Cavs go ice cold at Maryland
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© November 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland got its revenge. As an added bonus, the Terrapins even got to serve it up ice cold.

Maryland held off slumping Virginia 27-17 at frigid Byrd Stadium, damaging the Cavaliers’ bowl hopes, plunging them deeper in the ACC standings and flattening their record at 5-5.

The weather conditions — 38 degrees and plunging at kickoff, with wind gusts of 38 mph — suggested it wasn’t going to be Virginia’s night.

The Cavaliers (5-5, 3-4 ACC) move the ball primarily through the air, and it was no night for precision passing.

“We made a plan to run,” receiver Ottowa Anderson said. “We had some success early. We just didn’t have enough.”

Virginia managed just 108 rushing yards. Quarterback Matt Schaub couldn’t make up the difference, passing for 186, nearly 100 below his average.

Maryland, better equipped to play a power game, had the added incentive of wanting to avenge an embarrassing 48-13 loss to Virginia in Charlottesville last year. The loss kept the Terrapins from claiming a share of the ACC title.

In their comments in the press this week, Maryland players were unusually vehement in expressing their dislike for Virginia.

The hostility surfaced in pre-game, when a handful of Terrapins disrupted Virginia’s warm-up exercises, leading to a shoving match at midfield.

Then, just before game time, the Terrapins ran halfway across the field and taunted Virginia, resulting in a 15-yard penalty assessed on the kickoff.

“I guess they needed somebody to be a rival,” Anderson said. “We just looked at it as a must-win game.”

Maryland’s pre-game energy carried over into the game. The Terrapins (7-3, 4-2) drove 80 yards into the teeth of the wind to take a 7-0 lead and continued their physical dominance throughout the first half, and for most of the second.

Tailback Josh Allen, helped by an 80-yard scoring run in the second quarter, piled up 154 yards by halftime. He finished with 257, on 38 carries.

The 80-yard play loomed large when Virginia was able to climb back into the game in the third quarter.

Trailing 24-7 at halftime, Virginia elected to take the wind, and not the ball, to open the second half.

The move paid off when the Cavaliers forced a Maryland punt and drove 75 yards to cut the lead to 24-14 on Alvin Pearman’s 14-yard reception from Matt Schaub.

Lance Evans blocked a Nick Novak field goal attempt to keep the margin at 10. Virginia moved to the Maryland 25, where Connor Hughes, kicking into the wind, had just enough leg to send a 43-yard field goal attempt through the uprights to make it 24-17.

Given another chance, Novak made a 45-yard field goal to push the lead to 27-17 with 3:42 left. Maryland forced a Virginia punt, and ran out the clock behind Allen before downing the ball on the Cavalier 18.

The loss, Virginia’s fourth in the last five games, drops the Cavaliers into a tie for sixth place in the ACC. Virginia needs to win one of its remaining two games to qualify for a bowl bid.

“It’s definitely a disappointing season,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “I didn’t think at this point of the season we would have five losses. But that is the case. All we can do is look forward.”

The loss had a familiar look. As they’d done in three of their previous losses, the Cavaliers allowed a scoring play of 75 yards or more. Allen appeared stopped at the line of scrimmage when he bounced outside and scored on his 80-yard run.

“We missed tackles, lost focus,” Canty said. “You can’t do that and expect to win games, against this type of competition.”

Penalties also played a part. Virginia kept Maryland’s first scoring drive alive with a late hit by linebacker Ahmad Brooks on quarterback Scott McBrien, and an offsides call.

Virginia also once again gave up field position with poor punting. Tom Hagan, kicking into the wind, had punts of 23 and 25 yards in the second quarter.

“It’s kind of frustrating,” Anderson said. “Because the things that beat us this week beat us every week.”
 

Virginia-Maryland notes
Cavs, Terrapins a textbook rivalry
By Doug Doughty

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Unlike most interstate college rivalries, most of the recent bad blood between Virginia and Maryland has existed at the academic level.

Terrapins fans have taunted Virginia teams with chants of "overrated," but Maryland president C.D. "Dan" Mote gave new meaning to the term this fall.

According to Maryland's student newspaper, The Diamondback, Mote was at a meeting of the board of regents when he took a shot at Virginia.

UVa had been rated the nation's No.1 public university by U.S. News & World Report.

"I agree they are highly overrated these days ... U.S. News & World Report places them at the top of the pile with Berkeley, which is ridiculous," said Mote, who came to Maryland from the University of California in Berkeley.

Mote's comments came up in a discussion of tuition and funding as it pertained to attracting out-of-state students.

UVa President John Casteen told The Cavalier Daily that quotes such as Mote's occasionally are taken out of context, but UVa board member William H. Goodwin didn't resist the opportunity to take a jab.

"I certainly think a college president should have more class," Goodwin told The Cavalier Daily, "but you have to expect that from Maryland."

How bad was it?

In the afternoon before the Virginia-Maryland game, the weather conditions were so severe that Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier put a premature halt to practice in nearby Ashburn, Va.

