Maryland vs. Hampton: Three Stats + What They Show

rwelchie3
2 hours ago
4 min read

The 2026 Maryland football season kicked off on Saturday with Mike Locksley entering year 8. In front of one of the largest crowds for a season opener, Maryland took care of business against FCS opponent Hampton. As has been the case for Maryland in recent years, the Terrapins win another out of conference game and dominate an FCS opponent. In a 62-0 route Maryland rushed for 6 touchdowns, had three interceptions, and only allowed 85 total yards of offense from Hampton. In a dominant win, we will take a look at the stats and what we can learn from them.

Stat 1: 9.1 yards per carry

It is no secret that Maryland has placed an emphasis on running the ball better this season. Offensive coordinator Clint Trickett backed up this claim with the Maryland offense running for 365 yards on 40 attempts with an average of 9.1 yards per rush. Now, based on the opponent, how much can we take from this? Well maybe more than you think; last year was a real struggle for the Maryland run game throughout the season. Concerns for the rushing attack started against lower level competition as Maryland was only able to muster 3.2 yards per carry against Towson, 3.1 yards against Northern Illinois, and 3.7 yards per carry against Florida Atlantic. To start 2026, Maryland dominated on the ground with lead back Dejuan Williams busting open a 95-yard score in the first quarter. It was Iverson Howard who got the bulk of the carries and was efficient as well, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and finding the endzone twice.

Malik Washington did not have to use his feet too much to scramble but did have an impressive first down gain on a scramble in a third down situation. It was backup quarterback Cardell Williams who used the rushing attack to his advantage. Williams ran at will and picked up 49 yards on 5 carries and got a touchdown as well. It was encouraging to see some speed and throwing capability out of Williams as the depth of the room has been questioned. Overall, it was encouraging to see the dominance of the run game despite the level of competition. The run game will be an ongoing storyline throughout the season.

Stat 2: 5 Sacks

The Maryland defense just dominated Hampton on Saturday night. The Pirates struggled to move the ball and their quarterbacks could not find their receivers as they threw a combined three interceptions and all of them were right to the defender. Those will be the easiest interceptions of Messiah Delhomme’s life. The secondary itself was great but the defensive line shined brightest. The front seven was talked about immensely coming into the season with the team confident in the depth they built. The unit came to play with a total of 5 sacks and constant pressure. The pressure from the interior defensive line was outstanding all night with Derrick LeBlanc really jumping off the page as a real menace inside. LeBlanc was able to record a TFL and a pass deflection in the victory. The edge rushers were also impressive with DD Holmes flashing in the first quarter with 2 sacks on a single drive and Nahsir Taylor being essential in crashing the edge forcing the quarterbacks to step up in the pocket many times throughout the game. The interior was also there to clean up the quarterbacks having no choice but to step into them with Eyan Thomas also standing out with 2 sacks of his own. Javon Parker also made noise combining for a sack with Nahsir Taylor and Lavon Johnson joining the TFL parade as well. The front seven was dominant and this also included Maryland’s leading tackler Saturday night, Trey Reddick. Often a forgotten piece on the defense with the star power of Wingate, and emergence of CJ Smith; Reddick was again flying to the football from the outside linebacking spot. It was encouraging to see Reddick hit the ground running and make an impact in the tackling game. Overall, front seven dominance for Maryland as expected and for players like Zion Elee, hopefully more routine playing time and impact are on the horizon.

Stat 3: 61% Completion Percentage

Malik Washington did not have the best start to his 2026 campaign. Much of Maryland’s success rides on his ability to lead the offense. In his first go around with new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett, Washington threw for 186 yards and a touchdown on 61% completion percentage. Not the most encouraging stat line from the Terps signal caller, and there were some concerning misses. The completion percentage is never the end all be all but considering the throws that were missed it is concerning. Malik missed Kaleb Webb a few times on wide open throws that were just too high. Washington mixed some elite throws in traffic and on the run but sometimes the simple throws get to him. Washington is still a little hectic with the foot work and often puts too much power on his throws to receivers in tight areas. The wide open misses could be a problem entering competition against real opponents starting next week, but there was still enough impressive throws to build upon.

Another dominant performance over an FCS opponent for Maryland who now extends its nation long winning streak against non-conference opponents. The running game thrived, the defense overpowered, and Malik was a mixed-bag. Next up, Maryland travels to East Hartford to take on UConn next Saturday.

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