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Virginia Football vs. Maryland Game Preview, Score Prediction

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Virginia Football vs. Maryland Game Preview, Score Prediction


For the first time since 2012, the border rivalry between Virginia and Maryland returns to Scott Stadium for a Saturday night primetime showdown. The Cavaliers are looking to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2019, but they’ll have to avenge last season’s 28-point loss to the Terrapins in College Park.

As these two old ACC foes get set to renew their rivalry once again, read on for a full preview of Virginia vs. Maryland with everything you need to know, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a score prediction.

Who: Virginia Cavaliers (2-0, 1-0 ACC) vs. Maryland Terrapins (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten)

When: Saturday, September 14th at 8pm ET

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Where: Scott Stadium (61,500) in Charlottesville, Virginia

How to watch: ACC Network

How to listen: SiriusXM 119 or 193, SXM App 955 | Virginia Sports Radio Network

All-time series: Maryland leads 45-32-2

Last meeting: Maryland defeated Virginia 42-14 on September 15th, 2023 in College Park.

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Read Virginia’s injury report for the Maryland game here: Virginia Football Injury Report: Updates on Kam Robinson, McKale Boley

See below for UVA’s week 3 depth chart for the Maryland game.

Virginia football depth chart for week 3 vs. Maryland.

Virginia football depth chart for week 3 vs. Maryland. / Virginia Athletics

2023: 8-5, 4-5 Big Ten
2024: 1-1, 0-1 Big Ten

It remains to be seen how Maryland will fare in the post-Taulia Tagovailoa era. The Terrapins never quite reached the heights they had aspired to under Tagovailoa, who went 23-18 as Maryland’s starting quarterback, but they were at least .500 in all four seasons with him under center and Tagovailoa ended his career as the Big Ten’s all-time passing leader with 11,256 passing yards.

Now, the Maryland offense is in the hands of redshirt junior Billy Edwards Jr., a native of Springfield, Virginia who began his career at Wake Forest before transferring to Maryland in 2022. Though he waited in the wings behind Tagovailoa, Edwards has a significant amount of playing experience, having played in 17 games and logging three starts, including Maryland’s victory over Auburn in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Edwards was named the MVP of that bowl game, throwing for 126 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 50 more yards and another score.

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Edwards and the Maryland offense got off to a strong start in 2024, hanging 70 points on what is probably a bad UConn team. But that bubble of momentum might have burst last week as the Terps struggled and suffered a 27-24 home loss to Michigan State at home. Maryland intercepted the opposing quarterback twice and recovered a fumble, but still got carved up for 484 yards of total offense, including 363 yards through the air. All three of Michigan State’s touchdowns were passing scores, perhaps indicating some vulnerabilities in the Maryland secondary.

Edwards completed 26 of his 34 passing attempts (76.5%) for 253 yards and two touchdowns and threw one pick. The bulk of those passes went to Tai Felton, who had 11 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. Look for the UVA secondary to key in on Felton in the passing game to avoid a repeat of last week, when Wake receiver Donavon Greene went for 11 catches, 166 yards, and a touchdown.

Maryland didn’t have much a ground game against Michigan State, just 86 total rush yards on 31 attempts (less than three yards per carry). So, like Virginia, the Terps might be pass heavy in their playcalling. If that’s the case, this game could come down to which team can best limit the opponent’s passing game. Was Virginia’s breakthrough from a pass rush standpoint against Wake Forest (six sacks) the real deal and can the Cavaliers replicate that effort against Maryland? Getting to and disrupting Billy Edwards Jr. might be the biggest key to the game for Virginia.

On the other side of the ball, Maryland’s defensive leader is senior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, a preseason Second-Team All-Big Ten selection who had nine tackles against Michigan State, an interception against UConn, and five solo tackles against Virginia last season.

Maryland is giving up nearly 300 passing yards per game (292.5), but opposing quarterbacks are completing just 53.5% of their passes. The Terrapins have just three sacks through the first two games (two came against Michigan State), but they’ve also recorded four interceptions, including two by defensive back Glendon Miller.

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Colandrea’s decision-making and ball security
Last season against Maryland, Anthony Colandrea threw three interceptions on consecutive possessions and the Terrapins scored touchdowns following each of those picks to turn what was a one-score game into a 28-point blowout. The Wake Forest game was the opposite. Though Colandrea threw two interceptions, only one of which was his fault, and he bounced back from that bad one and orchestrated two clutch touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to lead UVA’s comeback. This game is a big opportunity for Colandrea to prove how much he has matured in his decision-making. Doing so against the Terrapins, who have four interceptions this season, but have otherwise had vulnerabilities in their pass defense, will be pivotal.

