Over the years, the Virginia-Maryland football series has lacked one key ingredient in a good rivalry: parity.
Through much of its history, when one program has been up, the other has been down. The Terrapins won 16 straight meetings from 1972-87. The Cavaliers took nine in a row from 1992-2000.
Recently, however, the two teams have been more evenly matched. They’ve split their past two meetings and they find themselves in similar situations going into tonight’s game at Byrd Stadium.
With a victory, Virginia (5-4, 3-3 ACC) can move into a third-place tie with Clemson, while Maryland (6-3, 3-2) has a chance to share second place with N.C. State.
“This is a very, very important game to our seasons,” said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen. “It’s really a huge game for us and Virginia.”
Looking at the bigger picture, both programs have been on an upswing under their third-year coaches. Friedgen engineered a rapid turnaround for the Terrapins, leading them to an ACC championship in his first season. UVa’s rise has not been quite as dramatic under Al Groh, who arguably had a bigger rebuilding job, but his success in recruiting suggests that the Cavaliers may join their neighbors to the north as ACC contenders in years to come.
Friedgen and Groh already compete for many of the same recruits, especially in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Terrapins rolled over Virginia en route to the ACC title in 2001, but the Cavaliers snuffed out their hopes of a repeat with a crushing 48-13 victory last November. That’s the kind of stuff rivalries are made of.
So even when Virginia Tech joins the conference next year, Groh expects Maryland to remain among his program’s biggest rivals.
“I think historically it’s always been one of the more significant rivalries for each team,” Groh said. “I’m sure it will continue that way under the new alignment, both because of the history of the large amount of games played between the two teams and the proximity of the states.
“Given the way this conference is shaping up right now, if you want to do anything in the conference over the course of a season you better have a lot of rivalry games.”
In game notes distributed by Maryland’s sports information department, Virginia is called the “chief rival” of the Terrapins.
“They’re a rival because they’re a border state, just like West Virginia is a rival,” Friedgen said. “Maryland doesn’t have many rivals. We have no in-state rivals. Navy hasn’t played us in a while. I’d like to change that.
“I know [the Cavaliers] have Virginia Tech. I’m sure because it’s an in-state school that they’re a bigger rival. I think [Maryland-Virginia] is still a rivalry regardless.”
Geographically, College Park, Md., is closer to Charlottesville than Blacksburg by about 10 miles. Still, most fans would agree that Virginia Tech is Virginia’s chief rival. Nevertheless, Groh and Friedgen both welcome the idea of a heated rivalry between their schools, if only for motivational purposes.
Of course, it shouldn’t take much more to motivate either team tonight. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, so the national spotlight will be on both programs. “It’s like Monday Night Football,” Groh said.
The loser also will be relegated to also-ran status in the ACC. Virginia would fall into a sixth-place tie with Wake Forest, while Maryland would share fifth place with Georgia Tech.
Since both teams have two difficult games remaining in the regular season, the progress of one program could be dealt a damaging blow by the other. And doesn’t that make rivalries a little spicier, too?
Two major questions will follow Virginia’s football team into sold out Byrd Stadium for tonight’s nationally televised game against Maryland:
* Can the Cavaliers win an important road game?
* Can they beat the Terps without an effective running attack?
Coach Al Groh’s squad has played well on the road this season, just not well enough to win. The Cavs were tied with less than two minutes to play both at Clemson and most recently at N.C. State. UVa lost to the Tigers in overtime and allowed the Wolfpack to score the winning touchdown on a long run in the final minute.
Having lost three of their last four games - with a win over Troy State sandwiched between - the common thread in all of the Cavaliers setbacks was the lack of an old-fashioned running game. In the three losses, the Wahoos averaged a mere 32.7 yards rushing (1.8 yards per carry).
Where is the run?
In those games, Virginia rushed 22 times and passed 48 against Clemson, rushed only nine times and aired it out 54 times against FSU, then ran it 23 times and passed 55 for a school-record 393 yards and four TDs against N.C. State.
All this has left Wahoo faithful wondering what happened to the running game? At one point this season, after a three-game winning streak, UVa led the ACC in rushing and featured two of the league’s top five ball toters in Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman.
The line of questioning has left a defensive Groh explaining his rationale with all the disdain of a puff adder.
