md/va thur nite news

[shawn555]

Terps hobbling towards showdown with Virginia
RBs Perry, Maldanano out for Thursday's game
The Associated Press
Originally published November 11, 2003, 3:42 PM EST



COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland's swagger has been replaced by a limp.

The Terrapins will be without two of their top running backs Thursday night when they host Virginia in a game that should go a long way toward determining Maryland's postseason plans.

Bruce Perry, the sixth-leading rusher in school history, has been sidelined by a severe ankle sprain and will almost certainly be held out of the nationally televised game at Byrd Stadium.

Despite seeing limited action this season because of injuries, Perry ranks second on the Terrapins with 94 carries and 389 yards rushing - only slightly behind Josh Allen, who has gained 461 yards on 106 carries.

Sammy Maldonado (51 attempts, 305 yards) is lost for the season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday.

That means Allen will get the majority of the work Thursday night ahead of Mario Merrills and J.P. Humber, who have been primarily used this season in the waning moments of lopsided games.

It's not exactly the backfield that coach Ralph Friedgen was hoping for in a game that will have serious ramifications in the Terrapins' bid to secure a quality bowl bid.

"Yeah, it concerns me," Friedgen said Tuesday. "We've got to use two guys that haven't played a whole lot all year. I think I'll give Josh the majority of the work, but obviously he's going to need a (break)."

Friedgen is even considering using freshman Lance Ball, who has yet to play this season. The coach would hate to ruin the chance at redshirting the talented tailback, but with Maldonado out and Perry limping, Ball would give the Terrapins added depth down the stretch.

"Lance has looked good at practice. I'm amazed at how he picks things up; he's a very instinctive player," Friedgen said. "We'll see how the game goes, but I'll do what I have to do to win."

The Terrapins (6-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a bye last weekend following a confidence-building 59-21 blowout of North Carolina on Nov. 1. While Maryland was relaxing last Saturday, Florida State lost at Clemson, leaving open the possibility that the Terrapins could earn a share of the league title.

Friedgen told his players as much Sunday during a team meeting.

"I asked them, 'What are you going to do with a second chance?' Ironically enough, their goals are still there with three games to go in the season," the coach said.

If the Terrapins close with wins over Virginia, North Carolina State and Wake Forest, they can do no worse than finish second in the ACC and perhaps secure an invitation to the Gator Bowl.

"Or," Friedgen said, "we can end up 6-6 and probably not going anywhere."

Copyright ? 2003, The Associated Press

 

[shawn555]

For highly touted Schaub, UVa., the season that wasn't
Injury in 1st week leaves QB wondering, 'What if?'
By Kevin Van Valkenburg
Sun Staff
Originally published November 11, 2003



Matt Schaub's Heisman campaign started with a tuxedo and a photo shoot and ended just 14 plays into the season.

It didn't officially end, of course. Schaub could still technically win the trophy. He is still considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and when Virginia goes up against Maryland on Thursday night on national television, plenty of people will be watching. But for all intents and purposes, his Heisman hopes were finished when he separated his shoulder in Virginia's season opener against Duke.

Suddenly, the carefully orchestrated Heisman campaign put together by Virginia's athletic department - which included videos, commercials, a Web site (schaub4heisman.com) and a picture of Schaub in a tux on the cover of the team media guide - was all for naught.

The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, Schaub might have made things interesting if he had stayed healthy. After missing three games with the injury, Schaub returned to go on a six-game tear, completing 69 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,925 yards.

Against N.C. State on Nov. 1, Schaub had perhaps the best game of his career, completing 41 of 55 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns. Afterward, Virginia coach Al Groh suggested Schaub and Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers (who threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns) were "probably too good for college football." But Virginia lost, 51-37, dropping the Cavaliers' record to 5-4. It was another disappointing day in a season that began full of promise.

"We've had some disappointing close losses [this season]," Schaub said. "Maybe if a few things go differently, if we make a couple of plays here or there, the outcome might have been different. It's encouraging to know that you're right there. Hopefully, it means you can clean things up and win out the rest of the year."

A year ago, Maryland traveled to Virginia, knowing a win might give the Terps a piece of the ACC championship. Schaub, however, sent Maryland home empty-handed, completing 24 of 27 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the Cavaliers' 48-13 win.

Schaub said he thinks Maryland will have plenty of motivation to avoid a similar outcome.

"I think the revenge factor [will be there] and rightly so," Schaub said. "They'll be energized and ready to play. I know they've been talking about it. We'll have to withstand that early surge and stay in the game, because I know they're going to bring a lot of enthusiasm."

