CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Maryland football used a second-half surge to defeat Virginia, 27-13, in a renewed rivalry on Saturday at Scott Stadium. Maryland has won 14 consecutive non-conference games, every game since the 2021 season. This is the second-longest streak in the country and Maryland's longest streak in the last 40 years. Only Georgia (24) has won more consecutive non-conference games than the Terps.
The Terps (2-1) took control of the game in the second half, outgaining the Cavaliers (2-1) 250-82 with solid play on both sides of the ball. A touchdown reception by
Kaden Prather gave the Terps a 14-13 lead in the third quarter, generating a lead they wouldn't relinquish. A pair of field goals by
Jack Howes and a rushing touchdown by
Billy Edwards Jr. sealed the victory.
Maryland's defense forced four turnovers in the game, with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Dante Trader Jr. and Jalen Huskey had interceptions, and Donnell Brown and Quashon Fuller recovered fumbles. Through three games, the Terps have corralled six interceptions — the most by the team since 2013, when they also had six. The Terps also didn't allow a point in the second half and held the Cavaliers' offense to just 51 passing yards and 31 rushing yards coming out of the locker room. Trader also led the team in tackles with a career-high tying 11.
Edwards completed 28-of-43 passes for 263 yards and two passing touchdowns while also running for the key score midway through the fourth quarter. He threw touchdowns to
Tai Felton and Prather.
Felton hauled in nine passes for 117 yards with a touchdown for the fourth game in a row. He became the first receiver in school history with 100+ receiving yards in each of the first three games of a season. His score was the 12th of his career, tying him with Gary Collins for 10th in program history in career receiving touchdowns.
Through three games, Felton has 27 receptions, 447 receiving yards and four scores, placing him among the nation's leaders in all three categories. His yardage total is the fourth most for a Big Ten player since 1996 and the most since Purdue's Charlie Jones had 474 yards in 2022. It's also the most for a Terp since Jermaine Lewis had 489 in the first three games of the 1993 season.
This was the 80th all-time meeting between Maryland and Virginia and the second meeting since the Terps joined the Big Ten. The Cavaliers are the Terps' most commonly played opponent in program history, and Maryland leads the series by a record of 46-32-2.
Locksley's Take
"Great, hard, tough, gutsy win for us in a rivalry game," head football coach
Michael Locksley said. "They played with a lot of intensity and effort early. But I'm really, really proud of our team that there was no flinch. We faced a lot of things, a lot of momentum plays during the course of the first half, and one of the things going into this game that we talked about was just staying focused on that play and not letting them become a series of plays. ... Our defense had two big stops in the first half, which gave us a chance to stay in the game and stay in the fight. I knew at some point the offense would get going, and we did the second half."
Felton On Making History
"It's definitely a testament to how hard I work. I have a lot of guys on the team that push me to be great. When those guys are pushing me, man, I try to go as hard as I can. So It's a testament to how hard I work throughout the week, Monday through Thursday, because that's where it starts. Practice is the show and the show is practice. So all the work can be put in throughout the week. That's how it comes to true fruition."
Breaking Down The Action
- Virginia had a touchdown called back by a holding penalty on its first possession. Both teams punted away the football on their opening drives.
- The Cavaliers fumbled in the red zone on their second drive. Donnell Brown recovered it to set the Terps up on the 12-yard line with 5:30 left in the first quarter.
- The Terps forced another turnover on the Cavaliers' next possession. Dante Trader Jr. intercepted a pass from Anthony Colandrea to set Maryland up on Virginia's 35-yard line. The drive ended in a missed field goal attempt.
- Colandrea completed a 45-yard pass to Trell Harris to set his team up in the red zone. However, the Terps' defense stood tall, forcing a field goal attempt. Virginia led 3-0 with 50 seconds left in the first.
- Virginia scored another field goal after a 13-play, 77-yard drive to take a 6-0 lead at 8:27 in the second.
- Billy Edwards Jr. found Tai Felton for a 19-yard touchdown reception with 54 seconds remaining in the half. The Terps took a 7-6 lead.
- The Cavaliers drove down the field, and Colandrea rushed for a touchdown with one second remaining in the half to take a 13-7 lead at halftime.
- Edwards threw his second touchdown pass of the day to Kaden Prather at 10:55 in the third quarter. It went for 26 yards and capped off an 8-play, 68-yard drive to give Maryland a 14-13 lead.
- Jalen Huskey intercepted a pass to give Maryland its third takeaway of the night, setting the Terps up near midfield. Jack Howes drilled a 37-yarder on the ensuing drive to put Maryland ahead 17-13.
- Howes connected on his second field goal of the day, from 33 yards out, to put Maryland up 20-13 with 12:34 left to play in the game.
