Maryland football begins the next chapter of its 2023 season when it begins Big Ten play next Saturday against Michigan State for a 3:30 PM kickoff.
Maryland opened as a four-point favorite before the line jumped to as many as 6.5 points by Sunday night, still favoring the Terps, as head coach Mike Locksley looks for his team to hand the Spartans their second consecutive loss.
Maryland will also begin its journey to finish above .500 in conference play for the first time in nearly ten years and first under Locksley, but already up to three wins, Maryland has also become a frequent pick in updated bowl projections.
Maryland will look to reach a bowl game for the third consecutive season, marking the first time in twenty years (2001-2003). Maryland also has a chance to win their third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since the Friedgen era (’02 Peach Bowl, ’04 Gator Bowl, ’06 Champs Sports Bowl).
Heading into week four, we look all the bowl projections for Maryland.
Action Network: Citrus Bowl vs. LSU (Jan. 1)
Athlon Sports: Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. BYU (Dec. 26)
CBS Sports: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Louisville (Dec. 28)
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura & Mark Schlabach): Music City Bowl vs. Tennessee (Dec. 30)
Saturday Tradition: Music City Bowl vs. Missouri (Dec. 30)
247Sports: Citrus Bowl vs. Alabama (Jan. 1)
Maryland and BYU have never faced off, though the Cougars are fresh off a road win at Arkansas where former OC Dan Enos landed this past offseason.
Maryland holds a 3-1 series lead against Louisville with the Cards winning the last matchup, a 31-0 win in Louisville, back in 1995. Maryland also holds a 6-0 all-time series lead against Missouri with all six games coming between 1950 and 1955.
Tennessee holds a 5-3 all-time series lead, though it’s the Terps who have won the last two matchups. The Terps pulled out a 28-27 win in the 1984 Sun Bowl after Rick Badanjek punched in a touchdown with 2:28 left, while Frank Reich finished 17-of-28 for 201 yards and a touchdown in the win. The most recent matchup, of course, came in 2002 as Maryland pulled out its first bowl win under Ralph Friedgen in a 30-3 win in the Orange Bowl. Scott McBrien added a pair of rushing touchdowns, Curome Cox added a 54-yard pick-six while Nick Novak nailed all three field goal attempts in the win.
Alabama, of course, would draw the headlines given Locksley’s three seasons under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa where he won a national championship then the Broyles Award before heading to College Park. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis also spent one season at Alabama as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, the same place where quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa began his college career behind Taulia Tagovailoa.
Maryland hasn’t appeared in the Citrus Bowl since 1983, a 35-20 loss in what’s still proven to be the last loss to Tennessee.
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