Previewing the Hoos vs. the Terps With Inside the Black & Gold

The Virginia Cavaliers (0-2) travel to College Park to renew their old rivalry with the Maryland Terrapins (2-0) on Friday night at SECU Stadium. Ahead of this primetime Friday night matchup, we got Ahmed Ghafir of Inside the Black & Gold to answer five questions to help us preview Virginia vs. Maryland:

1. Maryland ultimately moved to 2-0 with a 38-20 win over Charlotte last week. But things looked troubling for a moment with Charlotte jumping out to a 14-0 lead. What were your takeaways from that game?

Tensions were definitely elevated heading into kickoff considering the connections between the two programs—six former Terps on Charlotte, Mike Locksley’s son once played for Biff Poggi at Gilman, among others. Maryland knew going into the game that to beat Charlotte, they’d need to stop the run. On the first pass play, Charlotte took advantage of a breakdown in the secondary for a 48-yard TD. On the first offensive play for Maryland, a bad read by Taulia led to a quick 14-0 deficit a mere minutes into the game. After that, the defense buckled down and forced six punts and a pair of TDs to force Charlotte into a one-dimensional offense. On the other side, it was the Roman Hemby show as he amassed over 200 all-purpose yards to spark the offense. Maryland’s passing attack showed flashes too, with what should’ve been two touchdown catches for Kaden Prather in the win. If you ask Mike Locksley, it was a slow start and a sloppy finish that doomed Maryland. The biggest takeaway was the success on the ground and Maryland’s depth in the front seven, especially at linebacker.

2. This will be Maryland's first game against a Power Five opponent this season. What are you looking to see from the Terps in their first significant test of 2023?

What they didn’t show against Charlotte—a fast start. Maryland will undoubtedly look to come out firing on all cylinders on the first drive, but I’m looking to see Taulia spread the ball around to his playmakers. I mentioned Hemby and Prather, while Jeshaun Jones is back for his sixth season and is elusive in the open field. Tai Felton has big-play ability with top end speed that’s made him one of the fastest players on the team, but can he take advantage of the big plays? Part of Taulia spreading the ball around sits on the shoulders of Maryland’s receivers, where drops have been an issue through the first two weeks. On the defensive side of the ball, while Virginia will move ahead with Tony Muskett at QB, it’ll be the first real test for Maryland’s secondary. That depth will be tested this weekend, both at cornerback and safety, and how they fare with Big Ten play around the corner.

3. Obviously, Taulia Tagovailoa is the engine that makes the Maryland offense go. What are his biggest strengths and weaknesses and what can Virginia do to slow him down?

Taulia’s comfort within the offense and with his receivers is clear as the wideouts look to trim the drops, while his athleticism adds to why there’s been consistent optimism surrounding the offense since the 2021 season. His athleticism also makes him a threat on the ground, but his arm strength both with the deep ball and on his intermediate throws is reason why he owns just about every career or single-season passing record for Maryland. His weakness is still tied to Maryland’s question mark on offense: protection. Maryland’s starting five upfront remains a work in progress as they look for lineman Gottlieb Ayedze to make his debut, but the protection has been up-and-down through two games. Part of that is on the line itself, and part of that is Taulia holding onto the ball and extending plays. Being efficient outside of the pocket is a point, which leads me to what Virginia needs to do—find a way to get pressure on Taulia. Virginia was able to hold Tennessee early in week one as they’ll need a similar performance in week three. Maryland will also look to capitalize on the big plays downfield, another point of emphasis with Josh Gattis taking over as offensive coordinator in his first year with the program.

4. On the other side of the ball, who are the names to know for the Maryland defense and what are the keys for Maryland defensively this season?

The defense starts with the linebacker room, headlined by Jaishawn Barham. The second-year linebacker will see snaps increase through the season, but after playing 23 snaps against Charlotte, he still found a way to add a pair of sacks along with a third tackle for loss. He isn’t alone with Ruben Hyppolite, Caleb Wheatland, Gereme Spraggins and Fa’Najae Gotay all part of the frequent rotations, but the linebacker room is the strength of the defense. Wheatland also played against Virginia QB Tony Muskett in high school. Maryland has three new starters along the defensive line and generating consistent pressure will be a key, while Kellan Wyatt will be someone Virginia frequently sees off the edge. In the secondary, Dante Trader Jr., Jaquan Sheppard and Tarheeb Still are the main names to know. I mentioned it above, there’s quality talent in the starting rotation but Virginia could be the toughest test yet.

5. What's your score prediction for Friday's game?

41-14 Maryland. I expect Maryland’s offense to find its groove against Virginia, but the rushing attack will find a way to lead the way with Roman Hemby, Antwain Littleton and Colby McDonald leading the way. Virginia’s lack of balance on offense gives Maryland’s experienced defense a blueprint for how to make Virginia one-dimensional, even with Tony Muskett under center. Maryland has had to answer for how they’ll generate pressure off the edge and one player not yet mentioned who will help fill that void is Donnell Brown. If Maryland’s front seven can overpower Virginia in the trenches, I expect Maryland to comfortably cover the spread.

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