Cavaliers' bowl options still open


By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The consensus among bowl analysts at the beginning of the week was that a Virginia victory Saturday, coupled with a Florida State win at North Carolina State, would result in a UVa bid to the Gator Bowl or Peach Bowl.
Unfortunately for Virginia, the Wolfpack and Seminoles didn't cooperate.

The Cavaliers knocked off 18th-ranked Maryland 48-13, but State's 17-7 victory over Florida State kept the Wolfpack in the running for a Gator or Peach spot.

Peach Bowl scout Frank Upchurch, watching the closing seconds of the FSU-N.C. State game at halftime of the UVa game, said he thought the Gator Bowl, with the second choice of ACC teams, would pick UVa.

Upchurch speculated that the Gator Bowl would not want a rematch of an early-season meeting between West Virginia and Maryland; however, West Virginia would have to win at Pittsburgh to knock the Panthers out of second place in the Big East.

Florida State, which clinched the ACC championship when Maryland lost to Virginia, will go to the Bowl Championship Series. The Gator Bowl has the second choice of ACC teams, followed by the Peach Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Continental Tire Bowl and Seattle Bowl.

The Tangerine Bowl, which will be played Dec.23 in Orlando, Fla., remains a good possibility for the Cavaliers. However, Upchurch said ACC commissioner John Swofford might intervene if a series of bowls overlooks a UVa team that will be second or tied for second depending on what Maryland does next Saturday against Wake Forest.

The bowls might want to see what Virginia does at Virginia Tech. If the Cavaliers lose to the Hokies, they would have two fewer wins than either Maryland or State.

SPECIAL NIGHT: One of Virginia coach Al Groh 's major concerns going into Saturday night's game was the Terrapins' special teams. The Terrapins had the ACC leaders in punting ( Brooks Barnard ), field-goal percentage ( Nick Novak ) and kickoff and punt returns ( Steve Suter ).

Barnard, averaging 42.8 yards per punt before Saturday night, had five punts for a 38.6-yard average against UVa. Novak, who was 16-of-19 on field goals, had his first attempt blocked. Suter had two punt returns for a total of 8 yards and got no farther than the UVa 26-yard line on five kickoff returns.

UVa punter Tom Hagan, a former Cave Spring High school standout, averaged 34 yards on his three punts, but one was downed inside the 20, his 14th punt downed inside the 20 this season. Four of Kurt Smith 's kickoffs were not returned (the last eight of nine reached the end zone), and freshman Connor Hughes had the first two field goals of his career, including a 47-yarder.

SAYING FAREWELL: Eight Virginia seniors played in their final home game, including walk-on Brad Durbin, a fifth-year running back from Palos Verdes, Calif., who had not been in a college game until he joined the punt-return unit Saturday.

Billy McMullen, the Cavaliers' star wide receiver, also participated on special teams for the first time as a member of the field-goal block team. Other seniors in their final home game were linebackers Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson ; safeties Jerton Evans, Alex Seals and Shernard Newby ; and offensive tackle Mike Mullins.

Two seniors not in uniform because of injuries were safety Chris Williams and center Heath Boucek. Evans became the first UVa player to play more than 1,000 plays in a season since the Cavaliers started keeping track of that statistic in 1982.

MILESTONES: Matt Schaub 's first pass of the night, a 13-yard completion to freshman fullback Jason Snelling, gave him the school record for passing yardage in a season. Schaub topped the previous high of 2,510 yards set by current Virginia receivers coach Mike Groh in 1995.

Wali Lundy 's first touchdown reception of the season came on his 47th catch overall, a 7-yard flare from Schaub with 2:03 remaining in the first half. He added a second TD reception in the third quarter. ... UVa senior Billy McMullen had seven receptions for the game and has 205 in his career, 11 shy of Desmond Clark 's ACC record.

PERSONNEL: Sophomore Elton Brown, out for two full games and most of a third because of a high ankle sprain, returned to the starting lineup at right offensive guard. Brown later limped off the field after escorting Lundy into the end zone on the touchdown that put UVa ahead 34-7. ... After carrying 10 times for 47 yards in the first half, Virginia tailback Marquis Weeks limped off the field after injuring his left ankle on the second-half kickoff.

ODDS 'N' ENDS: Maryland offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe said that the Terrapins' trip to Charlottesville marked his first return to Scott Stadium since he was the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator under Dick Bestwick in 1980. "It's changed a lot since then," Taaffe said.

NEXT UP: The Cavaliers (8-4) travel to Blacksburg for their regular-season finale against Virginia Tech, which has lost three games in a row in dropping to 8-3. The Hokies have won the last three games in the series, including a 31-17 triumph last year in Charlottesville.

 

Ahead of the game
Picked 8th, Cavs no worse than 2nd in ACC

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CHARLOTTESVILLE - In each of its first seven victories, Virginia found itself trailing or clinging to a narrow lead midway through the fourth quarter.
On Saturday night, the Cavaliers hardly knew how to act.

Virginia took control in the second quarter and handed 18th-ranked Maryland its first loss in nine games, 48-13, and knocked the Terrapins out of a possible Bowl Championship Series berth.

The Terps were down 20-7 when coach Ralph Friedgen informed his players at halftime that North Carolina State had upset ACC leader Florida State, creating an opportunity to tie for the conference championship. All they did was give up two touchdowns in the third quarter that enabled the Cavaliers to go ahead 34-7.

"I'm crushed," Friedgen said after the game. "How many times do you have a chance like we had tonight to win a conference championship and maybe go to a BCS bowl? That door was open for us. It bothers me. It bothers me a lot."

It was the second straight victory over a ranked opponent for the Cavaliers, who had beaten No.22 North Carolina State one week earlier. Virginia has three victories over ranked teams this season and five over the past two seasons.

