SMU vs. Maryland: Everything you need for the low-key best matchup of Week 3 college football; date, time, TV

Week 3 of the 2022 college football season is here and the action will take us to every corner of the country as we continue through the month of September. This weekend, most of the viewing public will be fixated on the marquee games like Penn State-Auburn, Michigan State-Washington, and Miami-Texas A&M. Well where they zig, we'll zag.

Every week, we'll go full hipster and point out an under-the-radar game that you should also be paying attention to on the schedule. For this week, we'll go to the shadow of the nation's capital for a potential shootout.

SMU at Maryland, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Maryland -2.5
Total: Over/Under 74
Moneyline: Maryland -145, SMU +125

Do you like points? Well the Saturday night showdown between the SMU Mustangs and Maryland Terrapins in College Park, MD, has the potential to go off the rails quickly. Both of these teams enter this non-conference matchup boasting top 25 offenses in SP+ with SMU ranked 13th and Maryland ranked 23rd.

SMU (2-0) has dominated a pair of in-state foes to start the season, blasting North Texas 48-10 in the opener before taking down Lamar 45-16. Fifth-year senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai has been excellent so far, completing 65.1% of his passes for 644 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception thrown. A bulk of those throws has been to senior wideout Rashee Rice, who has hauled in 17 receptions for 298 yards and three touchdowns through just two games. The Pony Express hasn't missed a step under first-year head coach Rhett Lashlee.

Maryland (2-0) has handled its business in its first two games of the regular season, blowing by Buffalo with a 31-10 victory in the opener before crushing Charlotte in a 56-21 rout last Saturday. Junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has been hyper efficient so far this season, completing 78.5% of his passes for 681 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's been reliant on a trio of receiving targets in Rakim Jarrett, Jacob Copeland, and Jeshaun Jones. Freshman running back Antwaine Littleton has already made a major impact too, breaking off 186 yards and six touchdowns in just two games.

Maryland exists in a tier below the heavyweights of the Big Ten East, but could still potentially pull an upset or two if the offense continues to click. The Terrapins have back-to-back matchups against Michigan and Michigan State and this game could prep them well for the meat of their conference schedule. Meanwhile, SMU has kind of been overlooked in favor of the usual AAC powers in Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. A road win in College Park, MD, on a Saturday could put the rest of the American and the nation at large on notice.

If you're flipping back and forth through channels on Saturday night, I suggest that you park it on FS1 for a while. You won't regret it.

  
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