Spurrier said that 50-mph winds and cold made it "one of the three worst days" in which he had ever conducted a practice. Spurrier said the Redskins did no kicking "and, of course, you couldn't throw the ball," Spurrier told reporters.

Back at Byrd

Bobby Ross, Maryland's football coach when it won three ACC championships in the 1980s, was in College Park on Thursday to sign copies of the book "Tales From the Maryland Terrapins: A Collection of the Greatest Stories."

Ross, a VMI graduate now in retirement in Lexington, may have had divided loyalties at the game. His son, Kevin, is in his third season as the running backs coach at Virginia, and Bobby Ross attends many UVa games in person and has an open invitation to practices.

Former Maryland track captain Dave Ungrady wrote the book, the first written about the university's entire athletic program. Preliminary research could not determine if much space is devoted to Roanoke Times sportswriter Aaron McFarling, a former Terrapins baseball pitcher and bowler.

More Cup talk

Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow, who has been in the middle of a misunderstanding over the Tydings Cup once awarded to the Maryland-Virginia football winner, is now offering a new twist to the story.

"I've heard a rumor that there are actually two cups," Yow said. "I called the school archivist and if I've ever got some time on a beautiful spring day, I might wander over there and check things out."

The cup was named for one-time Maryland governor Millard Tydings, who had two close friends who were professors at Virginia. It was awarded for the last time in the late 1930s.

"I don't know exactly," said Yow, who plans to address the issue with UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage at a later date. "All I know is, neither Craig nor I was born at the time."

Cavs next week

Virginia will entertain Georgia Tech on Nov.22 at either noon or 3:30 p.m., depending on the wishes of ABC, which has exercised its six-day option. The Yellow Jackets (5-4, 3-3) are one of the ACC's most unpredictable teams. Tech had won four games in a row before falling to Duke last week, 41-17, in an upset that ended the Blue Devils' record 30-game ACC losing streak.
 

Fall class leaves UVa with solid nucleus
Coach can't understand Cavalier snub
By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

The image I take away from Virginia's fall recruiting effort is of assistant coach Walt Fuller in bermuda shorts, standing in front of the Acropolis and munching on a souvlaki, with a wide grin across his face.

I'm not sure such a photograph exists, but it does appear that UVa went the extra mile in men's basketball recruiting this fall.

It paid off, too, with a commitment from 6-foot-11 Nigerian Tunji Soroye, who is in his second year at Montrose Christian Academy in Rockville, Md.

Who knows if Soroye would have picked Virginia anyway, but Fuller was the only coach at the World Junior Championships who was there specifically to recruit Soroye, and that had to make an impression.

When former UVa assistant Tommy Herrion resigned following the 2001-2002 to become the head coach at College of Charleston, it was only natural to wonder if the Cavaliers' recruiting would suffer.

Virginia already had lost Bobby Gonzalez from head coach Pete Gillen’s original staff, which had signed a Top 10 recruiting class that included Travis Watson, Roger Mason and Majestic Mapp. Gonzalez is now the head coach at Manhattan.

When Herrion left, Gillen might have taken a gamble in some people's minds by promoting from within, but preliminary indications are that Fuller and Co. are getting the job done on the road.

Gillen hired ex-Boise State coach Rod Jensen as an X's and O's guy and left recruiting in the hands of Fuller, Alexis Sherard and Scott Shepherd.

Sherard, previously the director of basketball operations, went on the road and landed New York player of the year Gary Forbes last year and Adrian Joseph last year. At the end of the fall period, Sherard traded places with Shepherd as part of an arrangement that had been proposed as early as last year.

Of course, none of UVa's five 2002-2003 signees or this year's three fall signees has played in a college game, but it appears to be a well-rounded group of eight, with size, quickness, shooting ability and, for the most part, sound academics.

There already have been reports that current freshman J.R. Reynolds is showing potential as a defensive stopper and Soroye is a shot-blocking threat that Gillen hasn't had since Kris Hunter in his first year, 1998-99. Soroye also has been described as a player who can get up and down the floor.

There are point guards in the group (Sean Singletary and T.J. Bannister), as well as post types (Soroye, Donte Minter and Jason Cain) and wing players who can score (Forbes, Reynolds and Adrian Joseph).

It has been several years since Gillen has had such a base of young talent and now it's up to him to coach them. People joke about Gillen's coaching — and he jokes about it himself — but the Cavaliers' talent hasn’t been in the top third of the ACC for several years.

Recruiting's part of coaching, too, and Gillen always has been known for the effort he puts into it. Now. it appears that the other parts of coaching — X's and O's, game management, player development — will be the key.

JUST A FEW MINUTES talking with Virginia women’s golf coach Jan Mann, guest speaker at the recent Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame banquet, convinced me that it won't be long before that program is among the best in the country.

Mann told me that the UVa women, a first-year team with all freshmen and one fifth-year senior, are currently ranked 51st in the country out of 240 Division I women's golf teams.

(That, in itself, surprised me. I never would have believed that 240 out of approximately 320 Division I programs had women's golf teams.)