In the process, the Cavaliers (8-4, 6-2) clinched at least a share of second place in the ACC after being picked eighth in the preseason. Maryland (9-3, 5-2) can tie Virginia by beating Wake Forest in College Park, Md., next week.

"Your goal should be to win the conference championship [and] this had the feel of that a little bit," second-year UVa coach Al Groh said. "We hope that, in the future, one of these games will be for first place, not second."

The Terrapins came to Scott Stadium as 8-point favorites, but that's when UVa has been doing its best work. Eight of UVa's 13 victories during the Groh era have come as an underdog.

Maryland needed less than 3 1/2 minutes to drive 80 yards for a touchdown on its first possession, but the Terrapins could not score another touchdown. In fact, UVa scored 34 straight points before Maryland kicker Nick Novak made a 25-yard field goal with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter.

Opposing kickers had converted 19 of 20 field-goal attempts against Virginia before UVa defensive end Drew Hoffman blocked a 38-yard Novak attempt with the Terrapins leading 7-0 with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter.

"I second-guessed myself for not going for it," said Friedgen, whose Terrapins faced fourth-and-inches. "I was tempted to go for it, but the last time we tried it, we didn't make it. We wanted to come away with some points but the kick was low. That changed the momentum for the rest of the game."

It was the first of several major turning points, including a pass dropped by receiver Scooter Monroe on the Terrapins' next possession. When Monroe dropped quarterback Scott McBrien's pass at the Maryland 45, there was nothing but green grass in front of him.

Two plays later, sophomore Jermaine Hardy stepped in front of a McBrien pass for a leaping interception that he returned 13 yards. On the next play, UVa quarterback Matt Schaub connected with freshman fullback Jason Snelling on a 27-yard touchdown pass that gave the Cavaliers their first lead at 10-7.

Schaub, who was ranked eighth in Division I-A in passing efficiency, completed 23 of 27 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Three of his four incompletions were on passes that were dropped.

The Cavaliers got a fourth touchdown pass when senior wide receiver Billy McMullen took the ball from Schaub on an end-around, ducked under an attempted tackle by Durand Rountree, and completed a 37-yard pass to Michael McGrew.

"I think I was the first guy down there to congratulate him," said McMullen, who gave his slightly underthrown pass a "13" on a 1-to-10 scale.

Freshman tailback Wali Lundy scored three touchdowns, the first two on receptions. He handled most of the ball-carrying load after a third-quarter injury to Marquis Weeks and finished with 19 carries for 84 yards.

Maryland's Chris Downs, who went over the 1,000-yard mark on his first carry of the game, finished with 15 carries for 40 yards. The Cavaliers outgained the Terrapins 438 yards to 334, including 132-20 during a pivotal third quarter.

"Unbelievable," said fifth-year defensive back Alex Seals, referring to the outcome as well as his first career interception. "We were focused all week on nothing else but winning this game and, when the second half came, we weren't going to let them do what we've been doing to everyone else."

 

Second-quarter surge propels U.Va. into second in ACC

BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 24, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As the final seconds ticked away, a Virginia fan, his voice heavy with sarcasm, shouted, "Fear the Turtle!"

Fear no more. U.Va. ended Maryland's reign as ACC football champion last night with a tour de force that no one saw coming. Before a Thunderstick-wielding crowd of 58,358 and an ESPN2 audience, the Cavaliers humbled the 18th-ranked Terrapins 48-13 to clinch at least a share of second place in the ACC.

The 35-point margin of victory was U.Va.'s largest over a ranked foe. It snapped the mark set Nov. 9, 1991, when Virginia hammered No. 18 N.C. State 42-10.

"We've talked about putting it together all year, our defense and offense playing on the same day," said linebacker Merrill Robertson, one of 10 Virginia seniors who played for the last time at Scott Stadium. "Today was the day we finally put our team together."

For the second straight week, the Cava- liers (6-2, 8-4) upended a ranked opponent. Last night's victory, though, was infinitely more impressive than Virginia's 14-9 win over then-No. 22 N.C. State at Scott Stadium.

The Terps entered with an eight-game winning streak and the ACC's top scoring defense (14.8 ppg). They left shellshocked after Virginia amassed 438 yards of offense. The win was Virginia's 10th over Maryland in their past 11 meetings.

"We had a bad game, and they had a very, very good game," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I'm not trying to insinuate that we lost because our biorhythms were off. Virginia played pretty darn good."

The goal posts remained standing, but U.Va. players and fans lingered on the field after the final horn sounded, savoring the moment. The crowd included Robertson and his fellow seniors.

"I think it's a wonderful thing for them to be able to walk out of this stadium the last time with this kind of feeling," said Al Groh, Virginia's second-year coach.

Maryland (5-2, 9-3) drove 80 yards for a touchdown on the game's first series and had a chance to make it 10-0 on its second possession. But Virginia blocked Nick Novak's 28-yard field goal attempt - sophomore linemen Chris Canty and Andrew Hoffman each claimed credit - and the comeback was on.

"It was definitely a turning point," Hoffman said. "We feed off things like that."

This was a feeding frenzy. U.Va. ran off 34 straight points before Novak's 25-yard field goal pulled Maryland to 34-10 with 2:53 left in the third quarter. Novak's 32-yarder made it 34-13 with 10:15 left, but the Wahoos answered with two touchdowns in the final 5:41 - on touchdown runs by freshmen Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson - to extend their dominance over the Terps at Scott Stadium. Maryland hasn't won on U.Va.'s field since 1990.

Junior quarterback Matt Schaub, who's looking increasingly like the ACC's offensive player of the year, completed 23 of 27 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't intercepted. Senior wideout Billy McMullen had seven receptions for 92 yards and, for good measure, threw a 37-yard TD pass to Michael McGrew on Virginia's first possession of the second half.

Sophomore tailback Marquis Weeks rushed 10 times for 47 yards before leaving early in the second half with an injured ankle. Freshman Wali Lundy filled in admirably. Lundy rushed for 84 yards and a TD and caught two touchdown passes.

