Virginia's defense pitched its second shutout of the season, holding Maryland to just seven first downs and 51 rushing yards as the No. 12 Cavaliers (7-1, 4-1 ACC) knocked off Maryland (4-5, 2-4), 16-0, before a record crowd at Scott Stadium.
Senior running back Alvin Pearman amassed 170 yards on the ground one week after narrowly missing the school's single game rushing record. Junior Wali Lundy added 107 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 14 this season.
"They really did a great job," Virginia coach Al Groh said of his backs and offensive line. "To run the ball, it has to be a cohesive effort. Pretty much all 11 of them have to be on the same page, and they certainly were [Saturday]."
Thanks to its steady rushing attack, Virginia was able to control the flow of the game, holding the ball for 38 minutes and 41 seconds of possession time. The Cavaliers carried the ball for a total of 295 yards on 61 runs -- nearly four times the number of passes attempted.
"This time of the year, we have to stick with what we do best, and that's run the ball," Pearman said.
Quarterback Marques Hagans threw only 17 passes, completing 10 for 117 yards. He also threw his third interception of the season -- one of two Virginia turnovers on the day. The other came when Pearman lost his first fumble since the Cavaliers played Penn State in November 2002.
Maryland entered the game with the conference's ninth-ranked offense and mustered only 214 yards and no points against a stingy Virginia defense.
"Our defense came out with tenacity," said Cavalier nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, who had six tackles and a sack. "We came out with the mindset to be relentless and ruthless, and that's how we came out."
Saturday's contest was a striking change from last year when Terrapin tailback Josh Allen rumbled for 257 yards in a 27-17 Maryland victory. Allen managed only 39 yards this year, but Groh denied that he targeted him as a point of emphasis for the defense.
"We never mentioned that player in particular," Groh said of Allen. "What we did talk about was that we had to do a much better job against the running game in general."
The Cavalier defense recorded three sacks, including two by outside linebacker Darryl Blackstock, and forced three turnovers. Inside backer Ahmad Brooks notched the first two interceptions of his career, and cornerback Tony Franklin forced a fumble.
The Cavaliers were not flagged for a penalty while Maryland was victimized four times for 35 yards.
Virginia kicker Connor Hughes' woes continued. He missed his third extra-point of the season and hit only one of three field goal attempts. His 53-yard attempt fell short, and his try from 35 yards was blocked.
The Cavaliers remain tied with Virginia Tech atop the conference standings, and will return to action against No. 18 Miami Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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