MANN STRUCK ME as a coach who knows the value of recruiting, but I was shocked to hear later in the evening that UVa was not recruiting softball sensation Angela Tincher from James River High School in Botetourt County.

Tincher, a pitcher, led James River to the Group A state championship as a junior and was named Group A player of the year, as well as Timesland player of the year. She pitched nine no-hitters last and struck out 225 batters in 101 innings.

Legendary James River boys' basketball and softball coach John Shotwell, a guest at the golf banquet, said he couldn't understand why Tincher had never heard from Virginia despite a 4.0 grade-point average and 1,210 on the SATs.

Shotwell said he tried to spark some interest and sent tape to Virginia but didn't get much of a response. Accounts of Tincher's oral commitment indicated she picked Tech over Florida State and Georgia Tech, so there is reason to believe she is an ACC-caliber player.
 

Two more chances for a quality win
By David Teel
Published November 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Ten games into a season many thought so promising, Virginia's football team has yet to post a victory of merit.

The Cavaliers' latest chance came Thursday at Maryland, where they offered little resistance in a 27-17 ACC defeat.

How little? The Terps drove 84 yards for a touchdown on the game's first possession and never relinquished control, even as winds gusting up to 38 mph made passing and kicking treacherous.

Virginia's offense could not run (108 yards on 32 attempts). Its defense could not stop the run (278 yards on 48 attempts). Need we get more technical?

Oh, the Cavaliers mustered a few moments, but defensive shortcomings rendered them short-lived.

Less than a half-minute after Virginia drew within 14-7 on quarterback Matt Schaub's 4-yard run in the second quarter, reserve tailback Josh Allen raced 80 yards for Maryland's third touchdown. No trickery or deception, just a simple handoff that exposed the Cavaliers' lack of speed, especially in the secondary.

Virginia clawed within a touchdown again at 24-17 in the fourth quarter. But Allen runs of 10 and 19 yards helped Maryland milk more than five minutes off the clock en route to a 45-yard Nick Novak field goal.

Allen, playing in place of Bruce Perry (ankle), finished with 257 yards on 38 carries. He ran past and over defenders for much of the evening, leaving the Cavaliers (5-5 overall, 3-4 ACC) still one victory shy of bowl eligibility.

And what to make of Virginia's .500 record?

Think about it, Cavalier faithful. Of those five victories, which make you puff with pride?

Duke and North Carolina? This ain't basketball.

Western Michigan? Remove the modifier and we'll talk.

Troy State? Sorry, no relation to the men of Troy at Southern California.

The only victory approaching import was Wake Forest, at home. But the Deacons (5-5, 3-4) are 15 years removed from their last winning conference season.

With regular-season games remaining against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, Virginia has two more chances to post a quality victory. Well, maybe just one. The Yellow Jackets (5-4) appeared much-improved until last Saturday's 41-17 embarrassment at Duke. The Hokies (7-2) are a notable conquest in most any season, more so this with the Cavaliers winless in the series since 1998.

Virginia's preseason optimism centered on last season's finish, which included victories against North Carolina State and Maryland, and a Continental Tire Bowl blowout of West Virginia. This year's bowl was going to be much sexier.

Now the Cavaliers would be fortunate to backdoor their way into a postseason game at 6-6. And how much enthusiasm would such an appearance generate among fans or players?

Thursday's game figured to hinge on home-field advantage. Cliched and convenient, perhaps, but also true.

After Thursday, home teams are 21-8 in ACC games. Remove bottom-feeders Duke and North Carolina from the equation, and the record is even more striking - 19-3.

Not that conference venues are as imposing as Michigan's Big House or Oklahoma's Owen Field. It's just that when teams are this evenly matched, home fields are accentuated - few more than Maryland's Byrd Stadium. The Terps are 19-1 here, falling to Florida State last season, in Ralph Friedgen's three years as head coach.

Thursday's hearty (crazy?) crowd of 51,027 nearly filled Byrd and speaks of the exponential progress the Terps have made under Friedgen. When Friedgen took over, Maryland had qualified for one bowl in the previous 15 years. This year will mark the program's third consecutive postseason appearance.

Virginia, loser of four consecutive conference games, lacks such guarantees. Virginia lacks such progress.

Latest loss puts Cavs on thin ice
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published November 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The last time it played in conditions like these, Virginia couldn't move the sticks on offense. But on this frigid and windy night, the Cavaliers' defense simply couldn't tackle when it needed to.

Josh Allen looked more like Marcus Allen in rushing for a career-high 257 yards, 154 in the first half, as fired-up Maryland cruised to a 27-17 victory Thursday night at Byrd Stadium. Virginia fell behind 24-7 at halftime, flirted with a comeback, but ended up losing its fourth straight conference game.

In avenging last year's five-touchdown loss in Charlottesville, Maryland (7-3, 4-2) kept pace with N.C. State in second place in the ACC. The Terrapins will be in sole possession of second if the Wolfpack loses Saturday at Florida State.

After starting 3-0 in the conference, the Cavaliers (5-5, 3-4) fell into a tie for sixth place with Wake Forest. Virginia still needs one more win to become bowl-eligible.