"We knew we could do pretty much what we wanted to," Schaub said. "It was just a matter of executing our blocking schemes and catching the ball."

N.C. State upset Florida State yesterday afternoon, which meant Maryland could have grabbed a share of the conference title by winning last night and then beating Wake Forest in the regular-season finale. Ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter, the Terps seemed poise to extend their lead when U.Va. cornerback Jamaine Winborne and wideout Scooter Monroe broke free along the left sideline. Monroe dropped Scott McBrien's pass, however, and instead of giving up an 80-yard touchdown, Virginia had new life.

Two plays after Monroe's drop, sophomore cornerback Jermaine Hardy picked off a McBrien pass and returned it 13 yards to the Maryland 27. Virginia struck immediately. Schaub teamed with true freshman fullback Jason Snelling on a 27-yard TD pass, and the Cavs had the lead for good. Snelling, who missed the N.C. State game because of illness, finished with 76 yards on seven catches.

Maryland turned over the ball three times. In addition to Hardy, senior safety Alex Seals had an interception for Virginia, and Canty recovered a fumble caused by teammate Angelo Crowell. Crowell, another senior, led U.Va. with nine tackles, including a sack.

If the Terps beat Wake next weekend, they'll finish tied for second in the ACC with the Cavaliers, who close at Virginia Tech. In the ACC's preseason poll, Virginia was picked eighth. Groh was asked what a second-place finish says about his program.

"It says it's not too much further to the top," he said.
 

For surprising Cavaliers, eighth was not enough

BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Nov 24, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE They were picked to finish eighth in the league.

Ninth was Duke, which doesn't even count.

Eighth out of eight-point-something, in other words, and so it comes as quite a stunning development that I now present to you - at a cemented No. 2 in the ACC - your Virginia Cavaliers.

The Cavs rose to this lofty perch by trouncing Maryland last night 48-13. Let me repeat that score for you just so you don't think it's a misprint: 48-13. Virginia hadn't dropped this lopsided a margin on anyone since it whipped San Jose State four years ago. Trust me, Maryland is no San Jose.

The Terps came to town with an eight-game winning streak, the ACC's second-ranked defense and an outside shot at a BCS bowl. They left pummeled, humbled and needing a win over Wake Forest next Saturday to tie U.Va. for second place in the standings. Fancy that. The defending ACC champs chasing preseason No. 8 for second in the pecking order.

What does it say for U.Va. to have ascended to this level? "It says it's not too much further to the top," replied Al Groh.

Cool Hand Al. With his eyes on the prize.

This matchup amounted to a referendum on coach of the year between Groh and Maryland's Ralph Friedgen, and you didn't need exit polls to tell you the election is over with a capital-O. The Terps weren't just outplayed, they were out brain-trusted. This was across-the-board stuff. This was domination.

U.Va.'s defense was shaky the first period, then limited Maryland's 34-points-per-game attack to a couple of measly field goals. Meanwhile, at the other end, the Cavs completely befuddled the Terps. Matt Schaub to fullback Jason Snelling in the flat? That'll work. Sideline hitch passes to Billy McMullen? Ditto. And misdirection runs by Marquis Weeks and Wali Lundy. And deft throws to Lundy, leaking out of the backfield, with massive Elton Brown detonating any Terp who even dreamed of halting forward progress.

And - the piece de resistance - McMullen taking the handoff on an end-around, pulling up short, spinning away from onrushing Maryland defender Durrand Roundtree and tossing a spiral to fellow wideout Michael McGrew, so alone he might as well have been in another area code. McGrew gathered the pass at the 15 and scooted to the end zone to complete the 37-yard play.

And - get this - because U.Va. drew a personal foul on the TD, Connor Hughes had to kick the extra point from 37 yards away. And made it. By nailing the left upright and the ball ricocheting through. This is when you know it's your night.

"I love the taste that was in my mouth," said linebacker and L.C. Bird High alumnus Merrill Robertson. "I was enjoying every minute of it."

That's pretty much how it went from the get-go. You want to talk about living right? This is living right: You're staring down the muzzle of a possible 21-zip deficit less than 16 minutes into this baby, and you head to the dressing room for a halftime breather up 20-7. You could rub your rosary beads every day for a month and help 1,500 little old ladies cross the street and still not bank enough chits for that kind of reversal.

Fuzzy thinking and flimsy hands made the difference. That was the story after Maryland cruised 80 yards on the game's opening possession for an easy-as-you-please TD by trumping a full-out U.Va. blitz on Scott O'Brien's pitch-and-run flip to Chris Downs. The Cavs looked slightly helpless at that point. They were about to get lots of help.

First, after stopping U.Va., the Terps moved smartly from their 12 to fourth and inches just outside the Cavs' 11. That's when Friedgen had a choice make: Go for the throat or go lightly. Unwisely, the heavyweight coach went for caution. He ordered a field goal that Andrew Hoffman and Chris Canty blocked. Instead of taking a shot at a second touchdown, the Terps got nothing. Not only that, but U.Va. used possession and momentum to drive for a field goal and 7-3.

One snap later, Terps wideout Scooter Monroe was alone and with nothing but air space between him and the goal line when McBrien found him with a pass. Monroe dropped it. Jermaine Hardy intercepted McBrien two plays later, and one play after that Snelling took a Schaub pass to the end zone, dragging Maryland linebacker Leroy Ambush the last 5 yards.

The Cavs were ahead for good at 10-7 and on their way.

On their way to second place.

Imagine.

 

U.VA. NOTES

Nov 24, 2002
RED-HOT: With his first pass against Maryland last night, Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub added another school record to his growing collection.