There's plenty of respect for Schaub in College Park. Maryland's blitz-happy defense will face one of its biggest challenges of the year trying to slow Schaub, who has a quick release and isn't easily rattled with a defender in his face.

"He's the kind of quarterback that has a pro mentality," said Terps safety Dennard Wilson. "He sees the whole field, and he's extremely accurate. He's always in control of that offense."

This season, that has meant reading blitzes and hitting running backs out of the backfield. Part of the reason Schaub is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes is he has been smart about getting the ball to Alvin Pearman (45 catches) and Wali Lundy (28 catches).

Take away those options, however, and Schaub can still burn you.

"He can throw the ball down the field," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen. "He'll move around [in the pocket] and take some shots. It's going to be a challenge for us."

NOTE: Maryland tailback Bruce Perry didn't practice yesterday and won't play in Thursday's game, Friedgen said. Perry has been unable to practice since spraining his ankle Nov. 1 against North Carolina.



Copyright ? 2003, The Baltimore Sun

 

[shawn555]

Cavaliers Get Off the Ground, Stick to Passing Game


By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Page D01

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 11 -- Virginia Coach Al Groh would like to run the ball. He'd love to watch his Cavaliers grind out yards, wear down defenses and control the clock.



Yet like most coaches, Groh cares less about the means by which an offense moves than the end that it achieves -- points. "The overriding thing," he says, "is that whatever you have to do to move the ball, you do to move the ball."

For Virginia, which visits Maryland Thursday night in a key ACC showdown, that has meant all but ignoring the run in favor of an offensive game plan heavy on short and intermediate passes and reliant on the brain and right arm of star quarterback Matt Schaub. The Cavaliers haven't been able to run the ball against tough opponents, so they have more or less stopped trying.

"The short passing game . . . really has taken the place of the running game at times," said Alvin Pearman, a junior tailback who has caught 37 passes in the past three games. "It's a similar kind of concept, getting five, six yards on first and second down with those short, efficient passes. . . .

"That's just kind of the personality of our offense."

Maryland linebackers Leon Joe and Leroy Ambush will have to be especially wary of Pearman, who is second among the nation's running backs with 45 receptions. Two years ago, in fact, Pearman moved briefly to wide receiver before returning to the backfield after starting tailback Antwoine Womack injured his knee in the season opener.

Pearman still lines up outside in certain formations, but he is perhaps most valuable flaring or circling out of the backfield against linebackers. Wide receivers Ottowa Anderson and Ryan Sawyer and tight end Heath Miller often give him extra room to run with excellent downfield blocking.

"Alvin's got good quickness. He builds his speed quickly," Groh said. "It's a little bit hard for those bigger, bulkier linebackers to stay with him, and he's taken good advantage of that."

The strategy helped the Cavaliers win nine games last season, but since returning to it in the past month, they have lost to Clemson and Florida State by a combined eight points and watched North Carolina State break open a tie game with two touchdowns in the final 30 seconds.

Virginia (5-4, 3-3 ACC) threw three passes for every run in those losses, whereas its lone victory in the past four games -- a 24-0 homecoming win against Division I-A newcomer Troy State -- was fueled in part by 173 rushing yards.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers might not be riding a three-game conference losing streak if a few plays had gone differently. An over-reliance on the passing game, Groh said, is not what has kept Virginia from winning those games.

"I saw some teams [this weekend in the NFL] that ended up with a lot of points and a lot of yards and had 84 yards rushing," Groh pointed out. "Maybe they never tried to run it, maybe they couldn't when they did, but when your quarterback is one of the best players in the country, [you need to] use him a fairly significant amount of time."

Schaub, a fifth-year senior who needs only 155 passing yards to become Virginia's career leader, likely will be front and center once against Maryland (6-3, 3-2). In the 51-37 loss at N.C. State 10 days ago, he set a school record with 393 passing yards.

"The key is that you've got to tackle," Terrapins Coach Ralph Friedgen said. "They throw four- or five-yard passes, they do a good job at advancing the ball, and all of the sudden you are looking at eight- or nine-yard gains. N.C. State did a good job with that, but they still wound up with quite a few yards passing.

"They get rid of the ball so fast, it is hard to get pressure on them. I think they've only been sacked eight times all year. It's a three- or five-step drop, and the ball is out of there. They get matchups on your linebackers instead of on your cover guys, so it forces your linebackers to play pass defense, and then they play-action off of it so it puts a pretty big bind on your linebackers."