“When your quarterback is one of the best players in the country, if you don’t use him a fairly significant amount of time, well that’s like having a guy who can really shoot in basketball, averaging 32 points a game, and you say, ‘Aren’t you concerned that you’re shooting too many three-pointers? Don’t you need to work it in to your pivot man more?’” Groh said.
His analogy was that, yeah, the pivot guy’s parents would be happy for him to get it even though the kid might be averaging seven points a game.
“So, if you would like me to have balance, sure, we’ll throw it in to him. Now, we might not make it as much but everybody will be happy. We’ve got balance,” Groh said.
Injuries and opponents
N.C. State and Florida State featured the top two defenses against the run in the league and Clemson wasn’t so shabby in that department either, particularly considering that Lundy was injured in that game, causing him to miss the FSU game. While he was back for N.C. State, one wonders if he was ready for the physical part of the game as UVa’s coaches used him primarily as a receiver and he delivered with three TD catches.
So, there’s a whole lot of issues going on here about how the Wahoos’ game plan has been conceived over the past month, not the least of which has been offensive line play that haven’t lived up to Groh’s expectations.
Asked whether he was perplexed over the line play during a recent media gathering, Groh termed his mood more “unhappy” than “perplexed.”
Most fans believed the line would be at its best with the return of veteran Kevin Bailey to a mix of players who got their baptism under fire last season when line coach Ron Prince was constantly patchworking his unit due to injuries. Still, Prince has been able to start the same combination since the third week of the season and now has true freshman behemoth Ian-Yates Cunningham emerging as a late-season starter at left guard.
Because Maryland boasts the top defense in the ACC (16th nationally) and ranks third in the league in defense against the run, there is no reason to believe that Virginia will attack the Terps any differently than it has other strong defenses in recent weeks.
Keep in mind that UVa’s game plan against Florida State bordered on brilliance as the Cavs had a chance to pull off the upset. Also consider that the dinks and dunks featured in the West Coast offense, which also utilizes the tight end as a true playmaker, are the modern day version of the old sweep plays of the past.
Some of these horizontal passes to Pearman and Lundy are essentially runs disguised as passes, but a more clever way of getting the ball to the outside quicker and forcing defenders to become sure tacklers. It also forces mismatches.
“The key is that you’ve got to tackle,” said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen. “They throw four- or five-yard passes and all of the sudden you are looking at eight- or nine-yard gains.”
Having a quarterback like Matt Schaub allows Virginia to run this sort of scheme because he gets rid of the ball quickly before feeling the heat, isolating a fast back on a linebacker rather than a defensive back. Defenses hate this. Just ask Bobby Bowden and Mickey Andrews.
Not every quarterback has the presence to make this happen, so Groh is doing the best he can with what he has. This will be extremely important against the blitz-happy Terps.
“I saw some teams [over the weekend in the NFL] that ended up with a lot of points and a lot of yards and had 84 yards rushing,” Groh said. “Maybe they never tried to run it, maybe they couldn’t when they did. The overriding thing is that whatever you have to do to move the ball, you do to move the ball.”
The Cavaliers certainly have their work cut out for them. They haven’t exactly bowled people over as a road team and the Terps are 18-1 at home under Big Ralph, losing only to FSU.
Speaking of bowls, the Cavs’ postseason could be at stake this evening with Lee, Herb and Mike in the booth. The ACC office cleared up one misconception this week in that any ACC team that goes 6-6 will be eligible only for one of the five bowls affiliated with the ACC (Gator, Peach, Tangerine, Continental Tire, and Humanitarian) and not eligible for a spot as an at-large team in a bowl game not affiliated with the ACC.
Standing at 5-4, the Cavs could greatly enhance their opportunities with a win tonight.
As Friedgen said of his own (6-3) team: “I asked them, ‘What are you going to do with a second chance? [after last weekend’s ACC upsets]. Ironically enough, their goals are still there with three games to go in the season. Or, we can end up 6-6 and probably not go anywhere.”
Point guard Majestic Mapp’s injury-plagued career at Virginia finally seems certain: It will end after this season.
Sources indicate that Virginia coach Pete Gillen has said Mapp, who missed two and a half seasons with a torn ACL in his right knee, will not return to the squad next season.
Gillen was not available for comment Wednesday.
In an interview last Friday with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the UVa coach indicated that the decision was tied to recruiting.
