When Maryland beat West Virginia 37-0 in 2013, it was the first time in eight tries the Terrapins had been able to defeat their regional rivals. The Mountaineers get a chance at vengeance Saturday in College Park.
How to watch Maryland vs. West Virginia: Game time, TV schedule, live online streaming and more
Can West Virginia recover from last season’s embarrassing blowout?
Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Maryland will unveil new Star-Spangled Banner-themed uniforms for the game, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore. The Terps are 2-0 after a 52-7 blowout win over James Madison and a 24-17 road victory over South Florida, with a stout defense holding up an offense that has struggled at times this season. There's no doubt the talent is there — we'll talk about the excellent wide receiving corps later — but Maryland fumbled seven times against South Florida and threw two interceptions. Sixth-year quarterback C.J. Brown has struggled to find his groove (he fumbled three of those), completing just 53.8 percent of his passes for 6.0 yards per attempt.
West Virginia caught national attention when it nearly knocked off Alabama in the Mountaineers' neutral site opener. They didn't stop there, blowing out Towson 54-0 and causing the Tigers' head coach to say the Mountaineers may have been the fastest team the program has ever faced. Florida State transfer Clint Trickett has played much better at quarterback this season, raising his completion percentage more than 20 points (from 52.8 percent last year to 75.3 percent this year).
How to witness
TV: 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Online streaming: BTN2Go
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. Maryland is 2-0 this season, while West Virginia is 1-1. The Mountaineers hold a 26-22-2 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: Maryland opened as 4.5-point favorites. The line now stands at 3.5 points.
Weather forecast: 70 degrees with a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
West Virginia would very much like to get back on the winning side of this rivalry.
The Terps have a very tough schedule ahead of them in their first Big Ten season. A win against West Virginia would keep the chances of a 5-0 start alive before Maryland hosts Ohio State.
One key matchup
Maryland wide receivers vs. West Virginia secondary. Five-star wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long have received national attention for Maryland, but Maryland has plenty of depth in the unit. Marcus Leak, back from a yearlong break from the program, was the player who stood out against South Florida, catching two touchdown passes and using his size to create matchup problems in the secondary. Meanwhile, Long is averaging 15 yards per reception while Diggs leads the team with 103 receiving yards.
West Virginia did a very good job of shutting down the Alabama passing game, holding Blake Sims to 7.6 yards per pass with no touchdowns and one interception. Amari Cooper (12 receptions, 130 yards) and DeAndrew White (six receptions, 73 yards) were able to put up numbers, but the Mountaineers didn't allow a single play over 40 yards.
Further reading
For full coverage on Maryland, head over to Testudo Times. For more on West Virginia, check out The Smoking Musket.
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