Staff writer Eric Prisbell contributed to this report.

? 2003 The Washington Post Company

 

[shawn555]

Terps' Allen Will Start, Trio Will Back Him Up


By Eric Prisbell and Jim Reedy
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Page D03

Maryland tailback Bruce Perry (sprained ankle) did not practice yesterday and will not play Thursday against Virginia, Terrapins Coach Ralph Friedgen said. Josh Allen will start in the backfield and three others -- J.P. Humber, Mario Merrills and Lance Ball -- could play.



Coaches said Allen is durable enough to carry the ball 25 times if necessary. He had a season-high 20 carries against Northern Illinois, a game in which Perry did not play and Maryland lost in overtime. Friedgen said he would not play freshman Ball if it is a blowout, but "if he is the second-best running back, I'd do it."

The three backups have different strengths.

"Mario has really quick feet and probably has the best speed of the three [backups]," running backs coach Bill O'Brien said. "J.P. has good size [5 feet 11, 213 pounds], practiced well this week and pass protects well. Lance is a freshman who runs good routes, has soft hands and knows how to get open."

Cavs' Ward Upgraded

Carson Ward, the Virginia running back who was hospitalized after suffering a head injury in an on-campus fight 10 days ago, has been upgraded from critical to fair condition.

Ward, 19, was struck in the head and fell to the pavement during an altercation outside a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity house during the early hours of Nov. 1, according to police reports. Two fraternity members have been charged with malicious wounding.

Virginia Coach Al Groh and several players visited Ward, a walk-on who has not played in two seasons, at the University of Virginia Medical Center last week. "As teammates of his, we're concerned, and from my standpoint as a parent, I can certainly relate to how his parents feel," Groh said Wednesday. . . .

The Cavaliers don't yet know if injured safety Willie Davis will be able to regain the form that made him one of team's most promising young players. Davis was lost for the season when he collided ferociously with a South Carolina ballcarrier nine weeks ago. . . .

Left guard Brian Barthelmes (food poisoning) is healthy after ceding his starting spot to freshman Ian-Yates Cunningham 10 days ago at N.C. State, but Cunningham is in line to start again Thursday at Maryland. Backup tight end Patrick Estes (knee) also is back on the depth chart after missing 2? games.

Buzbee Creates a Buzz

Georgetown defensive end Alex Buzbee was selected the Patriot League rookie of the week after recording four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Hoyas' 27-6 loss to Towson. Buzbee, a pass-rush specialist, is second on the team with five sacks. He also has 23 tackles, including six for a loss. . . .

Sophomore defensive end Michael Ononibaku is fourth on the team with 44 tackles, including a team-high 11 tackles for a loss. He has recorded a sack in four of the past five games and leads the Hoyas with six.

"Ever since Cornell and Stony Brook, he's [been] starting to cause some havoc," Georgetown Coach Bob Benson said. . . .

A shoulder injury limited junior linebacker Jason Carter to eight games last season. Then he missed spring practice because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament. But after making just seven tackles in the first five games this season, Carter has made 30 tackles in the past five. Against Towson, he was third on the team with nine tackles, including two for a loss. . . .

Wide receiver Luke McArdle was limited against Towson because of a bruised shoulder; he caught two passes for 44 yards -- his fewest receiving yards of the season. The total was enough for his first 1,000-yard season (1,019), however. McArdle had 1,344 career receiving yards coming into this season.

Special correspondent Kathy Orton contributed to this report.

? 2003 The Washington Post Company

 

[shawn555]

Put It Together, Keep It Together
Terps Hope Offense Keeps Rolling

By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Page D03

Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien approached the line of scrimmage during his last game and pointed to the wrong North Carolina linebacker, causing his offensive line to execute an incorrect blocking scheme on the ensuing running play.



The lone mental error that Terrapins coaches cited out of 73 snaps came by way of McBrien's finger rather than his left arm. His virtuoso performance Nov. 1, which included throwing for 349 yards -- the most for any Terrapin since 1995 -- was as sound mechanically as mentally.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe called McBrien's decision making "practically flawless." Coach Ralph Friedgen said McBrien's game was the best he has played since coming to College Park. It has Maryland coaches and players optimistic that the team's offensive explosion -- which included scoring an ACC-record 39 second-quarter points -- occurred because the offense found its rhythm, not because of the Tar Heels' defense, regarded as one of the worst in Division I.