“This is a vicious, cut-throat business and people would have said, ‘Hey, Majestic’s back, he’s healthy, you’re not going to play at all until you’re a sophomore.’ So we had to do it because of business reasons,” Gillen said. “I told [Mapp] eyeball to eyeball. He wasn’t crazy about it, but he understood.”
This week, point guard Sean Singletary of Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School is expected to sign his letter-of-intent with the Cavaliers. Singletary, who committed to Virginia in June, is ranked the nation’s No. 11 point guard prospect by rivalshoops.com.
Mapp’s return next season would have been contingent on the NCAA granting a rare sixth season of eligibility. The NCAA allows players five years to complete four years of eligibility. In certain cases, a sixth year is awarded in such cases as medical hardships. It is likely Mapp’s situation would have qualified under those parameters.
Last month, Mapp confirmed that he had already been in touch with members of UVa’s compliance office about petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year.
“For the most part, I’m just concentrating on basketball right now. If I can get the year back, I get it and I want it. That’s is all in other people’s power right now,” said Mapp, who earned a degree from economics from UVa last May and is scheduled to complete course work toward a Masters in education by next summer.
Mapp originally injured his right knee during a pickup game at his alma mater, St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx, in August 2000. He missed the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons as he endured complications in the healing and rehab process.
Mapp, an immensely popular player with UVa fans, finally returned to the court last Jan. 11 in a contest against North Carolina. He received a thunderous standing ovation - arguably the most praise heaped on anyone associated with the UVa basketball program by a U-Hall crowd last season.
On Tuesday night in Virginia’s exhibition opener against the Big Apple All-Stars, Mapp again drew some of the more audible cheers as he finished with five points, a game-high six assists and no turnovers in 19 minutes.
Coincidentally, Mapp’s credentials coming out of St. Raymond’s in 1999 were certainly comparable to Singletary. His early commitment in the fall of 1998 was deemed instrumental in Gillen adding both Travis Watson and current Chicago Bulls guard Roger Mason Jr. to his first recruiting class at Virginia.
Virginia will not be able to use Mapp’s scholarship next season in accordance with the NCAA’s 5/8 rule. Since the Cavaliers signed five players last season, they can sign no more than three this season.
Take away the run and you slow U.Va. to a crawl
UVa. tailback Wali Lundy.
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 13, 2003
Midway through the first quarter of Virginia’s 51-37 loss to N.C. State, the
Cavaliers faced third-and-1 from the Wolfpack 40. The handoff went to tailback
Alvin Pearman, who was stopped for no gain.
In the second quarter, Pearman took a handoff on second-and-1 and lost a yard.
Then it was Wali Lundy’s turn, on second-and-2. A 2-yard loss.
Finally, Pearman again, on third-and-1. Another 2-yard loss.
So it went for Virginia against N.C. State, the same way it has gone in each of
three straight conference losses. More often that not, when the Cavaliers needed
a tough yard or two, they couldn’t deliver.
It’s a situation the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-3 ACC) hope to remedy tonight when they
take on Maryland (6-3, 3-2) at Byrd Stadium (7:45, ESPN).
Virginia has all but abandoned the run in its three conference losses, averaging
just 32.7 yards and averaging 1.8 yards per carry. The Cavaliers called just
seven running plays against Florida State, 17 against N.C. State.
It’s not as if Virginia didn’t move the ball. It managed 326 yards against
Florida State and 443 against N.C. State, thanks to an efficient short-passing
game.
“The overriding thing,” coach Al Groh stressed, “is whatever you have to do to
move the ball, you do to move the ball.”
Still, Groh began the season with the stated goal of running the ball “with
authority.” And for all the success of Virginia’s passing game, when the
Cavaliers run the ball well, they usually win. They’re 5-1 in the Groh era when
rushing for more than 200 yards, and 2-6 the last two seasons when rushing for
less than 100.
Virginia has won its last nine games when it has run the ball at least 40 times,
suggesting that the Cavaliers abandon the run at their own peril.
Virginia’s offense runs the ball well daily — in practice, Groh said. “It makes
strides every day when it’s not live,” he said. “We run for about 250 yards
every day.”
In games, the holes simply have not been there, and Groh has pronounced himself
“unhappy” with the play of the offensive line.
The line began the season with high expectations. Four starters returned, and
senior Kevin Bailey, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, rejoined
the unit early in the season.
But injuries and illness forced some juggling along the line. Elton Brown missed
two games with a concussion. Brian Barthelmes missed the N.C. State game with
food poisoning, and true freshman Ian Yates-Cunningham started in his place.
