Maryland lost 54-3 at home to a UCLA team that was 3-9 a year ago. The Terps gained 181 yards, rushed 30 times for 39, went 1-for-15 on third down and threw four interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. It was UCLA’s largest margin in a conference road game since 1955. The student section emptied in the third quarter for the second straight home game.
Mike Locksley has not been fired yet, but the writing on the wall is pretty clear. At the minimum, yesterday was the unofficial end of his era.
Part I: The rationale for moving now
In-season firings used to be a sign of panic. They are now a sign of organization, and last year’s cycle made that clear.
Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry on Sept. 14th, three games into the 2025 season. The Hokies hired James Franklin on Nov. 17th on a five-year, $41.75 million deal, gave him a full portal cycle, and he brought 29 transfers with him. That Virginia Tech team came to College Park and won…