On the Cavaliers' second play from scrimmage, Schaub threw a 13-yard completion to freshman fullback Jason Snelling. That gave Schaub, a junior, 2,515 yards passing, a U.Va. single-season record. Mike Groh passed for 2,510 in 12 games in 1995.

Schaub threw two touchdown passes in the first half last night, raising his season's total to 25, another school record. Virginia led defending ACC champion Maryland 20-7 at the break, in part because Schaub had completed 16 of 19 passes for 144 yards.

JUST FOR KICKS: On the first field goal attempt of his career, Virginia's Connor Hughes connected from 47 yards early in the second quarter last night. Hughes, a freshman, is walk-on from Williamsburg's Lafayette High. He added 27-yarder on his second attempt, extending the Cavaliers' lead to 13-7 but missed from 36 on the final play of the first half.

TRIUMPHANT RETURN: Snelling started last night after missing last weekend's game with N.C. State because of an illness. The L.C. Bird High graduate caught six passes for 76 yards, including a 27-yard TD reception, in the first half alone last night.

Also back in the Cavaliers' lineup was offensive guard Elton Brown, who'd missed the previous two games with a stress fracture in his right foot.

HIGH STAKES: Until Maryland prevailed last year at Byrd Stadium, Virginia had won nine straight in the series, making for a less-than-compelling rivalry. But the Terrapins' rise under coach Ralph Friedgen should liven up things up, particularly since he plans to recruit heavily in Virginia.

"Any area within a five-hour radius" of College Park, Md., Friedgen said.

Virginia's second-year coach, Al Groh, said the series has implications in recruiting.

"The states are side by side," Groh said, "so quite obviously, on a yearly basis the recruiting process is always going to involve a lot of the same players. I think there are a number of players that both schools are recruiting right now."

JOIN THE CLUB: With his first carry last night, senior tailback Chris Downs became seventh player in Maryland history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Downs entered with 995 yards and gained 5 yards on the game's first play from scrimmage.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Before yesterday, two true freshmen had started for Maryland this season: linebacker Shawne Merriman against Duke and offensive tackle Stephen Heyer against North Carolina.

By contrast, seven true freshmen had started at least one game for the Cavaliers, including punter Tom Hagan and kicker Hughes. D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Darryl Blackstock have been fixtures in the lineup at offensive tackle and outside linebacker, respectively, and Wali Lundy has started seven games at tailback.

HOMECOMING: Maryland's roster includes four Virginians: wideouts Derrick Fenner (Hampton) and Maurice Shanks (Hampton), cornerback Curome Cox (Arlington) and kicker Nick Novak (Charlottesville).

Also, center Jason Holman, a graduate of James River High in Midlothian, is academically ineligible this season but hopes to rejoin the Terrapins for spring practice.

Novak, one of the ACC's better kickers, attended Albemarle High, but the staff of Groh's predecessor, George Welsh, didn't recruit him.

"They never looked at me," Novak told The Daily Progress of Charlottesville. "I was in their backyard. I used to practice on their turf field when I could. I was surprised they never saw me. It's their fault for not looking at me."

Novak added, however, that he wouldn't have gone to Virginia anyway.

MIXED EMOTIONS: Senior safety Shernard Newby had started 34 games for Virginia before being benched last weekend. His replacement, freshman Willie Davis, sparkled in the Cavaliers' win over the Wolfpack.

Groh said he understood how painful his decision might have been for Newby, who made the all-ACC second team in 2001.

"Sure. I've been a player, I've been a coach of a lot of players, I'm a parent of a player, I'm a parent of a former player," Groh said. "I hope I understand the dreams and aspirations that these young guys have, and those dreams and aspirations can only be achieved by my putting them in the game."

UP NEXT: Virginia (8-4) meets archrival Virginia Tech (8-3) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. ESPN will televise the 84th installment of a series the Hokies lead 42-36-5. Tech has won three straight over U.Va., including a 31-17 romp at Scott Stadium last year. The last team to win four in a row in this series was Tech (1980-83).

Groh beat Tech twice - in '82 and '83 - when he was head coach at Wake Forest. - Jeff White


 

Cavs get to share
Win over Terps helps get piece of second place
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press

Published November 24, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With second place in the conference and postseason implications on the line Saturday night, Virginia presented a strong and convincing case for itself.

After spotting the nation's 18th-ranked team an early touchdown, the Cavaliers made some breaks for themselves and pounded Maryland 48-13 in Scott Stadium. It was Virginia's third victory over a ranked team this season and clinched a share of second place in the ACC standings, six spots better than the Cavs (8-4, 6-2) were picked five months ago.

"That was fun," said quarterback Matt Schaub, who was nearly flawless in completing 23-of-27 passes with three touchdowns. "We were clicking on all cylinders - offensively, defensively and in the special teams. The margin surprises us a little bit, but then again it really doesn't. A lot of guys stepped up and made plays."

Where to start? Wideout Billy McMullen caught seven balls for 92 yards and turned a 10-yard loss into a 37-yard touchdown pass. Tailback Wali Lundy ran for 84 yards and scored three touchdowns. Schaub threw only four incompletions, and two of those were dropped.

Virginia's defense held a nationally ranked team to one touchdown for the second straight week and forced three turnovers. The Cavs limited the Terrapins (9-3, 5-2) to 254 yards and 10 first downs after the opening drive. Freshman kicker Connor Hughes made two field goals, including a 47-yarder in his first try, and the Cavs blocked a Maryland attempt in the first quarter.

"I'm speechless," said safety Jerton Evans, which itself is front-page news. "The whole team just came together. You can't look at one person and say he played really well because if you do, you'd have to point out somebody else and say he played just as well."

Maryland, which had won eight straight games by a combined score of 322-90, wasted a chance to pull into a tie for first place and perhaps win a tie-breaker for the conference's BCS berth.

"It wasn't our night tonight," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We couldn't do anything right."

Not only was it Virginia's biggest margin of victory in more than four years, it was the biggest rout of a ranked team in school history.