Pearman said the small things have prevented the running game from clicking.
“The most important thing about a running game is, you really have to be on the
ball across the offensive line,” he said. “You can’t afford any slips.
“Any mistake that’s made in the running game really amplifies the cost of the
error. We’ve just made too many careless errors, and if one guy slips up, that
can ruin the entire play.”
There may be nothing wrong with the U.Va. offensive line that an offseason of
hearty meals and heavy lifting won’t cure. Another year of seasoning won’t hurt,
either.
The starting lineup against N.C. State included a freshman and two sophomores.
And aside from the 325-pound Brown, there’s not a behemoth in the unit.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the left tackle, is listed at 265 pounds. Brad Butler,
the right tackle, goes 274. Both are tall and athletic, and should add more
weight by next season.
Meanwhile, Maryland features a big, physical defensive front that allows just
111 rushing yards per game, 23rd in the nation.
Pearman, who has caught 37 passes — mostly short ones — the last three games,
could be busy once again.
“That short, efficient passing game,” Pearman said, “it really has taken the
place of the running game at times.”
Slumping Cavs face surging Terrapins
A Virginia team that has lost three of its past four games faces a Maryland team
that has won six of its past seven.
By Doug Doughty
In a meeting with his team before a Nov.1 trip to North Carolina State, Virginia
football coach Al Groh urged his players to "win the month."
Good thing for Groh he didn't use the word "sweep."
The Cavaliers still have a chance to meet Groh's stated goal, but the next step
is a steep one - on the road against a Maryland team that has won six of its
past seven games.
Scouts from the Gator, Peach, Tangerine and Humanitarian bowls will be in
attendance as the Terrapins (6-3, 3-2 ACC) entertain the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-3).
Maryland comes into the game with an edge in momentum over a UVa team that has
lost three of its past four. The Terrapins also have the memory of a 48-13
pasting by Virginia last year, when a BCS bid was in Maryland's grasp.
"It still bothers me today," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said earlier this
month. "I've [said] before that I put myself at blame for that game. I didn't
listen to our players and I take full responsibility for how we played."
Friedgen acknowledged that workouts may have been too strenuous in the days
following a late-night return from Clemson.
The loss to Virginia was the only blip in a late-season surge that resulted in
10 victories in the last 11 games, including a 30-3 romp over Tennessee in the
Peach Bowl.
Maryland recovered from a 1-2 start last year and has had similar metamorphosis
after losing its first two games this year, at Northern Illinois and Florida
State.
The Terrapins' only loss in the past seven games was to Georgia Tech, 7-3, when
quarterback Scott McBrien suffered a concussion.
"We're playing a team that scored three points in one game and 59 the next,"
Groh said. "I know one's not representative."
Virginia has been one of the most consistent teams in the league. The Cavaliers
have had fourth-quarter leads in two of their four losses, trailed by five
points in the fourth quarter of another and was down 10-7 late in the third
quarter at South Carolina.
As a result of the close losses, Virginia needs to win at least one of its three
remaining games, including home games with Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, to
become eligible for one of the six bowls with which the ACC has an affiliation.
Maryland ends its season on the road against N.C. State and Wake Forest.
"In our situation and I guess in Virginia's, too, these final games are some of
the most difficult," Friedgen said. "We both have a lot of business to take care
of."
Groh expressed concerns about special teams before playing Maryland last year
and that hasn't changed.
Maryland place-kicker Nick Novak, from Albemarle County, leads the ACC in field
goals per game (18-for-22). Redshirt freshman Adam Podlesh is the ACC's
second-leading punter at 43.9 yards per kick.
"As good as their [punter] was last year, I think this one's even better," said
Groh, comparing Podlesh to 2002 All-ACC choice Brooks Barnard. "It certainly
would be overlooked unless you looked at it statistically. It's been a
tremendous field-position creator in most games."
Friedgen hopes UM passes latest test from Virginia
Coach emphasizes rivalry going into tonight's game
By Kevin Van Valkenburg
Sun Staff
Originally published November 13, 2003
COLLEGE PARK - Two years ago, it seemed like Maryland had finally exorcised its
Virginia demons.
Losers in nine straight football games against the Cavaliers entering 2001, the
Terps pounded Virginia, 41-21, in College Park. The win not only got Maryland
off to its best start since 1978, but suddenly, it was realistic to call the
series a rivalry again.
