Game Preview and Final Score Prediction for Virginia Tech vs. Maryland

Virginia Tech football plays in College Park, Md., today, taking on Maryland and going in search of its first non-conference Power Four win since 2017.

The ‘Burg ➡️ Maryland #LetsGoHokies pic.twitter.com/xHGJwnfk4S
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 18, 2026

Neither team has tested itself against sufficient competition. Virginia Tech (2-0) opened its season with a 73-3 battering of VMI before handling Old Dominion 44-21. Maryland, meanwhile, opened its season with a 62-0

Maryland's recent hot-and-cold tendencies are perhaps best illustrated by how differently it has started and finished seasons. Across the first four games of the past two years, the Terrapins combined to go 7-1. Over the final eight games of those same seasons, though, Maryland went just 1-15. Over the past two seasons, Maryland is 2-16 in its conference (Big Ten).

Who Wins?

This year, Malik Washington has come on strong to start his sophomore season. Thus far, through two games, he's thrown for 533 yards (73.6% completion percentage), three touchdowns and no interceptions. Against UConn on Sept. 12, Washington went 34-for-41 for 347 yards and two scores, stringing together a stretch of 18 complete passes. The 347 yards Washington accrued last Saturday was the second-most of his career, only trailing last year's season finale 459-yard effort against Michigan State (38-for-61, three touchdowns, one interception; 38-28 loss).

Washington was streaky as a runner; in his freshman year, he only tabulated two games with more than 30 net rushing yards, though those went for 67 vs. UCLA on Oct. 18 and 164 against Rutgers on Nov. 8. In total, Washington accumulated 303 rushing yards and four scores on 56 totes while going 273-for-473 through the air for a 17-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This year, he seems to have cleaned up his completion percentage more -- though how much of that is down to the caliber of opponent remains to be seen. Franklin spoke highly of the sophomore signal-caller, though.

"Super accurate," Franklin said of Washington. "18 straight completions last week. I know him well; we recruited the heck out of him. Know his family. He's an impressive kid. Makes a ton of plays, off-balance throws. He had a couple throws in the UConn game — [including] one where he jumped up, kind of flipped his body around and threw a dart inside. He's a problem, so it's going to be a challenge; there's no doubt about it."

In the running back room, the majority of yardage has been tallied by three backs: Iverson Howard, DeJuan Howard, and Harry Dalton. Williams' 116 yards were spearheaded by a 94-yard run against Hampton in the season opener; he did not log any statistics against UConn the following week. Dalton has taken 24 carries for a total of 87 yards forward and scored three times, while Howard has toted the rock 26 times for a team-high 121 rushing yards. The trio has reached the end zone a combined eight times.

In terms of what Maryland's pass-catchers bring to the table, three caught Franklin's eye in particular: Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, Kaleb Webb and Chris Durr Jr.

Abdul-Rahim Gladding, a transfer from Old Dominion, played against the Hokies last year; he racked up 71 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and three catches. After a 51-catch, 667-yard season at ODU in 2025, he transferred to Maryland, where he has 187 receiving yards (14 receptions) and two receiving touchdowns through a pair of games.

Webb (318 yards in 2025 at Maryland) has hauled in six catches for 69 receiving yards, while Durr Jr. (469 yards, four TDs in 2025 at Wyoming) has logged 147 receiving yards off 16 catches.

"Those guys are impressive," said Franklin. "They make a bunch of plays. YAC [yards after catch] yards, I think, is going to be a major factor in this game. If I'm the head coach at Maryland, I'm telling the offense to get the ball out quickly. That's already what they do a ton of is perimeter screens. So tackling in space, I think, is going to be really important.

“And then we also have to be ready for the screen-and-gos off of those things, which can be challenging too. But I think we're going to see a lot of that. That's kind of how they operate anyway. Ball comes out quick a lot, so that's going to be a big part of this."

On the other side of the ball, Maryland has three players with two or more sacks, spearheaded by Florida State transfer linebacker DD Holmes (2.5 sacks, one recovered fumble). Edge rusher Zion Elee has produced five pressures and half a sack, while fellow edge rusher Sidney Stewart is another to watch, having forced 11 pressures this season.

Despite Maryland's 10 sacks through two games, the Terrapins have recorded only 14 tackles for loss overall. Their pass rush has still graded among the nation's best, though, with Maryland's 91.5 pass-rushing grade on Pro Football Focus leading the country. Virginia Tech sits second nationally with a 90.8 grade. There does come the caveat that Maryland's first two games came against teams ranked No. 354 and No. 107 in SP+ entering today — Virginia Tech's first two opponents ranked No. 412 and No. 100 at the time of writing, for perspective — but the Terrapins' early pass-rushing success is still something worth noting.

That'll provide a key test for a Virginia Tech offensive line that should be closer to full strength Saturday. The Hokies struggled to consistently keep Old Dominion out of the backfield last week, surrendering four sacks and 10 tackles for loss, but should have closer to their full complement at their disposal against Maryland. Virginia Tech will have guard Montavious Cunningham available for the Maryland game since the fifth-year starter, who threw a punch in the ODU game and was subsequently ejected, was tossed out for a "non-football act".

Kyle Altuner is also a presumptive full-go after missing the Week 2 game against Old Dominion. Franklin said Wednesday that Altuner was available, though the team opted to hold him out to get him close to 100% for Maryland. Tommy Ricard started his third career game in place of Altuner.

"We felt if we could hold [Altuner] out last week, then we would have him for 100%. And we were able to do it," Franklin said. "There's a ton of value in getting Ricard that work, too... [Altuner] does a phenomenal job for us. He's a leader. He's a culture driver. ... I do think missing him was felt, so having our starting center and I'd make the argument [as] the captain of our offensive line], just in terms of what the offensive center has to do in terms of communication and getting everything started, I think it's significant."

Through two games, Virginia Tech starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is 48-of-62 for 551 yards, four touchdowns and no picks, while Jeffrey Overton Jr. leads the team in rushing yards with 151. Fifth-year tailback Marcellous Hawkins has a team-high four rushing touchdowns, while tight end Luke Reynolds and wide receiver Luke Reynolds are tied for the team lead in receptions (13). Reynolds has 158 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns through two games; his eight receptions, 108 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns last Saturday against Old Dominion were all-career highs. Brown also logged a 79-yard punt return against the Monarchs that came down at the 1-yard line, the longest return of his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hokies have generated 12 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Mylachi Williams currently has three sacks and six tackles for loss, both either leading the team or tied for the team lead. Williams was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his Week 2 efforts against ODU, while Reynolds was named the ACC Offensive Receiver of the Week. Ends Cortez Harris and Aycen Stevens have also logged a combined 5.5 sacks; Stevens has recovered two fumbles.

Virginia Tech's clash against the Terrapins will get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Should the Hokies win, it'll be their first 3-0 start since 2017.

What do I think will happen? I believe both teams will go back-and-forth in a tussle that barely leans Virginia Tech's way. Though Grunkemeyer's completed 77.4 percent of his passes this year, Maryland is a cut above the two opponents he's played thus far. I've got Virginia Tech, but it isn't by much, given Maryland's potent pass rush.

Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Maryland 27

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