Early on, a rout in the other direction appeared in the making. Maryland needed less than 31/2 minutes to go 80 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead. But two plays turned the game around.

The first came with Maryland still ahead 7-0 and facing a fourth-and-inches from the Virginia 12. Though his team was averaging 8 yards a rushing attempt at that point, Friedgen sent Nick Novak in for a 28-yard field goal attempt. But Chris Canty and Andrew Hoffman - 6-foot-7 and 6-5, respectively - combined to block the kick.

"I should have gone for the first down," Friedgen later lamented.

No. 2 came moments after Hughes' first field goal cut it to 7-3. Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien completely juked Cavalier cornerback Jamaine Winborne with a fake option and threw a perfect ball on the fly pattern to Scooter Monroe. Nobody was within 20 yards of Monroe, but he dropped the ball.

"I knew I was wide open," Monroe said. "I knew it was a touchdown."

Two plays after that gift, McBrien was intercepted by Jermaine Hardy. And on the play after that, Schaub hit fullback Jason Snelling with a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-7.

Logic says beating N.C. State and Maryland in back-to-back weeks - and the Terps by five touchdowns - would keep Virginia in either the Peach or Gator. But bowls can pick pretty much whoever the want, and Virginia fans say their team has a history of getting swindled.

On this night, Virginia coach Al Groh didn't care. Second place was in the bag, and the meaning of that to him is simple.

"It says it's not that much further to the top," he said. "This was a step in the right direction for where we want to go. But it isn't the pinnacle for this program."
 

Terps' title hopes flattened
Virginia romps, 48-13, as UM can't capitalize on loss by ACC king Fla. St.; Gator Bowl bid no sure thing; Cavs' 34-3 mid-game run ends 8-game win streak in embarrassing fashion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Christian Ewell
Sun Staff
Originally published November 24, 2002



CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Gone was the Maryland alma mater. So was the lingering of the players with their families on the field, and the smiling.

All three were staples of the ride the Terrapins football team had enjoyed over the past two months, covering eight straight victories. After a 48-13 loss to Virginia last night, there were no reunions, no singing. Just blank looks from a group that had no idea what had just hit them.

"They just played well and we didn't," said Scooter Monroe, one of several at a loss to explain how the Terrapins started so quickly, only to see the Cavaliers outscore them 34-3 during the second and third quarters, ending their hopes of a Bowl Championship Series berth.

Virginia took a 20-7 halftime lead on a Maryland team that had a possible share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title on the line, with the news of North Carolina State's victory over Florida State filtering to the Terrapins (9-3, 5-2 ACC). "By that point, we were trying to save our own hide," Monroe said.

But not even that motivation was enough as the Cavaliers (8-4, 6-2), behind tailback Wali Lundy's three touchdowns, continued to pull away and into second place in the league. The Terps' loss gave Florida State the ACC title outright.

Now, Maryland must beat Wake Forest on Saturday to secure a share of second place, which may still earn a bid over Virginia to the Gator Bowl, to be played Jan. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla. But given the lopsided nature of this loss, the bowl's representatives may choose to reconsider their preference for the Terps.

"I'm crushed," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, whose team was also looking for its first win at Charlottesville since 1990. "The door was open, and we couldn't get it. It bothers me, and it bothers me a lot."

There were dropped passes and missed tackles. In the stats, Maryland lost 93 yards to penalties and ran for only 138 yards - almost 70 yards fewer than its average. Quarterback Matt Schaub completed 23 of his 27 passes for 249 yards.

The Cavaliers answered everything Maryland had to offer, rebounding from recent losses to Georgia Tech and Penn State to supplant the Terps in second place in the ACC.

"This should be your M.O.," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "If you don't get any better throughout the year, then you'll get left behind."

Strangely enough, it looked as if that would happen to Virginia. Maryland, which usually struggles early, drove 80 yards in eight plays. The Terps got positive yardage on all but one of those plays before Chris Downs took a Scott McBrien dump pass 11 yards for a 7-0 lead with 11:36 left in the first quarter.

After that, Maryland domination seemed even more apparent when McBrien threw to Jafar Williams for 55 yards. Then, with the Terps at Virginia's 12 on fourth-and-one, Friedgen decided not to go for it, sending kicker Nick Novak onto the field.

Novak had made 82 percent of his field-goal tries, but this 29-yard attempt was blocked by Chris Canty with 4:18 left, and the worm began to turn in favor of Virginia.

"We wanted to come out with some points, but the kick was low," said Friedgen, whose decision was influenced by two missed fourth-down conversions last week at Clemson. "That changed the momentum."

From that point, Connor Hughes' missed 35-yard field-goal try a quarter later was about the best thing that happened to Maryland, which went from fantastic in the first quarter to feeble at halftime.

The transformation included Monroe dropping a sure touchdown pass. McBrien followed with a pass to Latrez Harrison that Virginia's Jermaine Hardy intercepted 13:51 before halftime.

Monroe offered no excuses.

"I just dropped it," he said. "I thought it was thrown further than it was, and it got in on my wrists. I saw it the whole time. It just came out."

Maryland's defense had been immune to the offense's foibles. But there was linebacker Leroy Ambush dragged by fullback Jason Snelling for the last third of a 27-yard touchdown pass from Schaub. The play, right after Hardy's pickoff, put the Cavaliers ahead 10-7 with 13:43 left in the half.

Virginia kept the chains moving on a 13-play, 59-yard drive that ended on a 27-yard field goal by Hughes with 4:48 left in the first half to make it 13-7.

Maryland hurt itself again after the field goal. Downs fought for extra yardage on third down when linebacker Angelo Crowell knocked the ball loose. The Cavaliers recovered with 3:10 left.