"I think we won a big game in Maryland history," coach Ralph Friedgen said after
the win.
Last season, however, the same Cavaliers nightmares resurfaced. Maryland
traveled to Charlottesville - with an eight-game winning streak and a shot at
the Atlantic Coast Conference title - and got waxed, 48-13.
"It seemed like we couldn't get anything going, and they had all the breaks,"
said Terps quarterback Scott McBrien. "They were hitting on option passes and
reverses and stuff. It really put a damper on our spirits."
But there is hardly any talk of revenge or redemption this week for Maryland's
players. In fact, McBrien downplayed any rivalry questions, calling Virginia
simply "another team that's in our way."
Michigan vs. Ohio State, it's not.
Tonight's game does have added meaning for Friedgen, though. Maryland's
third-year coach has said several times this season he wants the annual clash to
evolve into something more significant, if only because Maryland (6-3, 3-2 ACC)
doesn't really have an in-state rival.
"Geographically, it makes sense because they're the closest school in the
conference," Friedgen said.
It also doesn't hurt that Friedgen and Virginia coach Al Groh have already
butted heads during recruiting. Maryland scored a major victory last year by
getting an early oral commitment from tight end Vernon Davis of Dunbar High
School in Washington, but that didn't stop Virginia (5-4, 3-3) from trying to
get him to change his mind before signing day, according to Davis.
When it came out that former Terps coach Rod Sharpless gave money to a recruit,
Maryland had to scramble, as Virginia came after Davis again, to make sure he
didn't have a change of heart. Craig Jefferies, Davis' high school coach, said
he was "very disappointed" with Virginia's coaching staff as a result.
Friedgen took the diplomatic approach when asked this week if there was bad
blood over the incident.
"If I got mad at [Groh], I'd have to be mad at about 20 other guys," Friedgen
said. "[Vernon] wasn't the only one. Every one of our kids, people went after. I
just appreciate the players and their parents for having enough confidence in us
as a program and a staff that they stayed with us."
Friedgen's bigger concern tonight is Maryland's health. In yesterday's Sun, it
was reported that McBrien was still suffering from a concussion he sustained
three weeks ago, but McBrien said yesterday he was commenting to reporters about
lingering pain in his groin, not his head.
"I am fine and have had no problems stemming from the concussion," McBrien said.
Wide receiver Derrick Fenner, however, had to have an appendix removed. He won't
play tonight, and Friedgen said yesterday he could miss the rest of the season.
Fenner has been Maryland's main deep threat this year, averaging 29.8 yards a
catch.
On the other side of the ball, Maryland's defense will try to slow down Virginia
quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-37
loss to North Carolina State on Nov. 1. Schaub, a preseason Heisman candidate
and the ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2002, missed three games this season
because of a shoulder separation. He has completed 71.7 percent of his passes
while throwing for 1,925 yards and 13 touchdowns. Statistically, the Terps'
defense is the league's best against the pass, giving up 185 yards a contest.
"We're facing two of the best [quarterbacks] in the country the next two games,"
said Maryland defensive coordinator Gary Blackney, who will have to prepare for
N.C. State's Philip Rivers next week. "It's going to be a great challenge. We've
got veteran kids, and at times I think we've played pretty well, but I don't
think we've been tested like we're going to be tested tonight."
NOTES: Running back Bruce Perry won't dress for tonight's game because of a
sprained ankle. Josh Allen will start, but J.P. Humber and Mario Merrills will
also see action. Friedgen said he may use freshman Lance Ball, who is currently
redshirting. ... Kevin Ross, son of former Maryland coach Bobby Ross, is the
running backs coach at Virginia. ... If Maryland wins, the Terps will finish
with an undefeated home record for just the 19th time in 111 seasons. ... Nick
Novak needs 16 points in Maryland's final three games to become the school's
all-time leading scorer. ... Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson has 100 tackles through
nine games this year, three more than E.J. Henderson had at the same point last
season.
No Common Ground
They Battle for Position in the ACC. They Compete for Recruits. Most of All,
Maryland and Virginia Fight Just to Beat Each Other
By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2003; Page D01
Intent on bolstering tonight's Maryland-Virginia game, officials from both
schools this spring discussed resurrecting the Tydings Trophy, which more than
50 years ago was given annually to the game's winner. The Cavaliers nixed the
idea this summer because of the "uncertainty about the series" in light of ACC
expansion, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said.
