Maryland football opens as double-digit favorites over FAU
No more predictions, no more dress rehearsals, and no more previewing—the Maryland Terrapins' season opens up Saturday afternoon at home against FAU. This will mark the start of a new-look Terps team that the media has discussed all offseason. Head coach Mike Locksley enters his seventh season coaching the team and looks to establish a culture refocused on winning ways on and off the field.
Funny enough, Locksley has yet to announce who will start under center at quarterback for the Terps. The announcement will come later this week, as the battle has been long underway from offseason programs up to Fall camp, mainly between junior UCLA transfer Justyn Martin and freshman Malik Washington. Even still, most outlets have Maryland covering with a double-digit point spread.
FAU head coach Zach Kittley enters his first season with the Owls and will look to defeat a Maryland team that has not lost to a non-conference opponent since 2019, against Temple, and has won 15 straight games against non-conference foes. Kittley is the youngest head coach in the FBS at 34 years old and is considered one of the best and most talented offensive minds in college football. As an offensive coordinator and QB coach at Texas Tech from 2013 to 2017 & 2022 to 2024, he was keen on developing eventual Super Bowl champion and MVP, Patrick Mahomes.
Turning back to Maryland's side, the Terps enter a younger era of football in College Park, with many newer faces stepping into bigger roles for the first time. The team will be excited to see Washington, the four-star prospect, step onto the field on Saturday or later this year. Names such as Daniel Wingate, Neeo Avery, and Trey Reddick lead the linebacker core.
Freshmen defensive linemen Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis are ready to make an impact on the defensive line and improve a unit that has needed pressure on the quarterback over recent years.
Maryland is predicted to struggle this season, with many predicting that it will finish at the bottom of the Big Ten conference and barely surpass its win total of last season (4).
Earlier this offseason, Locksley was asked about the outside noise and media
that always runs rampant, and responded on Press Box hosted by Glenn Clark, with a stern answer stating:
"Here's the breaking news: I don't give a sh*t, what these people think outside of this building. The players know who we are, and the people in this building know who we are."
Caught up with Maryland Football HC Mike Locksley during our recent trip to College Park, here is how he’s handling the outside noise:
— Glenn Clark (@GlennClarkRadio) August 22, 2025
“I don’t give a shit…”#Terps pic.twitter.com/7TDLlGD690
I love seeing the confidence and belief in what he and his coaching staff are building with this young team. Saturday will be the first step in forging a new step in the right direction for the Terps in 2025 and hopefully the start of an improved season.
More Maryland News
Maryland's intense QB competition heats up for 2025 season
ESPN projects Maryland's Bowl Game fate in 2025
Maryland Football recruit Zion Elee headlines MaxPrep's Top 10 high school defensive linemen
Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.