The Cavs managed to sneak back in it in the third period. After stopping Maryland on the opening drive of the quarter, Virginia nickled-and-dimed its way downfield and cut the Terps' lead to 24-14 on Matt Schaub's 14-yard screen pass to Alvin Pearman. After gaining 293 yards in the first two quarters, the Terps had 41 in the third.

Connor Hughes' 43-yard field goal into the wind made it a 24-17 game with 9:15 left in the fourth quarter. But when Virginia most needed a stop, Maryland answered with a 45-yard field goal by Nick Novak with 3:42 left to seal it. Not only did the Terps get the points, but they ate 51/2 precious minutes off the clock.

The weather Thursday night was ideal - if you happen to be a penguin. Temperature at kickoff was 38 degrees, and it continued dropping toward freezing all night. That was bad enough, but throw in a 27-mph wind and it was similar - eerily similar for the Cavaliers - to the miserable conditions at Virginia Tech last season when U.Va. lost 21-9.

Virginia coach Al Groh chose to take the wind on the opening kickoff, and Maryland answered with an 11-play, 84-yard drive capped by Scott McBrien's 11-yard pass to Latrez Harrison. The Cavs apparently had stopped the Terps twice on third down, but on each an Ahmad Brooks penalty - first roughing the passer, then offsides - moved the chains.

There might have been another flag on the Terps' touchdown when Harrison appeared to push off cornerback Almondo "Muffin" Curry, but none was thrown.

Maryland went ahead 14-0 on Allen's first touchdown, a 1-yard run on third-and-goal with 12:16 left in the second quarter. Virginia answered with its only scoring drive of the half, which was keyed by Schaub's 62-yard screen pass to Wali Lundy and capped by Schaub's 4-yard run on a quarterback draw.

But just when the Cavaliers looked to be back in it, Allen took them out of it again. Taking a handoff behind the right side of the line, Allen had no room. But before a Virginia defender could lay a glove on him, he bounced outside and ran down the right sideline 80 yards for a touchdown.

Just like that, it was a two-touchdown game again.

Novak's 33-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining made it 24-7 at halftime.

This had become an emotional rivalry recently, fueled by misleading - if not erroneous - comments attributed last year to Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen. Some Terrapin players thought the Cavaliers rubbed it in a bit last year during a 48-13 victory in Charlottesville that knocked Maryland out of a tie for first.

Maryland came in with a banged-up running game. Bruce Perry, a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore, missed his third game of the season with a sprained ankle. Also out was Sam Maldonado, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament on Nov. 1 against North Carolina.

The Terrapins were without wideout Derrick Fenner, who averages 29.6 yards a catch, as well. Fenner, a Hampton High graduate, underwent an appendectomy Monday and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.
 

Notre Dame contacts ACC
Source says school 'is fishing;' ACC officials apparently surprised to hear from Irish
RON GREEN JR.
Staff Writer

Does Notre Dame want to join the ACC now?

Less than two months after Notre Dame dismissed ACC overtures about becoming the league's 12th member, the school has contacted conference officials to explore possibilities should its football program decide to finally join a conference.

"They're fishing," a league source said Thursday of Notre Dame's recent inquiry.

Notre Dame also has contacted the Big Ten Conference, according to a story in USA Today.

Kevin White, Notre Dame athletics director, issued a statement saying the school will continue to "monitor the landscape" regarding possible conference affiliation. The ACC had discussions with Notre Dame officials about joining the league during its expansion process earlier this year. After accepting Miami and Virginia Tech, Notre Dame was considered as a 12th member until the ACC could not gain a promise from Irish officials that it would join as a football member.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford issued a statement saying the league had not initiated discussions with any schools about possible future expansion but acknowledged the league had received informal inquiries from unnamed schools.

Notre Dame's football program is independent, though many of the school's other sports are members of the Big East.

"They're apparently re-thinking that," the source said.

The Irish are apparently in no hurry to make a decision but, after seeing a dramatic shift in conference affiliations, the school is re-considering its options.

There is also a question of whether Notre Dame will be included in the next BCS contract after the existing one expires in 2005. Television ratings for Notre Dame football have declined over the past decade as the team has become a more inconsistent contender for the national championship.

ACC officials apparently were surprised to hear from Notre Dame after recently adding Boston College as a 12th member. While still waiting to find out when Boston College will join the league officially, ACC leaders might have to consider whether adding Notre Dame as a 13th member would be feasible.

"They had a golden opportunity six weeks ago if they wanted to join," the source said. "They're throwing the line out there, and getting a conference to take them may not be the slam dunk they think it is."
 

Allen, Terps burn Virginia, earn 27-17 win
Back rushes for 257 yards on 38 carries as Maryland avenges last year's loss; 257 is 3rd best in UM history; 'I wanted to carry the load tonight,' Allen says
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Kevin Van Valkenburg
Sun Staff
Originally published November 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK - Two games ago, Josh Allen was a forgotten man. Standing on the sideline in Atlanta, Maryland's sophomore running back was little more than a spectator during the Terps' loss to Georgia Tech.