Starting at the Maryland 22, Virginia capitalized with a 7-yard touchdown catch by Lundy. His score at 2:03 came off a screen pass from Schaub, who juked Ambush before crossing the goal line to make it 20-7.

At halftime, Maryland knew that Florida State had lost, but it didn't help in the second half.

Early in the third quarter, wide receiver Billy McMullen took a handoff, slipped out of the grasp of Durrand Roundtree and found an open Michael McGrew for a 37-yard touchdown pass to make the score 26-7 with 12:59 left in the third quarter.

Lundy made it 34-7 with 7:13 left in the quarter on a 27-yard pass play from Schaub on a third-and-17 play.

In addition to a superior performance by Virginia, Friedgen said he'd been concerned by a subpar week of practices.

"This isn't to insinuate that our biorhythms were off - Virginia played pretty darn good," he said. "I'll tell you this much, they're not that much better than we are. But they were tonight."

Terps have nothing, get nothing in return
Mike Preston

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - It happens to all teams two or three times a year. It's called a clunker. That's when your entire team has an out-of-body experience. The University of Maryland's football team had one last night.

In the two years that Ralph Friedgen has been Maryland's head coach, the Terps have never played as poorly as they did last night in losing to Virginia, 48-13, before a crowd of 58,358 at Scott Stadium.

The Terps have looked bad before, losing to Florida State twice, to Florida in the Orange Bowl last season and in the thrashing by Notre Dame in the 2002 season opener.

But at least those teams had better talent. After their two opening drives last night, the Terps were never in the game again mentally or physically. Virginia has improved late in the season, but there is no way the Cavaliers are 25 points better than Maryland.

Actually, you expect weird things to happen to the Terps in Charlottesville, where they haven't won a game now in six attempts since 1990. The worst part is that Maryland wasted such a great opportunity because North Carolina State upset Florida State yesterday. A win would have left Maryland a half game out of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with one game remaining.

But the Terps turned in a dud.

There is no other way to put it.

"We just had a bad day, and Virginia had a very good day," said Friedgen. "I'm crushed. Winning a conference championship and maybe going to a BCS bowl doesn't come along every day. We had that chance tonight and we didn't take it. It bothers me. It really, really bothers me."

Where to begin?

You can start almost anywhere. Numerous missed tackles. Dropped passes. Turnovers. Lack of adjustments. A loss of composure.

But where this game turned was early in the first quarter. Maryland had already driven 80 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession, and had driven another 76 yards to the Virginia 12. But on fourth-and-one, Friedgen, the ultimate gambler, chose to go for a field goal instead of the first down.

Poor decision. He had the Cavaliers on the ropes at home, and a chance to suck all of the momentum out of Virginia and the home crowd with a 14-0 lead. Instead, the usually reliable Nick Novak had a low, 28-yard field goal attempt blocked.

On the Terps' next possession, receiver Scooter Monroe dropped a possible touchdown pass around midfield with 14:43 left in the second quarter. There was no one around him - not one Cavalier in the picture on the Jumbotron at Scott Stadium. That could have put Maryland ahead 14-3 and, if things had worked out in the first two drives, 21-3.

Instead, quarterback Scott McBrien threw an interception at the Maryland 39 two plays later. On the following play, Virginia fullback Jason Snelling scored on a 27 yard reception on a short pass that was thrown into the left flat.

The only thing left was for the fat lady to sing.

"We couldn't convert on the plays that could have changed the momentum," said Friedgen. "We had turnovers and fumbles, things that we can't do if we're going to win football games."

True.

There are times when you wonder how a team can come out so flat with so much at stake, but that happens in sports, especially when the athletes are between the ages of 18 and 21.

Also, let's be honest. Maryland may have won eight straight before last night, but this is no great team.

It's a tribute to Friedgen that the Terps hadn't imploded before last night. Georgia Tech had. So had N.C. State, Virginia and almost every other ACC team.

There was optimism that the Terps would turn up the intensity level after halftime once Friedgen informed them that Florida State had lost, but Virginia opened the second half with a five-play, 72-yard scoring drive that ended with receiver Billy McMullen taking a handoff on an end-around and throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Micahel McGrew with 12:59 left in the third quarter for a 27-7 Cavaliers lead.

Maryland defensive end Durrand Roundtree had McMullen for a second in his grasp for what could have been an 11 yard loss, but McMullen shook him off to complete the play. It figured. It was that kind of night for Maryland.

Maybe the Terps left their A-game in Clemson's Death Valley last week.

"We didn't practice well last week," said Friedgen. "I worked as hard as I've ever worked to get a team ready this week, and look what happened. I mentioned it [N.C. State beating Florida State] at halftime, but we were just emotionally drained. They tried hard to get it up, they really did, but they just couldn't do it."

Virginia scored off another Maryland turnover in the second quarter when running back Chris Downs took a short pass in the right flat and, after giving a second effort, fumbled, with the Cavaliers recovering at the Maryland 22 with 3:10 in the half. Replays showed that Downs' knee had touched the ground before the fumble, but the ruling wasn't going to be changed.

It just wasn't Maryland's night.

Four plays later, Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub threw a short hitch pass to tailback Wali Lunday on the left sideline. The play should have netted zero yards at the 7. Instead, Maryland linebacker Leroy Ambush missed a tackle. So did free safety Madieu Williams.

Touchdown.

Give Virginia some credit, though. The Cavaliers had Maryland off balance defensively all night. They ran away from Terps inside linebacker E.J. Henderson. They ran a lot of pitches outside, and then ran cutbacks off them, which is how you attack quick, pursuing defenses.

Time after time, the Cavaliers threw passes into the flats to their running backs and tight ends, and there was no one home for Maryland. But the Terps' coaching staff will correct that. It's only a matter of time.

But what has to disturb Friedgen this morning is that the Terps weren't ready to play. On a night when they could have shown championship mettle, they had a meltdown with the missed tackles, 10 penalties for 93 yards (several of them unsportsmanlike-conduct calls) and three turnovers.

