Maryland football will hit the road for the first time of the season as they look to bounce back in a week three rivalry clash at Virginia. As Maryland looks to pick up their third consecutive win against their former ACC rival, we spoke with John Kurcina of Streaking the Lawn from behind enemy lines to learn more about the ‘Hoos as they look to move to 3-0.
IBG: Virginia was not able to get the run game going against Wake Forest last week. What changes will the Virginia offense need to make this week in order to get the run game going and be a more balanced offense?
John Kurcina: First things first, if Virginia’s going to find consistent rhythm in the run game, they can’t afford to go down big early (17-3 in the early 2nd quarter) like they did against Wake last week. Game script was negative for the ‘Hoos as they had to chase a 7-14 point deficit for the majority of the night.
That being said, the offensive line really struggled to generate any push against Wake’s defensive line, evidenced by a goal-line stand in the first quarter where Virginia couldn’t punch the ball in from the one-yard line. For Virginia’s run game to really get going, senior running back Kobe Pace needs to get touches early and often. The ‘Hoos gave him just five rush attempts against Wake Forest after he exploded for 144 total yards and a touchdown on 13 touches against Richmond. Instead of relying on the 5-foot-10, 215-pound enforcer, the Cavaliers went with a few designed Anthony Colandrea quarterback-keepers early in the run game. Colandrea’s quick and effective in designed runs, but Pace needs to pace the offense in the first and second quarter of the game against Maryland.
IBG: Last season, Anthony Colandrea and the Virginia offense was a turnover machine against the Terps. Where have you seen Colandrea grow from last season to now and if you had to pinpoint one strength of his game today, what would it be?
JK: Unfortunately for UVA, turnovers are still Anthony Colandrea’s kryptonite. The young gunslinger is fearless, which helped spark the fourth-quarter comeback against Wake Forest, but it’s also the reason the ‘Hoos were in such a deep hole in the first place. He has a tendency to try and play hero-ball, leading to a few too many interceptions and drive-killing sacks. He’ll force the ball down the field to well-covered receivers regardless of the down or game situation.
But on the flipside, Colandrea’s ability to extend plays is his greatest strength. Whether it’s escaping the pocket and firing a dot down the sideline on the run, or scrambling on third-down and avoiding tackles to pick up huge first-downs, AC-10 (our staff’s chosen nickname for him) has a knack for turning nothing into something. Additionally, he seems more confident in his running ability this season than he was as a freshman. He’s becoming a true dual-threat weapon.
IBG: While they cause lots of turnovers, the Terps secondary has not been great against the pass. Virginia's Malachi Fields has been far and away the top target for Colandrea. How do you expect Virginia to attack the Terps defense with Fields?
JK: Virginia love themselves an alpha-receiver. Malik Washington set an ACC record with 110 catches last year, including five games with ten or more receptions. Malachi Fields spent last season as the Robin to Washington’s Batman, but with Washington off to the NFL, it’s Fields’ time in the spotlight. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout does it all for the ‘Hoos. Offensive coordinator Des Kitchings designs screens for him, employs him as the primary deep threat, and uses him over the middle against zone coverage. Fields is an elite jump-ball receiver, and he also excels at making defenders miss and accumulating yards-after-the-catch.
Maryland’s got some size at defensive back, so I don’t think their corners will be physically overwhelmed by Fields. However, Fields is impossible to contain with his versatile skill set, and as Colandrea’s favorite target and first-read on nearly every pass play, I expect Virginia to pepper him with targets all over the field, manufacturing touches for him wherever the ‘Hoos feel they can exploit the Maryland defense.
IBG: Virginia has picked up their pass rush as a whole but does not have a true pass rush leader. Who do you expect to be able to give the Terps offensive line the most problems on Saturday and why?
JK: It’s true that Virginia’s been one of the worst pass-rushing units in college football since Tony Elliott took over in 2022. They averaged less than one sack per game last year, but they’ve started this year strong with seven sacks already through two games. The Cavaliers racked up six sacks against Wake last week from six different players.
If I had to pick one player to give the Terps line the most problems, it would be seventh-year defensive end Kam Butler (#82). Butler is a vocal leader on defense, and he was on pace for a fantastic season in 2023 with 3.5 sacks through four games before a shoulder injury cut his season short. He’s relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback, and he’s improved as a tackler and run-stopper. Butler has the quickness necessary to make big plays, and I expect a few big plays from the veteran against Maryland on Saturday night.
IBG: Virginia has struggled to generate turnovers through the first two games. What would you attribute that to? What has also been the Virginia defenses' strength so far this season?
JK: This is a tough one to answer, because Virginia’s secondary was one of their strongest units on paper heading into the season, but they have yet to record an interception this season. In their defense, Richmond hardly attempted any passes down the field against UVA. Their quarterback finished with just 110 yards passing with only one pass going for more than 20 yards. He wasn’t exactly taking any risks against the ‘Hoos.
It was an entirely different story for Hank Bachmeier and Wake Forest. Bachmeier diced up Virginia’s secondary with chunk plays all game, throwing for over 400 yards. Virginia’s free safety Jonas Sanker is an absolute stud, and it’s a matter of time before he batis a quarterback into throwing an errant pass and picks it off.
It’s hard to pinpoint what’s been Virginia’s strength on defense so far this season with two completely different showings. I want to say the safety duo of Jonas Sanker and Antonio Clary have been the brightest spot as they’ve led the team in tackles in back-to-back weeks while recording some sacks, tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. But they also allowed a lot of big gains through the air against Wake. I’ll stick with this unit because they may be the most impactful against Maryland, as Virginia will call upon them to force a turnover or two and prevent big passing plays.
IBG: Maryland has a three-game win streak over Virginia. What does Virginia need to do most to beat the Terps this time around and end the streak?
JK: It’s wild to think that Virginia hasn’t beat Maryland in football since 2011, but I guess it’s not as wild as a certain losing streak we had against a different rival that I don’t wish to name. Maryland dominated Virginia with 42 unanswered points in College Park last year. Maryland got whatever they wanted on offense, and their defense stuffed UVA’s run game and forced four total turnovers.
I think the key to beating Maryland this time around will be taking care of the football. Like I mentioned earlier, interceptions are Colandrea’s achilles heel. If he makes smart decisions and even limits himself to just one interception, I think his playmaking ability will be enough to lead plenty of scoring drives as Virginia looks to end their second losing streak in a row (UVA had lost five straight against Wake Forest before their win last week).
IBG: Game score prediction
JK: I think the fans on both sides will get their money’s worth in this one. I’m predicting a game with several big momentum swings, some key turnovers, and a few deep touchdown passes for both teams. In the end, it will come down to which team takes care of the ball better, as well as the battle in the trenches. I still don’t fully trust Virginia’s offensive line, but I think their defensive line will be able to pressure Billy Edwards Jr. and make him uncomfortable all game.
I’ll get real specific here and say that Maryland will be trailing by three points late in the fourth quarter, and they’ll get into deep field goal range with a chance to take the game to overtime. Jack Howes will narrowly miss a 40+ yarder as the clock expires, and Virginia fans will get their first chance to rush the field at Scott Stadium in a long time.
Virginia 34, Maryland 31
The Terps will look to bounce back after the Michigan State loss and keep their win streak over Virginia going while also keeping their 13 game non-conference win streak alive as well. The game is set to kickoff at 7PM EST and will be airing on the ACC Network.
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