Maryland Football: Virginia series is a good idea

The Maryland football team hasn’t faced Virginia since their final ACC season in 2013.

On Thursday, the program announced that they will play a two-game series with the Cavaliers beginning in 2023. The first game will be played in College Park on Sept. 16, 2023 and the second will be in Charlottesville on Sept. 14, 2024.

The Terrapins currently lead the all-time series 44-32-2. Maryland has Virginia more times than any opponent in program history.

The last meeting was on Oct. 12, 2013 when Maryland was still a member of the ACC. The Terps won the game 27-26 in College Park behind 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Brandon Ross.

Quarterback Caleb Rowe also threw for 332 yards and a touchdown for Maryland.

Maryland won three of the final four meetings, including a 42-23 victory on Nov. 13, 2010. D.J. Adams rushed for three touchdowns while Danny O’Brien threw for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The series with Virginia has certainly been a very competitive one over the years. It was arguably the biggest rival to Maryland’s football program over the years.

If Maryland fans remember, the Cavaliers even got a mention in A.J. Francis’ “Fear The Turtle” freestyle a few years back.

Part of the reason for the rivalry is the accessibility for both fanbases. It’s only about 130 miles from College Park to Charlottesville, so it’s a very easy road trip that can be made in a day.

Back in Maryland’s ACC days, they were often battling with Virginia for the top recruits in the DMV. They still clash from time to time, but it’s definitely a different ballgame since the Terps moved to the Big Ten.

It will also beef up Maryland’s nonconference schedule when these dates arrive. The Terps definitely are trying to schedule more marquee opponents.

The prime example is the 2017 and 2018 season openers against Texas, which will be a lot more interesting with former Houston coach Tom Herman on the sideline.

The history with Virginia will help bring a lot of prestige to this matchup. Obviously, it’s not facing Alabama or Clemson, but it’s a solid opponents in nonconference play.

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A series with the Cavaliers just makes too much sense.