An encore for Virginia’s pass rush
This was one of our keys to last week’s game and the Cavaliers responded with six sacks, five of which came from non-defensive linemen. That was a major breakthrough for a Virginia defense that had only one sack in week 1 against Richmond and only 11 sacks in the entire 2023 season. It was also a significant positive in what was otherwise a subpar performance for the UVA defense. With two games of evidence, there should be two potent passing offenses on display on Saturday night at Scott Stadium. Can the Cavaliers get a leg up in this game by putting pressure on Billy Edwards Jr. and forcing him to make a few mistakes?

Two elite pass catchers
This game features two exceptional wide receivers in Virginia’s Malachi Fields and Maryland’s Tai Felton. Entering this season, Fields had yet to record a 100-yard receiving game. He’s reached the century mark in each of the first two games of the 2024 campaign, including an 11-catch, 148-yard game in the win at Wake Forest. Felton has been even better, entering week 2 as the nation’s leader in receiving with 330 yards to go along with three touchdowns. Of course, there are other playmakers on both teams’ offenses, but Fields and Felton are game-changers. If either team can successfully contain the opposing team’s WR1, that could be the difference.

This game is a massive opportunity for Virginia to prove the program is turning a corner. The Cavaliers are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2019 and doing so against an old rival who beat them down last season would make it even more special. This game could very well come down to the wire, but as the Hoos showed last week, they’re comfortable and confident in their ability to finish close games. Virginia makes a statement in front of a big home crowd at Scott Stadium and beats Maryland to remain undefeated.

Score prediction: Virginia 34, Maryland 28

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Stat Comparison: How Virginia Stacks Up Against Maryland on Paper

A Test From the Terps: What to Expect From Maryland on Saturday at Virginia

Virginia Football: Players to Watch in UVA’s Matchup Against Maryland

UVA Football: Anthony Colandrea Shows Poise Through First Two Games

Virginia Football Injury Report: Updates on Kam Robinson, McKale Boley

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Giants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia

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Giants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia


The New York Giants will be forced to hold their 2026 training camp, the first with John Harbaugh as head coach, out of state.

Per a report from the New York Post, the Giants will hold what will likely be the first two weeks of training camp in West Virginia at the Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulpher Springs.

Part of the reason for the move is the fact that World Cup games will be held at MetLife Stadium this summer. There is also ongoing construction at the Giants’ facility at 1925 Giants Drive. The Giants are expanding their locker room, weight room, dining facility and office space at their headquarters, constructed in 2009. That work began before Harbaugh was named head coach.

NFL teams have used the Greenbier extensively since 2014, when it was first established to host training camp for the New Orleans Saints. The Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns have held training camps there, and other have practiced there during extended road trips.

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The facility has two grass fields and a FieldTurf field, as well as all of the other accommodations an NFL needs.

The Giants have trained at their own Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J. since 2013.

Exact dates for NFL training camps have not yet been set, but the starting date is generally some time in late July. Per the Post, most practices at the Greenbrier are expected to be open to the public.



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Senate approves lawmaker pay raise as teacher pay hike stalls in Virginia budget talks

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Senate approves lawmaker pay raise as teacher pay hike stalls in Virginia budget talks


As the legislative session in Richmond comes closer to an end, lawmakers are still hard at work hammering out the budget for the year ahead. This year, the Senate has approved a pay raise for lawmakers after tabling bills that would have provided larger pay increases for teachers.

With the cost of living rising, teachers across Virginia have been watching the proposed budget closely and hoping for higher pay.

In February, a bill that would have raised teacher salaries by 4.5% each year until reaching the national average of $77,000 was tabled until next year. The decision left some educators disappointed.

“It’s definitely disappointing. We’re at a time where we are struggling to keep highly qualified staff in the buildings and in the profession, to be quite honest, because we have to compete with other industries,” Karl Loos, president of the Lynchburg Education Association, said.

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SEE ALSO: ‘Strangest election cycle:’ Registrars prepare for referendum vote despite legal limbo

There is still a 3% increase for teachers included in the proposed Senate budget, and a 2% increase in the House of Delegates’ proposed budget. But Loos said a 3% raise only matches the rate of inflation, and will likely not be appealing enough to fill vacant positions.

