Three Matchups That Will Define Virginia Tech vs. Maryland
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Maryland has allowed 77 rushing yards this season on 62 carries. Virginia Tech just ran 42 times for 89 yards against Old Dominion.
That's the math the Hokies (2-0) take to College Park for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. kickoff at SECU Stadium on FS1. Both teams have feasted on lesser competition, and Saturday brings the first Power Four opponent for each. Maryland (2-0) owns the nation's longest active non-conference winning streak at 20 games. Virginia Tech hasn't beaten a Power Four team in non-conference play since 2017.
Here are three matchups that will determine Saturday's winner.
1. Virginia Tech's interior line vs. Maryland's front seven
Starting center Kyle Altuner missed the Old Dominion game after a VMI defender landed on his knee, and his status for Saturday hasn't been clarified. Right guard Montavious Cunningham, ejected against the Monarchs for throwing a punch, will play. Head coach James Franklin said Monday that the penalty doesn't carry over.
Even so, Old Dominion sacked Ethan Grunkemeyer four times and held Marcellous Hawkins Jr. and Jeffrey Overton Jr. to 90 combined yards on 25 carries.
The Terrapins lead the Big Ten with 10 sacks. Linebacker DD Holmes has 2.5 of them, and defensive linemen Eyan Thomas and Derrick LeBlanc have two apiece. Hampton ran 31 times for 10 yards. UConn ran 31 times for 67.
If the Hokies can't run, it falls on Grunkemeyer, who has completed 48 of 62 passes for 551 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Asking him to throw 40-plus times into this rush is putting the Hokies behind the 8-ball.
2. Virginia Tech's edge rushers vs. Maryland's pass protection
Nobody in the FBS has more sacks than Virginia Tech's 12. Seven came against Old Dominion, with defensive ends Mylachi Williams and Cortez Harris getting two apiece.
Maryland's line is the best Virginia Tech's rush has seen by a wide margin. It allowed nine sacks all of last season, tied for the third-fewest in the country. Behind it is sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, who has 533 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. At UConn, he completed 34 of 41 passes and set a program record with 18 straight completions.
The swing comes on early downs. Running back DeJuan Williams got hurt against Hampton and didn't play at UConn, where the Terps managed 3.5 yards per carry. If defensive coordinator Brent Pry makes Maryland one-dimensional, Mylachi Williams and Harris get to pin their ears back and go after Washington.
3. The Hokies secondary vs. Maryland's new receivers
Virginia Tech cornerback Jaquez White handed Maryland some bulletin board material this week.
"I don't really think he's that accurate but I mean, he's pretty good," White said of Washington.
Washington completed 61.3% of his passes against Hampton. Against UConn, his 82.9% completion rate there was the fourth-best single-game mark in program history, fueled by two transfers. Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding caught eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Chris Durr Jr. added 10 catches and a score.
It cuts both ways. Maryland's secondary gave up two long touchdowns at UConn, and Grunkemeyer has the weapons to test it. Tight end Luke Reynolds, his old Penn State teammate, has 13 catches for 158 yards and three scores.
Franklin went 9-2 against Maryland at Penn State. Locksley insists none of that matters now.
"This won't be about James and Locks," he said.
He's right. It'll be about whether the five guys in front of Grunkemeyer hold up long enough for the rest of it to matter.
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James Duncan serves as a staff writer for Virginia Tech On SI, covering football, men’s and women’s basketball and recruiting. He is a 2026 Virginia Tech graduate, having majored in Sports Media and Analytics with a minor in Professional and Technical Writing. Duncan previously covered the Washington Commanders as a reporter for The Lead, where he reported on the team throughout an offseason.