After coming back from a deficit of multiple scores late in the fourth quarter Saturday to beat Wake Forest, Virginia will bring their 2-0 record back to Charlottesville when they host Maryland. The Cavaliers (2-0, 1-0 ACC) had quite the up-and-down night in week two. Virginia once again put up over 400 yards of total offense, largely coming behind a dynamic passing attack that carved up defenders all night. The key contributor here was graduate tight end Tyler Neville, who broke out this game for 68 yards and two key touchdowns. If Neville and the rest of the receiving core can continue to dominate opposing secondaries, a third win for the Cavaliers looks very likely.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) were just a few minutes away from winning their game in week two when they faced a major defensive collapse, losing 27-24 to Michigan State. While their overall team looked strong, an inability to establish their running game as well as a missed field goal severely cost Maryland in clutch time. That being said, the Terrapins won 42-14 against Virginia in 2023 and will look to recover from their recent loss and defeat the Cavaliers again this year.
A big storyline to watch in this game is going to be the quarterbacks. Virginia sophomore Anthony Colandrea and Maryland junior Billy Edwards Jr. have similar playstyles, as both are dual-threat quarterbacks that have the power to manipulate defenses. However, Colandrea has a bit more of the “gunslinging” ability than Edwards, who tends to be more reserved. That being said, both quarterbacks are known to be a bit prone to interceptions.
On a similar note, the receiving cores of these teams is a topic that should be watched closely in this matchup. Both teams feature an electric lead wide receiver — senior Malachi Fields for Virginia and senior Tai Felton for the Terrapins. Felton is currently the leading receiver in the country with 330 yards, while Fields is 11th in the country with 248. Beyond these top players, the Cavaliers are the team that has displayed more depth. Other pass-catchers like junior wide receiver Trell Harris as well as Neville have done a great job of getting open and making great catches. The Cavaliers have the advantage, but for Maryland, senior wide receiver Kaden Prather and sophomore tight end Dylan Wade will be points of emphasis for Virginia defensive backs alongside Felton.
Speaking of defensive backs, the secondary units for both teams have been getting active to start the season. Senior Glendon Miller has been a ballhawk for the Terrapins, snagging three interceptions so far. While the Cavaliers have not made an interception so far this year, their safety duo in graduate student Antonio Clary and senior Jonas Sanker has made an impact through tackles, leading the defense in that category and coming up with big plays like Clary’s fumble recovery in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest. Whichever defensive back unit can force turnovers, limit big plays and contain their opponent’s top receiver will have a huge advantage in this week’s matchup.
The most important key to this game for Virginia will be to establish a multifaceted offensive attack. While their passing game was good in both of their previous matchups, the Cavalier rushing attack was much better in week one. The lack of a rushing attack showed on the scoreboard, as Virginia was able to demolish Richmond in week one but barely eked out a win against the Demon Deacons. Look for the Cavaliers to continue to air the ball out while also placing an emphasis on getting graduate running back Kobe Pace going on the ground.
This weekend, Virginia will look to go 3-0 for the first time since the 2019 season, the year they went to the ACC Championship and ended the season with nine wins. A win Saturday would also cause the Cavaliers to already match their win total from the 2023 season, a sign of great improvement in year three of the Coach Tony Elliott era. However, there is no doubt Maryland will come out hungry to avenge their performance from the previous week and get back in the win column. Virginia will have the momentum and home field advantage though, so both teams will have a good chance to come out on top at the end of this week. The game starts at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network.
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