While Thursday night marked the official opening of the college football season, this Saturday will be the true opening date for most Washington, D.C. area teams.
Fresh off the battle for the starting qb position won by Jordan Steffy, the Maryland Terrapins open home play this afternoon against FCS power Delaware. The Fightin' Blue Hens lost qb Joe Flacco off last year but still come into Byrd Stadium as a potential threat, ranked #9 in the lower division once known as I-AA. In addition to ESPNU, the main ESPN channel will picked up the telecast in lieu of its previously slotted game being moved up by Hurricane Gustav. (3:45 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN, WJFK/106.7)
The Virginia Cavaliers will face the toughest challenge by far for area teams, heavy underdogs at home against the vaunted passing game of the #3 ranked USC Trojans. ABC will televise the game regionally with ESPN2 picking up coverage elsewhere in the country. (3:30 p.m., WJLA/ABC/7, WTNT/570). The Navy Midshipmen may have the easiest go of things hosting the FCS division Towson Tigers in the regular season head coaching debut for Ken Niumatalolo (3:30 p.m., CBSCS, WFED/1050).
Elsewhere, the #17 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies travel to Charlotte for an allegedly neutral site opener against the East Carolina Pirates (12 p.m., ESPN, WTEM/980). As far as the two Division I teams actually based in the District of Columbia, the Georgetown Hoyas and Howard Bison are both off, awaiting the matchup against each other next Saturday.
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Labels: college football, maryland terrapins, navy midshipmen, sports, virginia cavaliers, virginia tech hokies