Truth be told, this series needs no added fuel. Enough intensity or contention
exists on numerous fronts, including in yearly backyard recruiting battles and
the not-so-distant memory of Virginia's 35-point rout of the Terrapins last
November.
"It's actual dislike," said Maryland offensive lineman Lamar Bryant. "It's not
like a common dislike for your opponent. It's actual no respect whatsoever for
each other. Basically it is going to be a border war Thursday night."
Two coaches, Virginia's Al Groh and Maryland's Ralph Friedgen, lead their alma
maters into Byrd Stadium tonight for the next installment of a series dominated
by streaks since 1969. The Terps had won 16 straight against Virginia during the
1970s and 80s; the Cavaliers have won 12 of the past 15 meetings. Now, both
teams are competitive.
"Having won the league title [in 2001], Maryland certainly has established
itself nationally," Littlepage said. "We're on the move back. . . . It has added
another dimension."
Although Virginia Tech is the Cavaliers' primary rival, the Maryland-Virginia
game always has been a highly anticipated date, both because of geography and
familiarity. Ask former Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore, who grew up a Maryland
fan and decided between the two schools in the mid-1980s. "Every day I have a
reminder of that 1990 game," said Moore, who wears a scar from a broken hand
suffered on the final play of the Terps' 35-30 victory over the Cavaliers that
year. "Maryland is responsible."
Ask former Virginia cornerback Dwayne Stukes, whose team earned a 34-30 regular
season-ending comeback victory against the Terps in 1999 to deny them a bowl
bid: "Usually it is toward the end of the season so there is a lot on the line.
. . . Nine out of 10 times you are going to play someone you know. You want a
chance to say, 'We won.' "
Maryland defensive tackle Robert Armstrong is one player who nearly wound up
wearing the opponent's uniform, having initially signed with Virginia out of
high school. Armstrong spent last fall at Fork Union Military Academy and wanted
to enroll in a four-year school for the spring. He said Maryland had room,
Virginia did not.
"If you go to Maryland, you hate Virginia," Armstrong said. "You go to Virginia,
you hate Maryland. That is just how it is. They are down there and think they
are all that. We're up here and we're proving that we're all that. They have not
proven anything."
Tight end Vernon Davis, who committed to Maryland last winter, said Virginia was
one of the programs that tried to pry him away from the Terps by saying that the
NCAA would impose harsh penalties because of a self-reported recruiting
violation. Davis said he did not listen to what "they were feeding me."
"I don't think it was right because what does it matter about probation," Davis
said. "If I make that decision, let me make it. They shouldn't say anything to
keep me from going to a school just because they are on probation." Davis's
grandmother, Adaline, said Monday that she has no hard feelings toward Virginia
because "they had a job to do."
Friedgen also took no offense, saying: "If [negative recruiting] bothered me,
I'd be in big trouble because it happens all the time. . . . It's like a wounded
animal; you're out there with predators, they are going to come after you."
When asked if competition for recruits will add another dimension to the
rivalry, Groh said: "I'm sure it does for the players -- the players on each
side who were recruited by both teams. It doesn't for me, because you realize
that in recruiting, year after year, most of the schools in the same
geographical area, you're going to go after many of the same players. I'm much
more concerned about the competition on the field."
Off the field, Groh took a subtle dig last season at Maryland's nonconference
schedule, saying maybe it is time to schedule Wofford -- whom the Terps faced
last season -- to help his team's postseason chances.
In a more recent off-the-field development involving the schools, Maryland
President Dan Mote caused a fuss last month among Virginia students when he
reportedly criticized Virginia's academic ranking at a Board of Regents meeting.
Mote later wrote a letter to Maryland's student newspaper, in which he said he
regretted that he had offended Virginia.
Directly beneath Mote's apology, though, was another letter that read in part:
"I am a 1994 Maryland grad, and I hate the University of Virginia." So much for
a truce.
Mote's incident was news to Friedgen, who clearly has embraced the rivalry and
would much prefer to concentrate on stopping Virginia's short-yardage passing
game. At stake for Maryland (6-3, 3-2) is a chance to stay in the hunt for a
share of the ACC title, avenge last year's defeat and improve on an 18-1 home
record under Friedgen.