"I think it's mostly because we are back on track," said McBrien, who completed 15 of 25 pass attempts, and threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions in Maryland's 59-21 victory. "When we execute like that we can play with anybody. They [teammates] had confidence in me. I had confidence in the offense. When that happens, it seems like the defense is moving in slow motion. Not quite, but that is how you look at it."

Coaches aren't expecting a perfect game when McBrien and the Terps (6-3, 3-2) meet Virginia (5-4, 3-3) in Thursday's nationally televised game at Byrd Stadium, but rather a consistent one.

McBrien, a senior, registered his fewest passing yards this season against Northern Illinois (110 yards), Florida State (61) and Georgia Tech (47). Those three games, all Maryland losses, also were the only games in which McBrien did not complete more than 50 percent of his pass attempts.

"What he has had a hard time doing is putting a full game together," Taaffe said. "He played great for a while, then he'd go into mental lapses and kind of lose his focus for a series or a couple series. This game [against North Carolina] he was able to sustain it for a whole game."

Another optimistic sign was that McBrien handled a North Carolina defense that Friedgen said showed some of the same defensive looks as Georgia Tech, which blitzed repeatedly, caused four turnovers and knocked McBrien from the game with a concussion on Oct. 23. The offense is different from the one on display in that 7-3 loss on another front, as well.

Against the Yellow Jackets, frustration turned into self-doubt. "We were calling plays and it was like, 'Man, what is going to go wrong this time?' " wide receiver Steve Suter said. One game, in which the offense operated with complete synergy, has flushed away that feeling.

"It's just like a feel," Suter said. "It really does not have to do with everything working in practice and everyone making the right reads. It's overall chemistry that you feel you just click. You know you have to run your route well because the ball is going to come to you, the line is going to hold up and everything will go well."

On Maryland's second possession against North Carolina, McBrien hooked up with wide receiver Derrick Fenner for a 55-yard reception that set up the Terps' first points of the game.

"If he was running down there with no one guarding him, there have been times [McBrien] would throw the ball five yards out of bounds," Friedgen said. "They were not the greatest defense in the world, but they did some things in that game that we really had not practiced. And Scott picked that right up."

If Maryland wants to replicate a similarly successful offensive output Thursday, it will need a consistent effort from its offensive line, which Taaffe said played its best game of the season against North Carolina. The line helped ignite the running game, which Maryland turned to on eight of its first 10 plays against the Tar Heels.

"The line really dominated," Taaffe said. "The whole game we were able to run the ball."

? 2003 The Washington Post Company

 

[shawn555]

McBrien still hurting from concussion
Suffering with headaches for two weeks, QB says, 'It bothers me all the time'
By Kevin Van Valkenburg
Sun Staff
Originally published November 12, 2003



COLLEGE PARK - Scott McBrien isn't going to lie. More than two weeks later, his head still hurts.

"It bothers me all the time," said McBrien, who suffered a concussion in Maryland's 7-3 loss to Georgia Tech on Oct. 23. "Once the game gets going, my adrenaline takes over and I really can't feel it. But practicing is tough out here."










The cold weather hasn't helped matters, either.

"I didn't believe [the doctors] when they told me it would hurt once it got cold, but I feel like I have a rod in my head sometimes," McBrien said.

Strange as it sounds, that may not be bad news for Maryland heading into tomorrow's game against Virginia. McBrien shrugged off headaches leading up to the Terps' game against North Carolina and had the best performance of his career, throwing for 349 yards and four touchdowns (and running for two more) in a 59-21 win.

"It was a game that we all needed, myself personally, as well as this whole team," McBrien said. "We feel like we're peaking right now."

Though Maryland needs a win tomorrow to stay in contention for the Atlantic Coast Conference title, the game has added significance for the Terps' senior class. Maryland closes out the regular season with road games against N.C. State and Wake Forest, so tomorrow will be their final appearance at Byrd Stadium.

"I don't think it will hit me [for a while]," McBrien said. "I've only lost one game here at Byrd [to Florida State in 2002], and I want to keep it that way."

A different Thursday night

Tomorrow's game will have a much different feel to it than the last Thursday night game played in College Park. Last season, Maryland defeated Georgia Tech, 34-10, but only 41,766 showed up, the smallest crowd of the season.

Bad weather played a part, but the region was also on high alert because of the sniper shootings in the Washington area. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were arrested a week later and eventually charged in the shootings.

