Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Read his rankings here.

College football makes strange bedfellows. And there’s always enough misery to pass around. Saturday, while Maryland and Virginia were taking care of in-state non-conference foes, No. 12 Clemson came up short at Georgia Tech 24-21 to earn the ire of rival South Carolina who became Yellow Jacket fans for an afternoon.

But the No. 11 Gamecocks had its SEC opener to worry about, and losing to Vanderbilt 31-7 poked a hole in the balloon of a fan base that refers to itself as USC and Carolina despite no rational person thinking they’re either. The result gave Tiger fans a little joy to counter what has been one rough start to the season, with a pair of one-possession losses to unbeaten foes but a 1-2 start for the first time since 2014.

And South Carolina’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, with six of their next seven opponents currently in the Top 25. They do get a shot at Clemson to wrap up the regular season in Columbia. It already looks like it’s going to be a long fall for both.

Maryland (3-0) after taking a while to get going in their first two games of the year, wasted no time against Towson by scoring on all six of their first half possessions. The 44-17 victory was the Terps’ 18th straight against non-conference competition (Temple in 2019 the trivia answer). Bring on the Big Ten!

Terrapin Triumphs: Malik Washington threw for a career-high 261 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score. The ground game that had averaged 99 yards in the first two weeks posted a season-high 152 yards rushing. The defense held the Tigers to 1-13 on third down, recovered a fumble, and posted a pick six (La’Khi Roland returning the interception 100 yards for a TD). Messiah Delhomme blocked a punt.

Terrapin Troubles: Eight penalties for 75 yards, including a pair of illegal punt formation flags. The backups didn’t preserve the shutout, coughing up an 84-yard touchdown pass plus a three-play 75-yard march that resembled a blowtorch going through butter. Next: Saturday at noon on NBC against 2-1 Wisconsin.

Virginia (2-1) also wasted little time getting in gear against William & Mary, reaching the end zone six times in the first half on their way to a 55-16 rout of the Tribe. The double-nickel is the school’s highest point total since they hung 55 on Abilene Christian during the pandemic season.

Cavalier Congrats: Let’s begin with a program-record 700 yards. Harrison Waylee rushed for 151 of those yards while scoring three touchdowns (the long a 97-yard scamper for a score). Noah Vaughn added 101 yards on eight carries. Myles Brown led the defense with seven tackles while the Cavs held the Tribe to 59 yards rushing and 2-13 on third down.

Cavalier Concerns: Tough to find fault on a day where UVa didn’t punt and was in control for the entire afternoon. Five penalties? The fourth quarter safety surrendered? Kippy & Buffy having red wine with fish at dinner Saturday night? Enjoy the victory. Next: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against 1-3 Stanford on the ACC Network.

Virginia Tech (0-3) looked to get right after losing consecutive games to SEC foes, but the SBC can also play pretty good football especially when it’s an Old Dominion team that has posted a pair of wins over the Hokies recently. It didn’t help that VT’s first four possessions were a pair of three and outs, a fumble, and an interception. By that point ODU led 21-0 on the way to a 45-26 stunner that has the Hokies 0-3 for the first time since 1987.

Hokie Highlights: Nick Veltsistas averaged 45.8 yards per punt! Yes, when we lead with the punter you know it has not been a good evening. Kyron Drones threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns while adding a team-high 65 yards and a TD on the ground (more on him in a bit). Donovan Green caught five passes for 77 yards and a TD. Caleb Woodson paced the defense with nine tackles.

Hokie Humblings: Drones threw an interception and lost a pair of fumbles, with the first two turnovers leading to ODU touchdowns. The defense allowed 250 yards rushing (on 6.3 yards per carry) while the Monarchs completed 73% of their passes. Twelve penalties for 113 yards was the cherry on top of this one. Next: Saturday at noon against 0-3 Wofford on the ESPN+ and ACCN extra.

Navy (3-0, 2-0 American) looked like they were following the Virginia Tech script in Tulsa, turning the ball over on their first three possessions as the Golden Hurricane staked a 14-0 lead. But the Mids bounced back by reaching the end zone on six of their next seven possessions, and the early hiccup was left in the wake of a 42-23 win.

Midshipman Medals: Blake Horvath ran for 159 yards and a touchdown while also throwing for 94 yards and a score. Eli Heidenreich added 72 yards rushing with 40 yards receiving. MarcAnthony Parker tallied 11 tackles and a sack.

Midshipman Miscues: Horvath threw a pair of interceptions while losing a fumble-all in the first quarter. Tough to find anything else awry on a night where the Mids buckled down and posted a road conference win. Next: Saturday September 27 at 3:30 p.m. against 2-1 Rice on the CBS Sports Network.

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