{"id":226973,"date":"2025-09-14T20:25:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T20:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/226973\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T20:25:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T20:25:13","slug":"college-football-corner-terps-and-cavs-cruise-while-two-rivals-run-aground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/226973\/","title":{"rendered":"College Football Corner: Terps and Cavs cruise, while two rivals run aground"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter.\u00a0Read his rankings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

College football makes strange bedfellows. And there\u2019s always enough misery to pass around. Saturday, while Maryland and Virginia were taking care of in-state non-conference foes, No. 12 Clemson came up short at Georgia Tech 24-21 to earn the ire of rival South Carolina who became Yellow Jacket fans for an afternoon.<\/p>\n

But the No. 11 Gamecocks had its SEC opener to worry about, and losing to Vanderbilt 31-7 poked a hole in the balloon of a fan base that refers to itself as USC and Carolina despite no rational person thinking they\u2019re either. The result gave Tiger fans a little joy to counter what has been one rough start to the season, with a pair of one-possession losses to unbeaten foes but a 1-2 start for the first time since 2014.<\/p>\n

And South Carolina\u2019s schedule doesn\u2019t get any easier, with six of their next seven opponents currently in the Top 25. They do get a shot at Clemson to wrap up the regular season in Columbia. It already looks like it\u2019s going to be a long fall for both.<\/p>\n

Maryland (3-0)<\/strong> after taking a while to get going in their first two games of the year, wasted no time against Towson by scoring on all six of their first half possessions. The 44-17 victory was the Terps\u2019 18th straight against non-conference competition (Temple in 2019 the trivia answer). Bring on the Big Ten!<\/p>\n

Terrapin Triumphs:<\/strong> Malik Washington threw for a career-high 261 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score. The ground game that had averaged 99 yards in the first two weeks posted a season-high 152 yards rushing. The defense held the Tigers to 1-13 on third down, recovered a fumble, and posted a pick six (La\u2019Khi Roland returning the interception 100 yards for a TD). Messiah Delhomme blocked a punt.<\/p>\n

Terrapin Troubles:<\/strong> Eight penalties for 75 yards, including a pair of illegal punt formation flags. The backups didn\u2019t preserve the shutout, coughing up an 84-yard touchdown pass plus a three-play 75-yard march that resembled a blowtorch going through butter. Next:<\/strong> Saturday at noon on NBC against 2-1 Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

Virginia (2-1)<\/strong> also wasted little time getting in gear against William & Mary, reaching the end zone six times in the first half on their way to a 55-16 rout of the Tribe. The double-nickel is the school\u2019s highest point total since they hung 55 on Abilene Christian during the pandemic season.<\/p>\n

Cavalier Congrats:<\/strong> Let\u2019s begin with a program-record 700 yards. Harrison Waylee rushed for 151 of those yards while scoring three touchdowns (the long a 97-yard scamper for a score). Noah Vaughn added 101 yards on eight carries. Myles Brown led the defense with seven tackles while the Cavs held the Tribe to 59 yards rushing and 2-13 on third down.<\/p>\n

Cavalier Concerns:<\/strong> Tough to find fault on a day where UVa didn\u2019t punt and was in control for the entire afternoon. Five penalties? The fourth quarter safety surrendered? Kippy & Buffy having red wine with fish at dinner Saturday night? Enjoy the victory. Next:<\/strong> Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against 1-3 Stanford on the ACC Network.<\/p>\n

Virginia Tech (0-3)<\/strong> looked to get right after losing consecutive games to SEC foes, but the SBC can also play pretty good football especially when it\u2019s an Old Dominion team that has posted a pair of wins over the Hokies recently. It didn\u2019t help that VT\u2019s first four possessions were a pair of three and outs, a fumble, and an interception. By that point ODU led 21-0 on the way to a 45-26 stunner that has the Hokies 0-3 for the first time since 1987.<\/p>\n

Hokie Highlights:<\/strong> Nick Veltsistas averaged 45.8 yards per punt! Yes, when we lead with the punter you know it has not been a good evening. Kyron Drones threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns while adding a team-high 65 yards and a TD on the ground (more on him in a bit). Donovan Green caught five passes for 77 yards and a TD. Caleb Woodson paced the defense with nine tackles.<\/p>\n

Hokie Humblings:<\/strong> Drones threw an interception and lost a pair of fumbles, with the first two turnovers leading to ODU touchdowns. The defense allowed 250 yards rushing (on 6.3 yards per carry) while the Monarchs completed 73% of their passes. Twelve penalties for 113 yards was the cherry on top of this one. Next:<\/strong> Saturday at noon against 0-3 Wofford on the ESPN+ and ACCN extra.<\/p>\n

Navy (3-0, 2-0 American)<\/strong> looked like they were following the Virginia Tech script in Tulsa, turning the ball over on their first three possessions as the Golden Hurricane staked a 14-0 lead. But the Mids bounced back by reaching the end zone on six of their next seven possessions, and the early hiccup was left in the wake of a 42-23 win.<\/p>\n

Midshipman Medals:<\/strong> Blake Horvath ran for 159 yards and a touchdown while also throwing for 94 yards and a score. Eli Heidenreich added 72 yards rushing with 40 yards receiving. MarcAnthony Parker tallied 11 tackles and a sack.<\/p>\n

Midshipman Miscues:<\/strong> Horvath threw a pair of interceptions while losing a fumble-all in the first quarter. Tough to find anything else awry on a night where the Mids buckled down and posted a road conference win. Next:<\/strong> Saturday September 27 at 3:30 p.m. against 2-1 Rice on the CBS Sports Network.<\/p>\n

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