"I asked the state troopers before the game if I could wear a bullet-proof vest," said Terps coach Ralph Friedgen. "I figured I'm a pretty big target. They said the only thing that would do was stop the bullet from coming out the other side. I told them I'd wear two of them. It was a pretty tense game."

Maryland said it has about 800 tickets available for tomorrow's game, but the school expects a sellout.

Trophy on hold

As it turns out, the winner of tomorrow's game won't take home the Tydings Trophy after all. The tradition of exchanging the trophy, which was awarded to the winner of the Maryland-Virginia game in the 1920s, '30s and '40s, was supposed to start up again this year.

Early in the week, Maryland even OK'd a full-page story in its game programs explaining the tradition behind the trophy. Problem was, Virginia wasn't on board.

Maryland's media relations department says it was told at the last minute that Virginia president John T. Casteen wanted to hold off until next year.

Et cetera

Wide receiver Rich Parson, who has missed Maryland's past two games with an ankle injury, likely will play against Virginia. ... Friedgen said Ricardo Dickerson, who plays defensive end in passing situations, missed practice with a sore hamstring yesterday but should be able to play. ... Tomorrow's game will be the 68th meeting between the schools, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps' 111-year history. The schools have met every year since 1957.

Copyright ? 2003, The Baltimore Sun

 

[shawn555]

washingtonpost.com

No Common Ground
They Battle for Position in the ACC. They Compete for Recruits. Most of All, Maryland and Virginia Fight Just to Beat Each Other

By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2003; Page D01

Intent on bolstering tonight's Maryland-Virginia game, officials from both schools this spring discussed resurrecting the Tydings Trophy, which more than 50 years ago was given annually to the game's winner. The Cavaliers nixed the idea this summer because of the "uncertainty about the series" in light of ACC expansion, Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said.

Truth be told, this series needs no added fuel. Enough intensity or contention exists on numerous fronts, including in yearly backyard recruiting battles and the not-so-distant memory of Virginia's 35-point rout of the Terrapins last November.

"It's actual dislike," said Maryland offensive lineman Lamar Bryant. "It's not like a common dislike for your opponent. It's actual no respect whatsoever for each other. Basically it is going to be a border war Thursday night."

Two coaches, Virginia's Al Groh and Maryland's Ralph Friedgen, lead their alma maters into Byrd Stadium tonight for the next installment of a series dominated by streaks since 1969. The Terps had won 16 straight against Virginia during the 1970s and 80s; the Cavaliers have won 12 of the past 15 meetings. Now, both teams are competitive.

"Having won the league title [in 2001], Maryland certainly has established itself nationally," Littlepage said. "We're on the move back. . . . It has added another dimension."

Although Virginia Tech is the Cavaliers' primary rival, the Maryland-Virginia game always has been a highly anticipated date, both because of geography and familiarity. Ask former Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore, who grew up a Maryland fan and decided between the two schools in the mid-1980s. "Every day I have a reminder of that 1990 game," said Moore, who wears a scar from a broken hand suffered on the final play of the Terps' 35-30 victory over the Cavaliers that year. "Maryland is responsible."

Ask former Virginia cornerback Dwayne Stukes, whose team earned a 34-30 regular season-ending comeback victory against the Terps in 1999 to deny them a bowl bid: "Usually it is toward the end of the season so there is a lot on the line. . . . Nine out of 10 times you are going to play someone you know. You want a chance to say, 'We won.' "

Maryland defensive tackle Robert Armstrong is one player who nearly wound up wearing the opponent's uniform, having initially signed with Virginia out of high school. Armstrong spent last fall at Fork Union Military Academy and wanted to enroll in a four-year school for the spring. He said Maryland had room, Virginia did not.

"If you go to Maryland, you hate Virginia," Armstrong said. "You go to Virginia, you hate Maryland. That is just how it is. They are down there and think they are all that. We're up here and we're proving that we're all that. They have not proven anything."

Tight end Vernon Davis, who committed to Maryland last winter, said Virginia was one of the programs that tried to pry him away from the Terps by saying that the NCAA would impose harsh penalties because of a self-reported recruiting violation. Davis said he did not listen to what "they were feeding me."

"I don't think it was right because what does it matter about probation," Davis said. "If I make that decision, let me make it. They shouldn't say anything to keep me from going to a school just because they are on probation." Davis's grandmother, Adaline, said Monday that she has no hard feelings toward Virginia because "they had a job to do."

Friedgen also took no offense, saying: "If [negative recruiting] bothered me, I'd be in big trouble because it happens all the time. . . . It's like a wounded animal; you're out there with predators, they are going to come after you."

