Maryland forced to correct mistakes quickly as rival Virginia looms

An all too predictable home letdown in a conference game it was favored to win happened again to Maryland against Michigan State. Now, the Terrapins are left to pick up the pieces during a rivalry week as they face Virginia for the 80th time in program history.

“We had opportunities to win the game on the field, on offense. We had a chance to win it on defense. We had a chance to win it on special teams,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said Tuesday. “I own it as the head coach, but at some point you’ve got to go take the victory.”

Locksley has felt the heat from Maryland fans before, as the Terrapins have now dropped at least one Big Ten home game in which they were favored each of the last three seasons, with last week’s 27-24 disappointment joining losses to Purdue (2022) and Illinois (homecoming 2023).

The sixth-year Maryland leader, however, says he remains unaware of any outside criticism, either from online or elsewhere.

“I don’t see it, and I don’t hear about it,” Locksley said.

“I have a routine, too. When we lose, I don’t respond to text messages. I don’t get on social media. The only thing I know is when [staff] on the elevator on the way up tells me, ‘Hey, there may be some questions about these things.’”

Maryland (1-1) has little time to reset, as Virginia has finally found some momentum after struggling through back-to-back three-win seasons.

“We just have to get back to the drawing board and make sure that those six plays that determine the football game are our best six plays,” said running back Roman Hemby, “and that’s something that we got to keep working on and take this as a lesson to springboard us into our next game.”

Coach Tony Elliott has the Cavaliers at 2-0 for the first time in his tenure after Virginia overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win at Wake Forest, 30-24.

“I expect Charlottesville, I expect it to be loud, I expect them to be excited,” Locksley said, “because they’ve got their team with some momentum off a big road victory.”

The Terrapins again will face Anthony Colandrea, the Hoos’ sophomore QB who had a “coming out” in Locksley’s words against Maryland last year, leading Virginia to a shocking 14-0 lead before the Terrapins rallied to a 42-14 win.

“This guy kind of has some Taulia Tagovailoa skill set,” Locksley said. “He’s a guy that we have to contain. He runs around and he extends plays. He throws the ball really well.”

Maryland’s first visit to Charlottesville since its final trip as an ACC member in 2012 will be its last —again — for the foreseeable future. The two-game series with their longest-tenured rival ends Saturday, and the Terrapins won’t again face another true rival until a four-game series with Virginia Tech begins in 2026.

“I like the regional rivalries. I like a Virginia, a West Virginia, V-Tech, an old ACC foe,” Locksley said. “Those are good for Maryland. They’re good for our program. They create some excitement because of some of the past.”

A nighttime atmosphere awaits at Scott Stadium on Saturday, as does a rare chance for players from across the region — often recruited on both sides of the Potomac — to line up against each other and try to prove why they were so highly touted.

“We’ve got guys from their state. They’ve got guys from our state,” Locksley said. “Anytime we have a chance to keep some of these games alive … you know, I think it’s good for us.”