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Cavaliers Return to ACC Play vs. Maryland
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Game 8: Saturday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.
Virginia Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0 ACC/No. 19 BCS, No. 24 USA Today) vs. Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 1-1 ACC)
Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium (51,500), College Park, Md.
Game Day Information
Surface: Natural Grass
Series vs. Maryland: 28-41-2
Television: ESPN2
Radio: Virginia Sports Network
Satellite Radio: XM Radio Ch. 191
Live Statistics: virginiasports.com
TV Coverage
This game is being televised nationally on ESPN2. Mark Jones (play-by-play), Bob Davie (analyst) and Stacey Dales (sidelines) call the action.
Radio Coverage
All Virginia games are broadcast on the Virginia Sports Network, originating at WINA/WWWV in Charlottesville. Mac McDonald calls the play-by-play. He is joined in the broadcast booth by former Cavalier great Frank Quayle, the 1968 ACC Player of the Year. Former UVa quarterback Tim Sherman reports from the sidelines.
ACC Schedule Resumes
Virginia returns to its conference schedule after a three-week hiastus Saturday night against Maryland in College Park. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
Following a season-opening loss, the Cavaliers have won six in a row, the sixth-longest streak in the country. They have also made their first appearance in the pollsNo. 19 in the BCS poll and No. 24 in the USA Today coaches poll.
UVa and Virginia Tech share the Coastal Division lead with 3-0 ACC records.
Maryland is coming off a bye week. The Terrapins have won two straight and are 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC.
6 Things You Need To Know
DE Chris Long has been named a Mid-Season All-American by Rivals, SportsIllustrated.com and Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
Long and DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald have combined for 12 sacks and 20 TFLs
Virginia has four wins of six points or fewer, the most in the country
Virginia has a six-game winning streak, its longest in five years
Chris Gould has kicked the game-winning field goal in the closing moments of the last two games
TEs Tom Santi, Jonathan Stupar and John Phillips have combined to catch 53 passes for 540 yards and six touchdowns this season
The Series vs. the Terrapins
Virginia has won 11 of the last 15 meetings, but Maryland holds a big 41-28-2 series advantage
The Terps also own a 20-10-2 mark in College Park
Maryland rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to win 28-26 in Charlottesville last season, its second win in a row over Virginia
Maryland hasn’t won three in a row in the series since a 16-game winning streak from 1972-87
UVa’s 34-30 fourth quarter win in 1999 is its most recent win in College Park
Virginia used big first quarters to win in 1999 (17 points) and 2000 (21 points), but since then the Cavaliers have scored just 10 first quarter pointsall came last year
Overall, Virginia has scored just 66 points combined in the first quarter of the last 15 meetings vs. the Terps
Virginia has scored 86 points in the opening quarter this year (12.3 avg.)
The Cavaliers and Terps have played each other every season since 1957, the second-longest current streak for a Virginia opponent behind North Carolina. (The Tar Heels have been a mainstay on UVa’s schedule every year Virginia has fielded a team since 1910)
Virginia and Maryland have met 71 times on the gridiron, making the Terps the fourth-most played opponent in UVa history (Virginia has faced North Carolina a record 112 times).
While coaching at Wake Forest, UVa head coach Al Groh led the Demon Deacons to a 27-21 win over the Terps in College Park in 1986
UVa defensive line coach Levern Belin was the defensive line coach on Ron Vanderlinden’s staff at Maryland from 1999-2000
UVa Ground Game Key to Victory
When the Cavaliers are able to run the ball, they increase their chances to win against Maryland
The last time the Cavaliers won they rushed for 295 yards, their fourth-highest total ever against Maryland, to gain a 16-0 win three years ago
In last season’s loss UVa rushed for 181 yards, ending a streak of 10 consecutive series wins with at least 150 yards
Overall UVa is 20-8 since 1937 when gaining at least 150 rushing yards
By contrast, when Virginia is unable to run the ball, Maryland typically comes out on top
Virginia has lost 15 consecutive games to Maryland when rushing for less than 100 yards going back to 1957
Since 57 UVa has averaged 215.7 yards rushing in wins over the Terps and 113.9 yards in losses
Since 1937 the team with the most rushing yards is 53-5 and won all 38 meetings from 1937-86. The only years the loser had more occurred in 1987-90-98-99-2006
Defense Typically Tough vs. Terps
Another factor that has enabled the Cavaliers to win 11 of the last 15 meetings against Maryland is an ability to hold the Terrapin offense in check
Virginia has held Maryland under 380 yards of offense 14 times since 1988 and won 12 of those games
During UVa’s nine-game winning streak (1992-2000), the Cavaliers allowed an average of 113.8 yards on the ground and 183.4 through the air to the Terps
Overall, Maryland has topped 200 yards rushing only four times since 1987 (1999, 2001, 03, 05). The Terps have also thrown 23 interceptions and allowed 31 quarterback sacks vs. UVa since 1992
Long Winning Streak
The Cavaliers have won their last six games, their longest winning streak since they had a six-game run in 2002
The winning streak is tied for the sixth-longest current streak in the country
The school record for consecutive wins in a season is seven (1914, 49, 90)
Winning the Close Ones
One characteristic of this year’s Cavalier squad is its ability to win the close games
Four of the Cavaliers’ six wins have been by six points or fewer
UVa’s average margin of victory is currently 8.5 points, fourth closest among teams with at least four wins
UVa is the only team with as many as four wins by five points or fewer; only three other teams have at least three wins by six points or fewer (Ala., ECU, UTEP)