COLLEGE PARK, Md. - On Saturday, No. 25 Maryland proved to the Virginia football team that slow and steady would win the race to be the king of the ACC mountain.
The Terrapins (5-0, 3-0 ACC) marched past the Cavaliers (3-2, 2-1) and into first place in the conference, 41-21, behind a stifling defense and an efficient offense. Maryland manufactured six scoring drives that averaged 10 plays and three minutes, 51 seconds each by gaining 243 yards on the ground. Terrapin freshman Bruce Perry led Maryland's running backs with 143 yards rushing and a touchdown, including a 45-yard scamper that set up Maryland's first score in the second quarter.
Maryland's running backs "ran harder than we tackled," Virginia coach Al Groh said.
Virginia's ground game, however, never got off its feet. A stalwart Maryland defense frustrated Cavalier running backs Arlen Harris and Tyree Foreman all day long. By the end of the first half, the Cavaliers had only 1 yard rushing on 15 attempts. Virginia managed a mere 64 yards more in the second half.
The Terrapin defense "just put a lot of pressure on the running game and the quarterback before we could even get started," Harris said. "They were blitzing and disrupting our offense the whole game. They did a good job coming weak side and we weren't able to pick it up."
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But while Virginia's ground game sputtered, the Cavaliers' air attack boomed. After replacing quarterback Bryson Spinner to start the second quarter, sophomore Matt Schaub completed 20 of 33 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. With the Cavaliers trailing, 10-0, in the last five minutes of the first half, Schaub hit junior wide receiver Billy McMullen with three consecutive passes, the last for 63 yards, to lead Virginia to its first touchdown. Schaub continued to shred the Maryland defense with quick strikes and long bombs in the third quarter, and closed a 24-7 Virginia halftime deficit to three points, 24-21, by the start of the fourth quarter. McMullen led Virginia receivers for the fifth game in a row with 11 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.
"I think we got into a good rhythm as a unit and put some good drives together and made some plays," Schaub said.
As the eager Virginia offense waited impatiently on the sideline for a shot to overtake the Terrapins in the fourth quarter, Maryland manufactured a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that ate up 4:38 from the clock and took the wind out of Virginia's sails.
"We felt that we had a good grasp on the game and momentum was on our side." Schaub said. "Given the opportunity, we would have the best chance to win the way we were playing on offense. [Maryland] put a good long drive there, kept us off the field, and put points on the board. So they kind of took that momentum away."
Mistakes by Virginia's special teams also contributed to the loss. Maryland free safety Curtis Williams broke through the Virginia line and blocked a Mike Abrams punt with 38 seconds left in the first half. The ball bounced into the Virginia end zone where Terrapin linebacker Leroy Ambush fell on it for the touchdown.
"I never saw [Williams] at all," Abrams said. "Everything felt like it was going smooth. The last thing know, I heard the sound of it getting blocked and I couldn't find the ball."
In the second half, E.J. Henderson blocked a Cavalier field goal attempt to protect the Maryland lead, 24-14.
Groh said the way Maryland played on Saturday was impressive. He praised Terrapin coach Ralph Friedgen for guiding his team to five straight wins and snapping Maryland's nine-game losing streak to Virginia in his inaugural season.
"I think he's done a great job," Groh said. "The record speaks for itself. How many teams in the country are 5-0"
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