The Virginia Tech Hokies improved to 2-0 with last week’s 44-21 win over the Old Dominion Monarchs. If you watched the game, it wasn’t even that close. Mistakes allowed ODU to make the score look a little more respectable, leaving head coach James Franklin with multiple things to focus on ahead of the Hokies’ first road game of the season.
On Saturday, Virginia Tech makes its first road trip of the Franklin era when it heads to College Park to face the Maryland Terrapins. Franklin has a deep and personal
history with Maryland and head coach Mike Locksley, even if he tried to downplay it this week. Franklin had two stints as an assistant coach at Maryland, including a second stint where he was the offensive coordinator and head coach in waiting. A new athletic director changed those plans, and Franklin left after the 2010 season.
So, what about the 2026 Maryland Terrapins? Let’s dig into the numbers.
32
The Hokies and Terrapins have met 32 times, with Maryland holding a 17-15 edge. The two teams last met in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl, with Maryland dominating in a 54-10 win. It’s important to remember that probably half of that team opted out after head coach Justin Fuente was fired the month before. The Terps have won the past two meetings, including a 2016 game. From 2004-09, these schools were ACC rivals, and the Hokies won all four meetings by double digits, including a 55-6 triumph in 2004.
9-2
James Franklin took over as Penn State’s head coach in 2014. That’s the same year that Maryland moved to the Big Ten, making them conference rivals. Considering Franklin’s feelings toward the University of Maryland, this rivalry would be personal. In 11 meetings, Franklin’s Penn State teams were 9-2 against Maryland. Six of those wins came by 30 or more points, including a 66-3 win in 2017 and a 59-0 victory in 2019.
18
In last week’s win over UConn to improve to 2-0, sophomore quarterback Malik Washington completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. At one point during the game, Washington completed 18 consecutive passes, setting a new school record. In two games against Hampton and UConn, Washington has completed 73.6% of his passes. As a freshman last season, he completed 57.7% of his passes.
41-75
That’s Maryland head coach Mike Locksley’s career record. He was 2-26 in three seasons at New Mexico and is 39-49 (eighth season) with the Terps.
39
The Terrapins are ranked 39th in the latest SP+ rankings from ESPN’s Bill Connelly. They are down two spots from last week. Meanwhile, the Hokies were 28th, down three spots this week after a big jump from Week 1 to Week 2.