“I think certainly teacher pay is a deterrent for a lot of people, especially as they see the amount of work that goes into it and the compensation for that work,” Loos said.

The Virginia Education Association also advocated for the 4.5% pay increase. Chad Stewart, the interim director of Government Relations and Research, said they believe budget uncertainty may have made lawmakers hesitant to commit to long-term increases they might not be able to sustain.

According to the State Fiscal Impact Statement, seen below, it would have required an additional $159.0 million in 2027, and increasing amounts for the next couple of years to meet the goal of reaching the national average.

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“We’ve seen commitments going back decades from previous governors who have all stated they want to get the national teacher pay average, but no governor has ever delivered on it,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the average national pay for teachers they are hoping to meet is $77,000, and that the current average salary for teachers in the Commonwealth is around $70,000. He said ultimately it comes down to the budget, and he hopes in the following years teachers will receive that larger pay increase. Stewart said the organization hopes Gov. Spanberger will be the first to follow through on that promise.

Meanwhile, legislation that would increase pay for state lawmakers was passed in the Senate on Thursday. Republican Del. Tim Griffin of the 53rd District said he voted against the measure.

“I was outraged last week when they raised their own pay. I voted against it,” Griffin said. “When you run on affordability, I think people expected it to be more affordable for the people that live and work in Virginia, not for ourselves. It kind of defeats the purpose.”

When asked about the proposed pay increases in the House and the Senate, Campbell County Superintendent Clay Stanley said in a statement, “I am praying for 3%. Our teachers, at minimum, deserve a raise that matches the cost of living increase.”

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ABC13 reached out to local Democratic lawmakers for comment on the teacher pay raise legislation, but did not receive a response.



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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia – WTOP News

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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia – WTOP News


First grader Ruston Revell is pressing Virginia lawmakers to pass a bill that he argues will make schools safer for kids with diabetes.

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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia

Speaking in front of Virginia lawmakers, 6-year-old Ruston Revell needs a wooden stool to reach the microphone for his testimony about diabetes.

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Dressed in his blue suit and red tie, he’s there on a mission.

“Living with diabetes isn’t easy, there are lots of ups and downs — just like my blood sugar,” Ruston told legislators in the Virginia General Assembly.

The legislation that brought Ruston from Prince William County to Richmond would update an existing law to specify how Virginia schools handle accommodations for students with diabetes.

“When I’m at school, my nurse and all my teachers help me when I need it, but not all kids like me are that lucky,” Ruston told WTOP. “These bills change that, so kids with diabetes can be safer in schools.”

He’s testified before committees in both chambers as corresponding bills move through the Virginia General Assembly. HB1301 and SB122 have both earned support in their respective chamber.

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“Although, I’m small, my voice is big and it can change the world,” Ruston said.

In his testimony, the first grader clearly explained the care he requires to manage his Type 1 diabetes during the school day.

“He just pops up on his little stool and takes control of the room,” said Kelly Revell, Ruston’s mom. “It’s usually a little quiet, and after he finishes, he gets a whole room full of applause.”

Today, Ruston enjoys playing baseball, swimming and spending time at the playground.

But things were different before his diagnosis five years ago.

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A life-changing diagnosis at 15 months old

During the summer of 2020, Kelly said her son started showing signs of diabetes, such as extreme thirst — symptoms she recognized because her father had been diagnosed in his 20s.

“He would just lounge around the house and have no interest in playing with his sister,” Kelly said. “He stopped eating, so he was eventually airlifted to Children’s National in D.C., where he was admitted to the pediatric ICU for nearly a week.”

At just 15 months old, Ruston was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Kelly said that news was life-changing.

“Now, in order to keep him alive, we have to hurt him multiple times a day, by giving him four to five shots and even a dozen finger pricks just to make sure his blood sugar is in range,” she recalled.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks cells that make insulin. A lack of insulin can lead to high blood sugar, which could cause serious health issues or be deadly.

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“We had to wake up at 2 a.m. every night for six weeks, before we started utilizing technology, just to make sure that he was safe and healthy with his blood sugar,” Kelly said. “A lot of times, it resulted in phone calls to the hospital because he was at a dangerous level, and then we would be up for hours making sure he was back in range.”

For the Revell family, managing Ruston’s diabetes looks different nowadays.