His line that night: five carries, zero yards.

Last night, he rushed his way into the Maryland history books.

Allen ran for 257 yards on 38 carries, and the Terps needed every one of them as they jumped out to a big lead and held on for dear life in an emotional 27-17 victory over Virginia in front of 51,027 at Byrd Stadium.

Allen's 257 yards were the third-best, single-game total in school history, and his 38 carries were the fifth most by a Maryland (7-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) running back. It was a heavy workload, but a necessary one. Maryland lost both Bruce Perry and Sam Maldonado to injury in its 59-21 win over North Carolina on Nov. 1.

"I've been a Josh Allen fan my whole life," said Terps coach Ralph Friedgen. "He hasn't maybe put [big] numbers up, but that's because we've had other good backs. A lot of people think he's underrated as a result. I don't."

Said Allen: "I wanted to carry the load tonight. I was shocked to find out [how many yards I had]. I tip my hat to the offensive line. They made it happen."

The win was just the second for Maryland in 11 years against the Cavaliers (5-5, 3-4), who throttled the Terps, 48-13, last season in Charlottesville.

"We remembered how it felt last year," said Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien, who threw an 11-yard touchdown to Latrez Harrison on Maryland's opening drive. "It really hurt. We watched that game film so many times. All week, that was motivation to play well tonight."

For the first 30 minutes, Maryland absolutely steam-rolled Virginia. The Terps ran the ball with power, passed with precision, and gang-tackled on defense. Leading 24-7 at halftime, it looked like Maryland would cruise to its second straight blowout win.

But everything changed when the two teams came out of the locker room. Virginia scored 10 straight points to close to within 24-17, and the Terps' offense went nowhere.

But Allen, and Maryland's offensive line, simply wouldn't let it slip away when it counted. In the fourth quarter, with the Terps clinging to the lead, he rushed for 35 yards on what turned out to be the game's most crucial drive. Nick Novak kicked a 45-yard field goal with 3:42 to play to give Maryland some breathing room, and when the Terps held, forcing a punt, Maryland never gave up the ball again as Allen rushed for 45 yards to run out the clock.

"Josh Allen is a quality back," said Virginia coach Al Groh. "He did a great job tonight. He was faster than the guys that were chasing him, certainly. That was painfully evident as I had to stand there and watch him."

As usual, Maryland looked sharp at the beginning of the game, moving the ball 84 yards on their opening drive. When McBrien hit Harrison on a short out-pattern in the end zone, it was the ninth time in 10 games that the Terps have taken a first-quarter lead.

Virginia didn't do itself any favors on the drive. Twice the Cavaliers stopped the Terps' offense on third down, but an personal foul by Ahmad Brooks for roughing the passer, and an offside penalty, let Maryland keep the ball.

The Terps made it 14-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Allen in the second quarter, but it was Jafar Williams that made the difference on the drive, hauling in a 41-yard pass at the 6.

Virginia answered with a 4-yard touchdown run by Matt Schaub to make it 14-7, but on the next play, Allen gave his historic night a jump-start. On a play Maryland calls 42 Lead, Allen took a handoff at the 20, cut to his right and appeared to be stuffed at the line. But the sophomore kept his feet churning, bounced outside, and he didn't stop until he crossed the goal line 80 yards later.

"I thought he was tackled," McBrien said. "I was ready to walk back to the [huddle] when I saw him running down the sideline. ... Before the game, we were joking back and forth. I said, 'How about 100 yards tonight, Josh?' He told me, 'How about 200?' "

It was a different story in the third quarter as the Terps managed just 18 yards on the ground, and Schaub hit Alvin Pearman for a 14-yard touchdown. Virginia blocked a field goal attempt by Novak, then added a 43-yard field goal by Connor Hughes at the start of the fourth to make it 24-17. But from there it was all Allen.

"Josh had an unbelievable night," Friedgen said. "They were putting seven and eight men in the box, and he was still running the ball."

Offensive line takes a stand for Terrapins
Mike Preston

COLLEGE PARK - When the University of Maryland ran up 612 yards of total offense 12 days ago against North Carolina, no one knew if the Tar Heels' defense was that bad, or if the Terps' offensive line had improved significantly.

And then came last night. Guess what? The Terps' line is healthy, happy and playing as well as can be expected for a group that has missed so much playing time together.

Maryland's offensive line of tackles Stephon Heyer, Eric Dumas, guards C.J. Brooks, Lamar Bryant and center Kyle Schmitt controlled the line of scrimmage early and late in Maryland's 27-17 win against Virginia last night at Byrd Stadium.

It was an offensive lineman's dream game, especially in the first half when Maryland had 293 yards of total offense, and the Terps bolted to a 24-7 halftime lead. The Terps' offense was so balanced because Maryland's offensive line was in such control.

The Terps rushed for 181 yards in the first half, 154 from Josh Allen, who finished with 257 for the game, the third-best single-game total in Maryland history. Allen finished with a 6.8-yards-per-carry average, and Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen with a smile.

