Maryland begins the post-Tagovailoa era against a UConn team laden with newcomers

UConn at Maryland, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FS1)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Maryland by 20 1/2.

Series record: Maryland leads 2-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Maryland must replace standout quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa after he gave the Terrapins several years of stability at the position. Billy Edwards Jr., MJ Morris and Cameron Edge are candidates to step in. UConn enters its third season under coach Jim Mora. He’s 9-16 so far. The Huskies are one of a small number of major college football independents, and there’s talk of the program joining the Big 12 eventually. So the progress — or lack thereof — for UConn football may be under a significant microscope this year.

KEY MATCHUP

Maryland’s defense against a UConn team with plenty of new faces. The Terps’ defense seems like the closest thing to a known commodity in this game after Maryland held opponents to just 22.5 points per game last season. The Huskies, meanwhile, added 51 new players to the roster since the end of the 2023 season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

UConn: QB Nick Evers started his career at Oklahoma and was with Wisconsin before transferring to the Huskies. He has three years of eligibility and is pretty much a blank slate, having appeared in only one college game.

Maryland: RB Roman Hemby ran for nearly 1,000 yards in 2022 and then produced 680 on the ground last season. He’s also capable of contributing as a pass catcher.

FACTS & FIGURES

Maryland has won a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time. That’s part of the reason the Terps have now won 12 straight nonconference games overall. … UConn OL Chase Lundt was picked for the 2025 Senior Bowl watch list. … The Terps have allowed progressively fewer points per game since 2019: 34.7, 32.0, 30.7, 23.2 and 22.5. … This is UConn’s lone scheduled game this season against the Big Ten.