Ruston Revell, 6, has traveled from Prince William County to Richmond to testify in favor of a bill surrounding Virginia schools and students with diabetes.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston stands alongside Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike, who sponsored the bill in the upper chamber
Ruston stands alongside Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike, who sponsored the bill in the upper chamber.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston testifying in front of Virginia lawmakers
Ruston and other advocates say the bill would make schools safer for kids with diabetes.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston and his mom Kelly (middle) have joined other advocates in Richmond to press legislators to pass the bill
Ruston and his mom Kelly (middle) have joined other advocates in Richmond to press legislators to pass the bill.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston poses in Richmond
The statewide regulations on diabetes care in school haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

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How a 6-year-old handles his diabetes

Ruston knows how to prick his finger to check whether his blood sugar is in range.

“My mom and dad help me change my insulin pump every three days, and my CGM every 10 days,” Ruston said, referencing his continuous glucose monitor, known as a CGM.

“It hurts, but at least I don’t have to do shots. They’re the worst.”

Living with diabetes, Ruston needs to calculate the number of carbs he’s getting to determine his insulin dose, which is administered automatically through a pump.

“He is a pro at using a food scale,” Kelly said. “If he wants to eat anything, apple slices, we cut them up, and he puts them on the food scale and determines how many carbs are in that.”

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Halfway through his interview with WTOP, Ruston’s phone beeped, flagging his low blood sugar and triggering a quick juice-box break.

That’s the kind of intervention he could require at school.

“When I’m low, Nurse Barnes tells Ms. Grant for me to have a juice box or gummies,” Ruston said, describing a snack to correct his blood sugar.

At his current school, Kelly said Ruston has had all his medical accommodations met since his first day of kindergarten.

“He gets so many hugs. Everyone knows him. He walks into the front office every day to visit the clinic, and they just they really take care of him,” she said.

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Things were more complicated before Ruston began kindergarten. Kelly said the family was initially told that the accommodations requested by his doctor would not be allowed.

“What was most difficult at the time was the thought that a kindergartener would be responsible for alerting adults if his phone signaled a low or high blood sugar, rather than having trained staff receive those alerts directly through available technology,” she told WTOP.

The situation was resolved, but it drew Kelly’s attention toward legal protections for kids with diabetes.

What Kelly and Ruston are asking Virginia lawmakers to do

ruston stands at podium talking
Ruston told lawmakers about his experience managing diabetes during the school day. (Courtesy Kelly Revell)

For the past several years, Kelly has been involved with an advocacy group, FOLLOWT1Ds, which argues that unclear or inconsistent school policies can create stress for families and put kids in danger.

“Prince William County has updated their diabetes policies recently, so more students with diabetes across our county are better protected,” Kelly said. “But that’s not happening everywhere in Virginia.”

The bills moving through the Virginia legislature would require school systems to create a divisionwide plan for supporting students with diabetes.

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That would include making sure school staff are trained to follow through with a child’s medical orders.

“You really have to put in all of your trust in your school,” Kelly said. “This is a life-threatening disease, and if they forget to give him a juice box when he’s low, that can result in him going to the hospital, or it could be fatal.”

The legislation would also require schools have procedures for administering insulin and glucagon.

Families who have students with diabetes would send schools medical orders from their doctors that outline the child’s needs.

“A lot of times, the schools will either deny or modify these accommodations, even though they’re medically necessary,” Kelly said.

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The statewide regulations haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said.

“While we’ve had all of these technology advances, like the insulin pump and the CGM, Virginia still hasn’t advanced their laws to align with standard methods of care that we’re using today,” Kelly said.

Ruston doesn’t receive insulin shots anymore. But Virginia law is behind on that front, according to Kelly and other advocates.

“Right now, the policy in Virginia, if his pump were to fall off while at school, they would, instead of reinsert the pump, they would give him a shot,” Kelly said.

In that scenario, Kelly said the school employee would have to calculate how much insulin to dose.

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“I wouldn’t even know what to dose him, because with the pump, it’s automated nowadays,” she said. “It would require an immediate call to his doctor for guidance.”

She worries that it could lead to a miscalculation and health complications.

Kelly said the lack of consistency can impact older students, too. She said some high schoolers have gotten in trouble for having their cellphones at schools that ban the devices.

But those phones let students monitor their blood sugar, communicate medical treatments and administer insulin.

It’s the second year in a row that advocates like Kelly have asked legislators in Richmond to approve revisions to state law.

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This time, Ruston is joining the push for change by sharing his story with lawmakers.

“I want to make sure other kids in different schools can have more help with diabetes,” Ruston told WTOP.

Anyone interested in following the legislation or submitting a comment to lawmakers can find more information on FOLLOW T1Ds’ website.

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