Against N.C. State two weeks ago, Maryland turned in a clunker and still won. Last night, the Terps just weren't as fortunate.



 

Cavaliers Heed McMullen's Call to Arm
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, November 24, 2002; Page D20


CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 23 -- Virginia's biggest play of the game almost blew up in its collective face.

Wide receiver Michael McGrew thought it had when he saw teammate Billy McMullen fighting off Maryland defensive end Durrand Roundtree, seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. The play called for McMullen to take an end-around handoff and throw down field to McGrew, but it seemed McMullen wasn't going to get the pass off.

McGrew watched in surprise as McMullen, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound senior, spun out of Roundtree's grasp and ran a few steps toward the line of scrimmage, then jumped and threw a line drive. Standing alone at the 15-yard line, McGrew gathered in the pass and scampered into the end zone. Up 27-7 lead two minutes into the second half, the Cavaliers were on their way to a decisive 48-13 win.

"If you wanted to encapsulate Billy McMullen's career at Virginia, that's it," U-Va. Coach Al Groh said. "He just fought himself out of trouble with the will to get it done. . . . When you give him a job, whatever it is, it always gets done very well."

Nose tackle Andrew Hoffman said the 37-yard pass set the tone for the second half, during which the Cavaliers outscored No. 18 Maryland 28-6. "We feed off that kind of thing," Hoffman said.

McMullen also caught seven passes for 92 yards -- numbers that have become almost routine for a player who holds Virginia's career records for receptions and receiving yards and has more catches than all but two players in ACC history. A successful pass, on the other hand, was anything but automatic for him. In 48 games as a Cavalier, McMullen had thrown two passes before tonight -- both last season. One was completed for a loss of seven yards. The other fell woefully incomplete in the season finale against Penn State.

"The one against Penn State was pretty bad," McMullen said with a smile. "This one made up for it a little bit."

The Terrapins had McGrew covered when McMullen received the handoff from quarterback Matt Schaub, but they surged toward the line of scrimmage when it looked as if McMullen might run with the ball after shaking off Roundtree.

"It kind of worked out for the best that he almost got tackled," McGrew said.

Virginia had shown a fondness for trick passes this season, including touchdown passes thrown by tight end Heath Miller and tailback Wali Lundy.

"It's something we should have been ready for, but we just didn't have the people in the right spot at the right time," Maryland linebacker Leroy Ambush said. "The gimmick plays that they do, that's something that we prepared for well all week."
 

A Fall Back Position
2nd Straight ACC Title, BCS Out of Reach for U-Md.: Virginia 48, Maryland 13
By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 24, 2002; Page D01


CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 23 -- Just when it seemed everything was falling into place for the Maryland Terrapins, the 18th-ranked Terrapins suffered a resounding loss that left players and coaches alike shaking their heads.

Having received the help it needed to claim a share of the ACC title and possibly a berth in the Bowl Championship Series, Maryland was beaten soundly in nearly every aspect by Virginia, 48-13, before 58,358 at Scott Stadium.

The loss ended Maryland's eight-game winning streak and allowed Florida State to clinch the ACC title despite losing to North Carolina State, 17-7. Instead of being in position to tie the Seminoles for the conference championship and possibly earn an invitation to the Sugar Bowl by beating Wake Forest on Nov. 30, the Terrapins' postseason prospects are up in the air, with the Peach or Gator bowls the most likely destinations.

"It's a bad feeling," Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson said long after Virginia's fans had swarmed the field in celebration at game's end. "We had a big opportunity, and we blew it. It's something we're going to look back on the rest of our lives."

While Maryland (9-3, 5-2 ACC) was left to wonder what had gone so wrong, Virginia's postseason plans brightened considerably with its largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent. After their second consecutive upset victory, the Cavaliers (8-4, 6-2) clinched at least a share of second place in the conference and likely are headed to the Tangerine or Peach bowls.

"This is a very good win for our team," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "It was a wonderful thing for [the seniors] to walk out of this stadium for the last time with a sense of accomplishment."

The outcome was stunning. Maryland had played just one close game during its winning streak, and Coach Ralph Friedgen made sure his players knew just how much was on the line. Friedgen was not pleased with the team's practices this week, but after marching down the field to take a 7-0 lead and threatening again shortly thereafter, the Terrapins seemed to be on their game.

A handful of plays late in the first quarter and early in the second quickly changed things. Instead of going for it on fourth and inches, Friedgen decided to try a field goal, a decision he later second-guessed. Nick Novak's 28-yard attempt was blocked.

Virginia kicked a field goal to get to 7-3. Then came perhaps the game's key play. Quarterback Scott McBrien faked a handoff, allowing wide receiver Scooter Monroe to get behind the defense along the left sideline. Monroe was in the clear at the 50-yard line, but McBrien's pass fell through his hands.

"I knew I was pretty wide open," Monroe said. "I knew it was a touchdown."

Having failed to convert two excellent opportunities to score, Maryland's offense suddenly went silent. And its defense, which entered the game ranked sixth nationally, allowing 14.8 points per game, could not stop Virginia. Cavaliers quarterback Matt Schaub, who was 23 of 27 for 249 yards, continually threw short passes to running backs and tight ends that turned into long gains as the Terrapins missed tackles.

"We didn't come out to play," defensive end Durrand Roundtree said.

Virginia took a 10-7 lead when running back Jason Snelling got behind linebacker Leroy Ambush for a 27-yard touchdown catch. After Chris Downs fumbled for Maryland, Schaub threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Wali Lundy, who eluded an attempted tackle by Ambush and got into the end zone to make it 20-7.

Even when Maryland's players were in the right position, they could not make plays.