"How about that offensive line?" said Friedgen, whose Terps finished 6-0 at home this season. "They did a nice job. When a running back puts up those kinds of numbers, it's good to be part of something like that. Josh Allen obviously had an unbelievable night. I thought our offensive line blocked very, very well.

"[Virginia] is a team that, as I said at Tuesday's press conference, had done a great job stopping the run with a seven-man box. They must have heard the press conference because they were putting eight people in the box the whole night."

After the Terps failed to mount any substantial drives in the third quarter, the offensive line helped Allen and the offense grind out yards and time late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Virginia pulled within 24-17 with 9:15 left in the game, but Maryland answered with a 10-play, 45-yard scoring drive that ended with a 45-yard field goal from Nick Novak with 3:42 remaining. Allen ran behind Brooks for 10 yards for a critical first down on one play, and then ran for 19 more behind Brooks again down to the Cavaliers' 29 on the next play.

Maryland finished the way it started. With the running game going so smoothly in the first half, Maryland's play-action game was superb and Terps quarterback Scott McBrien was comfortable in running everything from waggles to bootlegs as he threw for 112 yards in the first two quarters, and finished with 191 for the game, completing 14 of 21 passes.

It was the second consecutive solid effort by the Terps' offensive line, and signaled that the group has returned from a season of injuries and frustration. How frustrating?

At one point this season, Friedgen criticized the group publicly, and advertised to possible incoming recruits that they should come to Maryland, where they might get a chance to play immediately.

That was gutsy and bold, but also true. There were several times this season when Maryland's offensive line was decimated by injuries and morale problems. The injuries came early. Very early.

Bryant, the team's best lineman and emotional leader, broke his right foot in training camp. His replacement, Ed Tyler, had to leave the starting lineup the second week of the season with a leg infection. So did his replacement, Akil Patterson, who sprained his ankle in the second game against Florida State. That left Maryland playing with a fourth-string guard starting at one point.

Even when Maryland did get Bryant back against West Virginia in Game No. 4, he was slowed but played with an injured shoulder, and Brooks was hindered by turf toe. Once the Terps struggled against Georgia Tech on national television on Oct. 23 in a 7-3 loss, Friedgen had enough.

Friedgen, a former offensive lineman and line coach, started going to offensive-line meetings during the week, not to coach the players, but to create some intensity. Against North Carolina, he came out so fired up that he started head-butting Bryant. Then he started bumping chests with other players. The only thing missing for Friedgen was gear.

He got the Terps excited, but the North Carolina game was considered a fluke because the Tar Heels have one of, if not the worst, defenses in college football. But last night, the Terps proved themselves again.

The offensive line gave a strong effort in the first half, but seemed to lose its rhythm in the third quarter. But on the next to last offensive series, it helped power Allen and the Terps to victory. "Those two runs helped us put them [Virginia] away," said Friedgen.

Schmitt said: "After the Georgia Tech game, we were about as low as we could go. But this turnaround is just incredible. It really felt great tonight to play this way, and we just want to keep it like this. The offensive line was not going to give in tonight. With the forecast being what it was, we were excited. The offensive line really likes to play in this kind of weather."

It was a big win for Maryland, not just because of bowl bids, but because the Terps want to establish a rivalry with Virginia.

But after three years of snubbing its nose and looking down on the Terps, Virginia might want to pay a little more attention to its neighbor on the border, and we're not talking about Virginia Tech.

Last year, Virginia coach Al Groh took a slap at Maryland's schedule because the Terps went to the Peach Bowl instead of the Cavaliers, who ended up in the Continental Tire Bowl. The two sides have butted heads over recruits and exchanged some insults, and last night players and coaches from both sides exchanged heated words at midfield before the game.

But when the game started, it was Maryland's offensive line that won the shoving match, pushing the Cavaliers around early in the game, and late in the fourth quarter when it mattered most.
 

The Defense Turns Porous
Once a Strength, Cavs Shredded for 469 Yards by Terps
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, November 14, 2003; Page D12

Through eight games this season, Virginia's defense was perhaps its greatest strength. Despite playing nearly three full games without star quarterback Matt Schaub, the Cavaliers earned five wins behind a defense that allowed just 16.6 points per game and posted two shutouts.

But those stingy statistics began to fall apart 12 days ago in a last-minute loss at North Carolina State when Virginia allowed 51 points and 553 yards. In last night's 27-17 loss at Maryland the numbers took another blow, as the Terrapins piled up 293 yards in the first half and finished with 469.

That initial surge gave Maryland (7-3, 4-2) a 24-7 lead that proved too large for Virginia (5-5, 3-4) to overcome. The Cavaliers pulled within seven points with a second-half rally but couldn't avoid their fourth loss in five games.

"We gave it a good go, but in our business you don't get medals for trying," Virginia Coach Al Groh said. "It's just another chapter in the same story.

"Players played hard and put a lot into the game. . . . They showed the same kind of resolve to fight back as they have in all sorts of circumstances, but once again we made it too hard on ourselves."

