Maryland football looks to flip the season script in Big Ten opener vs. UCLA

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Maryland football is looking to right the ship in this weekend's home opener.

Maryland is set to host UCLA for a 1:30 PM kickoff this upcoming Saturday, Sept. 26 in the first meeting between the two teams in College Park in 71 years. Maryland previously announced the Big Ten opener as family weekend, yet one week after the athletic department did well to create the atmosphere inside SECU Stadium with over 46,000 in attendance, Maryland has to re-prove itself once more.

Though the two teams met last year with the Bruins pulling out a 20-17 win under an interim head coach, Saturday gives Maryland a chance to turn the tide. Under Mike Locksley, Maryland is just 2-12 as home underdogs with the last win coming back in 2024 following the homecoming comeback against USC. Maryland is also 13-32 in conference play during that span, including 2-16 over the last two seasons, with Saturday marking a chance to snap an eight-game losing streak against Big Ten teams.

With the game coming against Bob Chesney, who took over for Curt Cignetti to lead James Madison to a 21-6 (12-5) record over his two seasons with the program, Locksley has something to prove with the second game in as many weeks against a first year head coach.

Maryland is coming off a humbling nine-point loss against Virginia Tech in a game where the Hokies largely controlled the game, scoring touchdowns on five of their first six possessions, while the offense struggled to maintain momentum through the first half en route to a 13-point deficit at halftime. Locksley also drew criticism during the loss, like Malik Washington's fourth down punt or the first decision to go for two points after cutting the deficit to 35-20 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Now in a prove it season, Maryland's offseason mantra that the work is louder than the words needs to prove to be true more than ever.

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