​Maryland’s biggest 2026 trap game comes before Virginia Tech originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Maryland’s 2026 season could become uncomfortable quickly if the Terrapins do not handle their early nonconference business.That is what makes the Sept. 12 road trip to UConn such a dangerous spot for Mike Locksley’s program.Before Maryland reaches the grueling stretches of its Big Ten schedule, the Terrapins must avoid turning a manageable early matchup into the kind of stumble that derails the momentum of an entire fall.CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford identified UConn as Maryland’s primary trap game because of its placement on the calendar and what an upset loss would represent.MORE: College football rankings post-spring Top 25 “No disrespect to Hampton, but Maryland should handle its opener before traveling to face UConn and first-year coach Jason Candle, who never posted a losing season during his decade at Toledo,” Crawford wrote.That is the tricky part. Maryland should enter its second game at 1-0, confident and with a clear talent advantage over the Huskies.Early nonconference road tests are rarely decided by talent alone, however. They come down to focus, discipline and whether a program facing external pressure can avoid a slow start before conference play arrives.Candle’s presence on the opposing sideline makes the matchup even more intriguing. He arrives with a proven track record from Toledo, where his teams were consistently disciplined and competitive, and inherits a UConn program coming off consecutive nine-win regular seasons.MORE: Why a 20–team College Football Playoff expansion deserves more considerationThat combination of established momentum and a new coaching voice makes the Huskies especially dangerous, and UConn will treat Maryland’s visit to East Hartford as a signature statement opportunity.Maryland, meanwhile, has a marquee showdown with Virginia Tech looming on Sept. 19. That creates a classic sandwich-game dynamic: Hampton serves as the expected opener, while Virginia Tech carries regional rivalry intrigue.UConn sits squarely in the middle as the exact road trap Maryland cannot afford to look past.More Big Ten newsIllinois 2026 football scheduleMichigan 2026 football scheduleOhio State 2026 football scheduleIndiana 2026 football schedule