The loss dropped the Cavaliers into a tie for sixth place in the ACC and effectively killed their hopes for a berth in the Peach or Tangerine bowls. With only Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech left on the regular season schedule, Virginia still needs another win to become eligible for a postseason bid.

The Virginia defense often was its own worst enemy last night, committing crucial penalties and letting Terrapins shake off tackles and get open for long pass plays.

On the first drive of the fourth quarter, for example, Maryland faced third and 12 from its 18, leading 24-14. Latrez Harrison caught a short slant pass as Virginia defensive end Chris Canty closed in for a tackle that would have forced the Terps to punt the ball deep in their own territory. But instead of bringing Harrison down, Canty ended up only slinging him toward the sideline, away from the rest of the defense. Harrison gained 45 yards, and though the drive ended without a score, Virginia had to begin its next drive at its 29.

"Mainly I'm upset with myself," Canty said. "If we make that play, that could have gotten our offense the ball back [sooner]. It was a pivotal moment in the game and I take full responsibility for that."

Said tailback Alvin Pearman: "Week to week, we're real frustrated now. We're frustrated with ourselves, with our performance. And we're frustrated with our effort. I mean, it's just the same thing week to week and we're tired of it."

Cavaliers Notes: Schaub (13 of 26 for 186 yards) pushed to the top of Virginia's career passing list, boosting his total to 6,661 yards, 32 more than Shawn Moore. Moore's career records for touchdown passes (55) and total offense (7,897) are the only major team records left for Schaub to break, though the latter mark seems well beyond his reach. . . . The Cavaliers wore "CW" decals on their helmets in honor of teammate Carson Ward, who was hospitalized after suffering a head injury in an on-campus fight on Nov. 1.
 

Cavaliers turtle-waxed
Terrapins' Allen runs for 257 yards, 2 TDs; U.Va. falls for the fourth time in five games
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Virginia's second-half comeback added a dash of drama to a one-sided contest, but Maryland didn't lose its composure - or the game.

The Terrapins saw their 17-point halftime lead trimmed to seven in the fourth quarter last night. The Cavaliers got no closer. Nick Novak, a graduate of Albemarle High School whom U.Va. didn't recruit, drilled a 45-yard field goal with 3:42 left, and that sent Maryland off with a 27-17 victory before an ESPN audience and 51,027 chilled fans at Byrd Stadium.

The conditions were much like those Virginia encountered last season at Lane Stadium: bitter cold with high winds. The Cavaliers ended the 2002 regular season with a 21-9 loss at Virginia Tech, and they didn't enjoy themselves last night, either.

The loss was the fourth in five games for Virginia (3-4, 5-5), which fell into a tie for sixth in the ACC with Wake Forest. Maryland (4-2, 7-3) climbed into a tie for second with N.C. State.

Sophomore Josh Allen, ordinarily the Terrapins' second-team tailback, started last night because of an injury to former ACC offensive player of the year Bruce Perry. Allen almost single-hand- edly destroyed U.Va, carrying 38 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

His most memorable run was an 80-yard TD jaunt midway through the second quarter. After taking a handoff from Scott McBrien, Allen appeared to get stopped at the line of scrimmage. He broke free, though, and sprinted untouched to the end zone to stun the Cavaliers, who moments earlier had closed to 14-7.

Allen's run was the fourth play of 75 or more yards U.Va. has allowed this season.

"Same story every week," said junior defensive end Brennan Schmidt. "We're just beating ourselves with those big plays."

For Virginia, senior quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 186 yards to overtake Shawn Moore (6,629) and become Virginia's career passing leader. Schaub has 6,661 yards passing for his career.

A season ago, the Cavaliers embarrassed 18th-ranked Maryland 48-13 at Scott Stadium. The Terrapins wanted to avenge that loss "more than anybody can every imagine," McBrien said.

Maryland won for the second time in the teams' past three meetings.

The Terrapins led 24-7 at the break, and they got the ball to open the second half after U.Va. coach Al Groh, wanting the wind at his team's back, opted to have Kurt Smith kick off. Virginia had won the pregame coin toss, and Smith kicked to open the first half, too.

After Maryland's first second-half drive stalled, the Cavaliers turned to tailback Alvin Pearman, and the junior from Charlotte, N.C., injected life into a struggling offense.

Pearman first broke several tackles on a 15-yard pass play that moved U.Va. to Maryland 39. Then he ran on four of the next five plays, picking up 25 yards. Finally, Pearman took another screen pass 14 yards to score with 6 minutes left in the third period. Connor Hughes' extra point made it 24-14.

The first play of the fourth quarter seemed to dash Virginia's comeback hopes. On third and 12 from Maryland's 18, McBrien threw a flanker screen to wideout Latrez Harrison, who ran into U.Va. defenders around the 22, spun loose and sprinted down the right sideline for a 45-yard gain. The Cavaliers' defense stiffened, though, and 6-4 safety Lance Evans blocked Novak's 47-yard field goal attempt.

On the ensuing series, star tight end Heath Miller, who had no catches to that point, finally broke free, and Schaub spotted him for a 39-yard gain to the Maryland 23.