- Tommy Akingbesote forced a fumble that Quashon Fuller recovered. Edwards then plunged in for the score to put Maryland ahead 27-13 with 7:10 left in the game.
Terrific Tai
- Tai Felton finished the day with nine catches for 117 receiving yards. Through three games this season, Felton has 447 yards. His yardage total is the fourth most for a Big Ten player since 1996 and the most since Purdue's Charlie Jones had 474 yards in 2022. It's also the most for a Terp since Jermaine Lewis had 489 in the first three games of the 1993 season.
- With 100 receiving yards in each game this season, Felton is the first Terp in Maryland history to have 100+ receiving yards in each of the first three games of a season.
- Felton scored his fourth touchdown of the season on a 19-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. With four touchdown receptions in three games, he has the most for a Terp since D.J. Moore also had four in 2017.
- With a touchdown reception in each of the first three games, Felton is the first Terp to achieve that since Tyler Mabry did it in 2019.
- Felton also eclipsed 1,500 career receiving yards in the contest.
Picking Off Passes
- Dante Trader Jr. intercepted a pass in the first quarter and Jalen Huskey intercepted one in the third quarter, giving Maryland six interceptions through three games this season. The six INTs are the most by the team since 2013, when they also had six.
- Glendon Miller (two) and Ruben Hyppolite II are the other Terps with interceptions in 2024 (Huskey has two).
- Maryland also had six interceptions through three games in 2001.
Non-Conference Success
- Maryland has now won 14 consecutive non-conference games, every game since the 2021 season.
- The 14 consecutive wins are the second-longest streak in the country. Only Georgia (24) has won more consecutive non-conference games than the Terps. This is Maryland's longest such streak within the last 40 years.
- Overall, the Terps are 16-1 in non-conference games under Michael Locksley, with wins over Power Five teams such as Virginia Tech, West Virginia, No. 23 NC State, No. 21 Syracuse, Virginia (twice) and Auburn.
- The Terps have committed no more than two turnovers in any of their last 23 non-conference games. LSU (29) and Ohio State (25) are the only FBS teams with longer active such streaks.
A Rivalry Renewed
- Saturday marked the 80th all-time meeting between Maryland and Virginia, with the Cavaliers being the Terps' most commonly played opponent in program history. Maryland leads the series by a record of 46-32-2.
- Last year's game was the first time the two teams met since 2013, Maryland's final season in the ACC. During that game in College Park, Maryland came away with its largest win in the series since 1986, 42-14. The Terps rallied from a 14-point deficit and scored 42 unanswered points behind Taulia Tagovailoa's 342 passing yards.
Numbers And Nuggets
- 1: Tai Felton is the first Terp in school history with 100+ receiving yards in the first three games of a season.
- 1: Lavain Scruggs drew his first career start in the secondary for the Terps.
- 2: Donnell Brown had his second career fumble recovery in the first quarter. His other came at Michigan State in 2023.
- 3: Felton scored a touchdown reception in each of his first three games. He's the first Terp to have achieved that since Tyler Mabry did it in 2019.
- 4: Felton has four touchdowns through three games this season. He has the most for a Terp through three games since D.J. Moore also had four in 2017.
- 4: The Terps had a +4 turnover margin in the game.
- 5: Dante Trader Jr. recorded his fifth career interception in the first quarter.
- 6: Maryland has six interceptions through three games this season. The six INTs are the most by the team since 2013, when they also had six.
- 6: Kaden Prather scored his sixth career touchdown as a Terp in the third quarter. It was also his first of the 2024 season.
- 10: Edwards rushed for his 10th career TD and his second this season.
- 11: Trader tied his career-high in tackles with 11.
- 12: Felton's 12th career receiving touchdown ties him with Gary Collins for 10th on Maryland's receiving touchdown leaderboard.
- 14: The Terps have won 14 consecutive non-conference matchups. Only Georgia (24) has won more consecutive non-conference games than the Terps. This is the longest such streak for Maryland within the last 40 years.
- 16: Overall, the Terps are 16-1 in non-conference games under Michael Locksley, with wins over Power Five teams such as Virginia Tech, West Virginia, No. 23 NC State, No. 21 Syracuse, Virginia (twice) and Auburn.
- 21: The Terps have won 21 consecutive games when leading after the third quarter.
- 46: The Terps lead the all-time series against the Cavaliers with a record of 46-32-2.
- 80: This was the 80th all-time meeting between Maryland and Virginia and just the second since the Terps joined the Big Ten.
- 1500: Felton eclipsed 1,500 career receiving yards in the contest.
Up Next
- The Terps return to SECU Stadium to take on Villanova next Saturday, Sept. 21. The game will kick off at noon and air on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.
