UVa Makes Final ACC Trip to College Park Saturday to Face Maryland

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Oct. 7, 2013

Virginia and Maryland Meet For the Final Time in ACC Play
• Saturday marks the 78th all-time meeting between Virginia and Maryland. The contest will mark the 57th and final time that the Cavaliers and Terrapins will meet in ACC action as Maryland leaves for the Big Ten in 2014. The game will be televised on ESPNU and will kickoff at 3:30 p.m.

Virginia vs. Maryland
• Maryland owns a 43-32-2 record in the series, including a 20-13-2 advantage in College Park.
• Virginia has won three-consecutive games in Byrd Stadium (20-9 in 2009, 18-17 in 2007 and 31-13 in 2011).
• The Cavaliers and Terps have played every season since 1957, the second-longest current streak for a Virginia opponent behind North Carolina (1910).
• Virginia and Maryland have met 77 times on the gridiron, making the Terps the fourth-most common opponent in UVa history (Virginia has faced North Carolina 117 times).
• Virginia has won four of the last six games in the series. Three of those wins have come at Byrd Stadium.
• Since 1989 UVa is 8-4 against Maryland at Byrd Stadium and haven’t lost in College Park since at 45-33 setback in 2005.
• Since 1988, UVa is 17-8 against Maryland, including a nine game winning streak from 1992-2000.

UVa-Maryland Connections
• Virginia has 15 players from the state of Maryland on its roster (13.8 percent of roster) – Zach Bradshaw (Damascus), Vincent Croce (Olney), Alex Foertsch (Baltimore), Kirk Garner (Baltimore), Darius Jennings (Baltimore), Marco Jones (Baltimore), Micah Kiser (Baltimore), Kyrrel Latimer (Hyattsville), Andre Levrone (Laurel), Brendan Marshall (Gaithersburg), Mike Moore (Hyattsville), Sadiq Olanrewaju (Gaithersburg), Brandon Phelps (Damascus), E.J. Scott (Ellicott City) and Khalek Shepherd (Upper Marlboro).
• This will be Maryland head coach Randy Edsall’s fifth time facing Virginia – he was 1-1 against the Cavaliers while he was the head coach at Connecticut and is 1-1 as the Maryland head coach.

UVa Ground Game Key to Victory
• Virginia is 23-9 vs. Maryland since 1937 when gaining at least 150 rushing yards. UVa has rushed for at least 150 yards in 2-of-5 games in 2013.
• In 2005, the Cavaliers rushed for 295 yards, their fourth-highest total ever against Maryland, to gain a 16-0 win.
• In the 2006 loss to Maryland, UVa rushed for 181 yards, ending a streak of 10 consecutive wins with at least 150 yards rushing. Virginia also rushed for 168 yards in its 2012 loss to the Terrapins.
• In contrast, when Virginia is unable to run the ball, Maryland typically comes out on top. UVa will have its work cut out for itself as Maryland currently ranks No. 25 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in rush defense, allowing 115 yards per game.
• Prior to 2009, Virginia had lost 15-consecutive games to Maryland when rushing for fewer than 100 yards, dating back to 1957. UVa rushed for just 63 yards in 2009 and yet still came out on top.
• Since 1937 the team with the most rushing yards is 57-7 and won all 38 meetings from 1937-86. The only years the loser had more rushing yards occurred in 1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2009 and 2012.

Virginia Defense Tough vs. Terps
• Another factor that has enabled the Cavaliers to win 15 of the last 21 meetings against Maryland is an ability to hold the Terrapin offense in check.
• Virginia has held Maryland under 380 yards of offense 19 times since 1988 and won 16 of those games.
• Overall, Maryland has topped 200 yards rushing only four times since 1987 (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005).

Last Meeting (UMD 27, UVa 20)
• Virginia dropped the last meeting between these two teams on 2012 Homecomings, 27-20, at Scott Stadium.
• Stefon Diggs returned the game’s opening kick 100 yards for a touchdown to give Maryland an early 7-0 lead.
• Maryland opened the game on a 17-0 run in part to the kick return, followed by an UVa interception that turned into a short field for Maryland. The quickly scored a touchdown. On its ensuing possession UVa was forced to punt, leading to a field goal for the Terrapins, capping the 17-0 run.
• UVa mounted a comeback, going on a 20-10 run, but it wasn’t enough.
• UVa had a chance with 1:51 left and trailing by a touchdown. After a three-and-out by Maryland, the Cavaliers got the ball back at the Terrapins’ 49. Four Michael Rocco passes fell incomplete, cinching the win for Maryland.

Success Against Maryland
• A couple of Cavaliers have had success against Maryland in their careers.
• In two career games against Maryland, UVa’s Kevin Parks has rushed 31 times for 196 yards, for a 6.3 yards per rush average. He also has three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, amassing 18.7 yards per reception.
• Fifth-year Tim Smith has only faced Maryland twice in his career, missing the 2010 and 2012 games in Charlottesville with injuries. As a true freshman he played, but didn’t secure a catch in a rain-soaked 2009 contest at Byrd Stadium. In 2011 Smith caught five balls for 101 yards, good for a 20.2 yards per catch average. The effort has been Smith’s only 100-yard receiving game of his career.
• Saturday will be Smith’s third career game at Byrd Stadium.