Friedgen has told the team that "we need to play with a little more than what we
play with on Saturdays," Bryant said. Maryland's motivation is not lost on Groh,
who has emphasized to his team (5-4, 3-3) how hungry the Terps will be, said
Cavaliers defensive end Chris Canty.
"There is a rivalry growing," Canty said. "I attribute that from guys being from
the area. It's a competitive thing: 'We're better than your school.' 'No, we're
better than your school.' "
Tydings Trophy or not, let the 68th chapter unfold.
Said Armstrong: "It's going to be a show."
Cavs seek redemption
Defense hopes to show poor effort against Pack was aberration
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 13, 2003
VIRGINIA AT MARYLAND
TODAY: 7:30 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - ESPN; Radio - WRVA (1140), 7 p.m.
Virginia's defense can't be held responsible for all 51 points N.C. State rang
up Nov. 1. The Wolfpack, after all, scored two defensive touchdowns in its
14-point victory over the Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Still, U.Va.'s defense had more breakdowns than it cares to remember against
State. Coordinator Al Golden's group recovered two fumbles, but it also allowed
five touchdowns and a field goal, surrendered 553 yards, intercepted no passes
and recorded no sacks.
"Defensively, we didn't meet the challenges we wanted to meet," senior
cornerback Almondo Curry said.
And so U.Va. suffered another setback in a season that began with such promise.
Virginia, which was No. 18 in The Associated Press preseason poll, finds itself
at a crossroads with three regular-season games remaining. The first comes
tonight in College Park, Md., where U.Va. (3-3, 5-4) takes on ACC rival Maryland
(3-2, 6-3) at Byrd Stadium.
The Cavaliers haven't played since losing to N.C. State. The Terrapins (30.1 ppg)
rank third in the ACC in scoring offense, so for U.Va. to win tonight, its
defense probably must show its performance against State was an aberration.
Junior defensive end Chris Canty, for one, believes that's the case.
"On the one side, for a defense, we made a lot of mistakes," Canty said.
"However, on seeing those mistakes, we're this close - this close - to being a
really good defense."
Maryland's defense has no such holes in its resume. Among ACC teams, the
Terrapins rank No. 1 in total defense and pass defense, No. 2 in scoring defense
and No. 3 in rushing defense. Maryland also averages an ACC-best 3.11 sacks per
game.
Throw in the Terps' stellar special teams, led by punter Adam Podlesh, kicker
Nick Novak and return man Steve Suter, and it's easy to see why Virginia coach
Al Groh is anxious about tonight's matchup.
"They don't give up very many long plays," Groh said. "Their team eventually
gets the ball in an advantageous field position. They're a strong running team.
They're able to keep the ball, make first downs that add to whatever yardage the
punter's going to make right now. That kind of conduct generally has the
opponent at a disadvantage throughout most of the game."
After averaging 37.2 points during a five-game winning streak, Maryland scored
only three in its Oct. 23 loss at Georgia Tech. Nine days later, however, the
Terps rang up 59 in a rout of North Carolina.
"I know one's not representative," Groh said of Maryland's scoring totals in
those games. "I hope the other one isn't."
A season ago, Maryland carried a No. 18 national ranking and an eight-game
winning streak into Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers weren't impressed. They
hammered the Terps early and rolled to a stunning 48-13 victory.
"It still bothers me today," said Ralph Friedgen, Maryland's third-year coach.
Rest assured, it bothers Friedgen's players, too.
"They're going to be hyped up," Canty said. "It's going to be an electric
atmosphere, and we have to get ready for that."
ESPN will televise tonight's game, and that "definitely makes it exciting to
play under the lights," Canty said. "A national audience gets to see what we can
do. But it's about us. It's about us going out and executing the game plan and
playing hard for each other."
Maryland will be missing at least one of its playmakers on offense. Sophomore
wideout Derrick Fenner, a Hampton High graduate who averages 29.8 yards per
reception, had an appendectomy this week. Also, Friedgen said, oft-injured
tailback Bruce Perry, the ACC's offensive player of the year in 2001, is
doubtful because of a sprained ankle.
Like U.Va., Maryland was ranked in the preseason but no longer resides in the
top 25. Friedgen said the teams still have ample motivation.
"Any time a game is on national television, and because we are very competitive
with Virginia, I would be kidding if I didn't say that this wasn't an important
game for both teams," Friedgen said. "I know there are a lot of kids out there
looking to see how we play and also how Virginia plays."