When asked if competition for recruits will add another dimension to the rivalry, Groh said: "I'm sure it does for the players -- the players on each side who were recruited by both teams. It doesn't for me, because you realize that in recruiting, year after year, most of the schools in the same geographical area, you're going to go after many of the same players. I'm much more concerned about the competition on the field."

Off the field, Groh took a subtle dig last season at Maryland's nonconference schedule, saying maybe it is time to schedule Wofford -- whom the Terps faced last season -- to help his team's postseason chances.

In a more recent off-the-field development involving the schools, Maryland President Dan Mote caused a fuss last month among Virginia students when he reportedly criticized Virginia's academic ranking at a Board of Regents meeting. Mote later wrote a letter to Maryland's student newspaper, in which he said he regretted that he had offended Virginia.

Directly beneath Mote's apology, though, was another letter that read in part: "I am a 1994 Maryland grad, and I hate the University of Virginia." So much for a truce.

Mote's incident was news to Friedgen, who clearly has embraced the rivalry and would much prefer to concentrate on stopping Virginia's short-yardage passing game. At stake for Maryland (6-3, 3-2) is a chance to stay in the hunt for a share of the ACC title, avenge last year's defeat and improve on an 18-1 home record under Friedgen.

Friedgen has told the team that "we need to play with a little more than what we play with on Saturdays," Bryant said. Maryland's motivation is not lost on Groh, who has emphasized to his team (5-4, 3-3) how hungry the Terps will be, said Cavaliers defensive end Chris Canty.

"There is a rivalry growing," Canty said. "I attribute that from guys being from the area. It's a competitive thing: 'We're better than your school.' 'No, we're better than your school.' "

Tydings Trophy or not, let the 68th chapter unfold.

Said Armstrong: "It's going to be a show."

Special correspondent Jim Reedy contributed to this report.

? 2003 The Washington Post Company

 

[shawn555]

Maryland-Virginia Preview

The Washington Post
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003; Page D8


Matchup: Virginia's running backs vs. Maryland's linebackers
Virginia compensates for a below-average running game by throwing plenty of short passes to its running backs -- particularly Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy.

"Our running backs are much like receivers," quarterback Matt Schaub said. "They can run routes like receivers, they have tremendous hands and they can make things happen after they catch the ball."

Terps linebackers D'Qwell Jackson, Leon Joe and Leroy Ambush must stay with Virginia's tailbacks -- while not forgetting tight end Heath Miller (team-high 46 catches).

By the Numbers: 71.4
Percent of Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub's passes that are completed. Schaub separated his throwing shoulder on the season's 14th play. He missed nearly three games, but has returned to register a completion percentage that ranks second in the nation.

Friedgen said Virginia is a little different from the squad that detonated for 48 points in last season's game. Schaub throws more and gets sacked less. The Cavaliers have allowed only eight sacks this season.

Schaub has thrown for 240 yards and completed at least 64 percent of his passes in every game since his return. If the Terps can hold down Schaub's completion rate, they might be ready to do the same against N.C. State's Philip Rivers next weekend.

Virginia Player to Watch: Ahmad Brooks
Nine games into his rookie season, the Hylton graduate and 2001 All-Met defensive player of the year ranks fourth among the nation's freshmen with 8.3 tackles per game. He is tied for the team lead in tackles and has three sacks and 10 quarterback pressures.

Brooks and fellow freshman Kai Parham, Virginia's other starting inside linebacker "are both doing well," Coach Al Groh said, "but there's some [new] things that they experience in every game. . . . Now, after a while, there won't be too many things. They'll know right when it happens instead of having to come to the sideline and have it explained to them or taught to them in the film session on Monday afternoon."

Maryland Player to Watch: Josh Allen
The burden will rest with Josh Allen to carry the rushing game because Bruce Perry (sprained ankle) is not expected to see action and Sam Maldonado (torn ACL) is lost for the season. The sophomore Allen is strong (565-pound squats) and fast, and coaches believe he is capable of carrying the ball 25 times if necessary.

When the Terps don't run the ball well, they struggle (see Florida State game). When they do run the ball with success, the passing game thrives (see North Carolina rout).

Allen's durability will be key in determining how much Coach Ralph Friedgen has to turn to backups J.P. Humber, Mario Merrills and perhaps even freshman Lance Ball.

-- Eric Prisbell and Jim Reedy

? Copyright 2003 The Washington Post Company