Texas football vs Maryland: Preview, predictions, TV channel
Texas football and the Maryland Terrapins square off in Austin. Catch our prediction and where you can tune in to watch the Longhorns season opener here.
Head coach Tom Herman makes his debut with the Texas Longhorns against the Maryland Terrapins in Week One. After going 5-7 under Charlie Strong in 2016, the Longhorns administration went a different direction with the program. Now, Herman looks to revitalize the program.
The Maryland Terrapins are just about in the same boat as the Longhorns. They are entering year two under head coach D.J. Durkin. The team went 6-7 under Durkin in year 1. They made the Quick Lane Bowl, but ended up losing to the Boston College Golden Eagles 36-30.
Both teams are looking to rebuild their football programs so this game serves as a test of stability. The Longhorns enter the 2017 season, surprisingly, as the 23rd ranked team in the AP Poll. The Terrapins are unranked but still hope to make some noise in the Big Ten conference this season.
Texas was ranked as high as 11th in the AP Poll last season before finishing the season unranked in 2016. The season is off to a much-better start already without Charlie Strong.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Maryland vs. Texas game:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Austin, TX
Venue: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
TV: FS1
Live Stream: FoxSportsGo
Keys to Victory
The Longhorns have an opportunity to set the tone early but it all starts with quarterback Shane Buechele. He showed promise early on in the season but had some not-so-lovely performances down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to Tom Herman’s offense. Their defense should be ready to go.
The Terrapins announced quarterback Tyrell Pigrome as their starter this week over Perry Hills. Maryland hopes that Pigromes dual-threat ability gives their offense a positive dynamic to work with. He’ll be tested by the Longhorns experienced defense all game long.
Next: Game by game predictions for the Longhorns in 2017
Prediction
Texas should get off to a strong start and cruise to victory. They’ve got the quarterback in Buechele and running back in Chris Warren III to overwhelm this Maryland Terrapins defense. It may be close early on but expect adjustments to carry Texas to an easy victory. Maryland will have a competitive team before it’s all said and done but beating the Longhorns is a tall order for now.
Final Score: Texas 35, Maryland 20