the team that Elee has his breakout game against.

3 Virginia Tech players to watch

• QB Ethan Grunkemeyer: Grunkemeyer has been sensational in Virginia Tech’s two games. He’s been a true point guard, often finding the open man and allowing for room to run after the catch. The Hokies have had a 100-yard receiver in each game (Que’Sean Brown and Luke Reynolds) and Grunkemeyer spread the ball around last week, with over 10 players recording at least one catch. Maryland’s defensive line will challenge Virginia Tech’s offensive line. They’re big, long and athletic. This battle could determine the game’s outcome. How will Grunkemeyer handle Maryland’s pressure? We are about to find out.
• C Kyle Altuner: Altuner missed last week’s game against Old Dominion. There was talk that Altuner could have played, but the Hokies didn’t want to push it ahead of this week’s game against Maryland. Altuner is not only the leader of VT’s offensive line, but he’s also arguably the group’s top player. While Tommy Ricard was fine in his place last week, Altuner’s run blocking was missed. His return is huge for this game, especially with questions about the line’s overall performance.
• DT Kemari Copeland: Copeland has been great the first two weeks. No surprise there. The Hokies need a dominant performance from him this weekend. He’s the kind of player who can wreck the pass and run game for the Terps. Most importantly, Copeland can get in Washington’s face, move him off his spot, and allow some of the Hokies’ talented edge rushers like Aycen Stevens, Mylachi Williams, and Cortez Harris to clean things up. If Copeland has a big game, the Hokies will win.

3 keys to victory

• Establish the run early: It’s almost cliché that everyone wants to run the ball. It’s true, though. So much of what Virginia Tech wants to do is based off its running game. The Hokies have two stud backs in Hawkins and Overton. Both will get plenty of touches. Getting the run established will open things up for Grunkemeyer in the passing game. Don’t be surprised if tight end Luke Reynolds has another big game.
• Win the special teams battle: In each of the first two games, the Hokies have made huge plays on special teams. Whether it’s a blocked punt or a big return, the Hokies are looking a little like Beamerball early. If you can make at least one big play on special teams, it could go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.
• Make Washington uncomfortable: Ideally, the Hokies’ defensive front can get some pressure on Malik Washington without sending additional pressure. However, that doesn’t mean defensive coordinator Brent Pry shouldn’t mix things up and throw some blitzes at Washington. If he’s allowed to sit back in the pocket and throw to his receivers in the short-to-intermediate passing game, it could be a long day for the defense. Send a corner blitz. Send the house. Mix it up, but never allow Washington to get comfortable.

How to watch, betting odds

• When: Saturday, September 19, 2026
• Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
• Announcers: Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
• Radio: Virginia Tech Sports Network Radio. You can find a list of affiliates here.
• Streaming options: fuboTV [try it free]
• Series history: Maryland leads the all-time series 17-15. The Terps won the last matchup in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl after a large portion of Tech’s roster opted out after Justin Fuente’s firing.
• Odds: Virginia Tech is a 2.5-point favorite, per FanDuel.

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