A second-down run by Pearman gained 6 yards, but a holding penalty moved Virginia back to the 25, and on came Hughes for a 43-yard attempt into the wind. Hughes didn't blink, and his field goal made it 24-17 with 9:15 remaining.

On the next drive, Virginia tackled Harrison for a 4-yard loss on a third-down pass, but Novak connected from 45 yards to seal the Terrapins' victory.

Maryland seized the advantage immediately last night, driving 84 yards for a touchdown on the opening series. Two third-down penalties on linebacker Ahmad Brooks helped a Maryland offense that required no assistance against a porous U.Va. defense. The drive ended on McBrien's 11-yard touchdown pass to Harrison.

Trailing 14-0, the Cavaliers finally broke through on their third series. On third and 10 from U.Va.'s 20, wideout Ottowa Anderson caught a short pass from Schaub and battled his way to the 31. The next two plays gained only 4 yards, but on third down, tailback Wali Lundy caught a screen pass from Schaub and ran 62 yards to the Terps' 3 before being dragged down from behind.

On third down from the 4, Schaub scored on a draw, and Hughes' extra point made it 14-7 at the 8:31 mark. But Virginia's elation proved short-lived. On Maryland's next play from scrimmage, Allen took a handoff, slowed near the line of scrimmage and then burst free around right end. He didn't stop running until he'd reached the end zone, 80 yards away.
 

Cavs' bowl hopes might be left out in the cold
JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Nov 14, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. Just in case the Virginia Cavaliers are looking for a new direction after last night's 27-17 loss at Maryland, here's a suggestion:

Go to Salt Lake City and take a sharp right.

If the Cavs thought it was cold inside Byrd Stadium, just wait until they get their first taste of Jan.3 in Boise, Idaho. The Potato State and the Humanitarian Bowl are probably starting to look good to Virginia, where the alternative could well be no bowl at all.

Virginia (5-5) closes the season with two home games against Tech, the Georgia variety next weekend and the Blacksburg version the week after. The Cavs need one more win to be in position to accept a bid to any bowl, whatever the payout or prestige.

Even if the Cavaliers sweep their last two games, they've fallen behind Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Clemson in the ACC bowl pecking order and have very little chance for an upgrade.

"I wasn't even thinking about bowl games," said U.Va. coach Al Groh in his postgame press session. "I just wanted to win this game."

Maryland, now on track for a slot in either the Gator Bowl or Peach Bowl, wanted it more. The Terps have also won two of their past three games vs. Virginia, which may not sound like much until you remember that Virginia had won eight of the previous eight.

But that was before coach Ralph Friedgen began casting his large shadow inside the Capital Beltway. Completing his third season at Maryland, Friedgen's teams are 19-1 in games played at home.

Friedgen also has a well-earned reputation of being one of the best X-and-O guys in the college game, and he had a full year to stew over last season's 48-13 loss in Charlottesville, when Virginia and Groh had him strategically trumped at almost every turn.

"I don't recall," said Friedgen, "that I had to say too much to get our guys ready to play this week."

Problems that have compromised Virginia's efforts throughout the season resurfaced last night and left Groh talking about "just another chapter in the same story":

Lack of speed and discipline on defense - This was displayed most glaringly in the second period, when Maryland tailback Josh Allen appeared to be stopped for no gain at his 20-yard line. Instead, Allen popped out of a knot of players and headed upfield.
Although several Virginia defensive backs seemed to have an angle on Allen, no one came close to catching him.

Allen, a replacement for injured starter Bruce Perry, didn't stop running until he'd piled up 257 yards, more than half of the 468 he'd amassed in the Terrapins' previous nine games and the fourth-best single-game total in school history.

The Cavs kept Maryland's first scoring drive in motion when Ahmad Brooks roughed the passer after a third-down incompletion. Later in the series, Brooks handed the Terps a first down on third and 1 when he jumped offside.

"We can't be losing focus or going backward on defense," lamented lineman Chris Canty. "This is when we should be sharpening up for the stretch run."

Lack of versatility on offense - As they often do, the Cavaliers had some success running and passing the ball.
Most of U.Va.'s 108 rushing yards, however, came on passing downs or in the second half after the Terps had seized a 24-7 lead.

Virginia has had serious problems on third and short on other days. Last night, the biggest problem was first and 10. In the first half, the Cavs gained only 11 yards on their 11 first-down snaps.

As a passing team, the Cavaliers and senior quarterback Matt Schaub work the short zones about as well as anyone. Schaub's arm and his wide receivers, however, don't scare anyone deep.

Weak punting - No one who had witnessed Tom Hagan's pop-up punting on calm days this season was the least bit surprised when Hagan was overmatched by last night's three-club wind.
Hagan's two punts into the breeze in the second period were good for 25 and 23 yards. Maryland drove for a touchdown after the first and a field goal following the second.

The Cavs did fare a little better in the second half, when Maryland was a little more conservative on offense and played a little softer on defense. They didn't roll over and threw a small scare into the home team in the fourth quarter.

"We showed good resolve," Groh said, "but we need to resolve to write a different ending to this book."