On the opening possession of the second half -- after Friedgen informed his team of the Florida State score -- Virginia standout wide receiver Billy McMullen took a handoff on a reverse but ran right into Roundtree. However, instead of an 11-yard loss, McMullen squirmed free and lofted a pass to Michael McGrew behind the defense for a 37-yard touchdown. A few minutes later, on third and 21, Lundy took a screen pass on the right side and was untouched until he lunged for the final yards of a 24-yard touchdown. It was 34-7, and the rout was on.

"I'm crushed," Friedgen said. "How many times do you get an opportunity like we had?"
 

An Untimely Flop
By Michael Wilbon
Sunday, November 24, 2002; Page D01


CHARLOTTESVILLE

The team captains ought to get together sometime Sunday, assemble the entire team, then apologize to their coach, Ralph Friedgen, for their performance Saturday night against Virginia. With a New Year's Day bowl game on the line, and facing the closest thing Maryland has to a football rival, the players failed their coach in a shocking 48-13 upset loss at Scott Stadium. For the first time in the 24 games Friedgen has coached Maryland, the team failed to win a game it legitimately should have won.

This isn't intended as a swipe at Virginia, a pretty good team in its own right and loaded with talented young players and a fine coach. But once again, as he had in every previous game against an opponent other than Florida State, Florida and Notre Dame, Friedgen put his team in position to beat the opponent. That's what he does, week in and week out as well as any coach in college football. If the human resources are within shouting distance, Friedgen will coax a victory out of his boys. You could see it taking shape early Saturday night, too, in the way Maryland got receivers open, and in the way the proper defenses were called.

I don't like to criticize college football players because they're not pros. It's especially tough to criticize these Maryland players because they've played so well last year and this year, particularly in the eight-game winning streak that catapulted them back into the BCS New Year's Day picture. Collectively, it's a group of overachievers, a future pro here and there, but mostly grinders who give everything they've got. Not only have they been sharp in games, but in virtually all the practices the last two years.

But the fact is, that's the only way a marginally talented team can succeed. So the players betrayed themselves and their coach Saturday night and all week in practice. Open receivers dropped passes. Unblocked defenders blew tackles. Linemen were blown off the line of scrimmage as if they were playing a bunch of pros. Well-designed defenses weren't executed. The place kicker treated a chip shot as if he was kicking a 60-yarder and got what should have been an easy one blocked.

"It looked like we couldn't do anything right . . . and Virginia kicked butts," Friedgen said. "I'm crushed right now. How many times do you get an opportunity like we had? That door was open for us and we couldn't take it."

The worst part is the Maryland coaches and players know exactly why they laid this egg. "We thought we could have a bad week of practice and still put it together on game day," all-American linebacker E.J. Henderson said. "We learned the hard way. We're not at the point where we can loaf around, have three bad days of practice and come out and play well against a good opponent."

So now, instead of going to the Sugar or Orange Bowl, Maryland will go to an It-Doesn't-Matter Bowl, one of those games during the holidays you stumble across only if you're surfing with the remote at just the right time. Thing is, Maryland football missed the chance to take a big step forward. Perhaps the Notre Dames and Oklahomas can afford these slip-ups. But in the chase to build an elite program, Maryland cannot. "We had a chance to win two [ACC] championships in a row and play in two major bowl games in a row and we blew it," Henderson said, summing it up quite nicely.

So how does Virginia fit into all of this? Presented with opportunities to bury an opponent, the Cavaliers did just that. They scored the school's most lopsided victory over a ranked opponent. See, their head coach -- Al Groh -- has been successful on the NFL sidelines, too. (He and Friedgen both have coached in the Super Bowl.) He, too, can get on a play-calling roll and embarrass an opponent with either power or precision football. Four of his 12 victories at Virginia have come against opponents ranked in the top 25, so Groh knows what time it is.

Still, Maryland had every chance to jump all over Virginia and blew it with a couple of completely unforced errors. After marching 80 yards on eight plays for a 7-0 lead on a wonderfully conceived screen pass from Scott McBrien to Chris Downs, Maryland forced a punt and again moved quickly into Virginia territory. The Terps failed on third and two, and some of us wondered if Friedgen, his offense so sharp, would go for it on fourth and inches.

He didn't because he wanted to walk away with what most coaches would consider automatic points and momentum. He sent in the perfectly capable Nick Novak for a 28-yard field goal and Novak boomed it right into the forearm of 6-foot-7 lineman Chris Canty. Instead of being 10-0, it became 7-3 when Virginia kicked a 47-yard field goal. Even so, a 14-3 Maryland lead was virtually on the board when Scooter Monroe, as open as a receiver can be, dropped a play-action touchdown pass that looked like you draw it up in a coach's clinic.

From then on, it appeared that if it wasn't going to be easy for Maryland, it wasn't going to be. McBrien threw an interception, Virginia scored on the next play. Maryland went three and out, Virginia kicked a field goal for a 13-7 lead. The Terps couldn't cover screen passes despite the defensive schemes putting defenders in perfect position and Virginia laid the wood to Maryland, increasing its lead from 20-7, then 27-7, then 34-7. And the mistakes were interspersed with dumb penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Yeah, we thought we could get back in it," Henderson said, "but Virginia stayed on top of us. They wouldn't let us get back in it." Part of the reason was Cavs quarterback Matt Schaub, who completed 23 of 27 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He didn't throw any picks, he wasn't sacked, his uniform wasn't even dirty. The kid was nearly perfect. He's 6 feet 5, 235 pounds and only a junior. Look out next season.

What a great waste of an opportunity for Maryland. Down in Raleigh, North Carolina State beat Florida State. With that, a Terps victory could have put Maryland in the national spotlight for a second straight January, which is exactly how you start landing the best recruits and getting the big dates on national TV, which enables you to land more big recruits and keep winning 10 games in a season.

"Our test now," Friedgen said, "is going to be, 'How are we going to react to this? Can we come back and win 10 games and finish this thing out right?' "