Maryland–Virginia football rivalry
First meeting | October 11, 1919 Maryland, 13–0 |
---|---|
Latest meeting | September 15, 2023 Maryland, 42–14 |
Next meeting | September 14, 2024 |
Trophy | Tydings Trophy (1920s–1945) |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 79 |
All-time series | Maryland leads, 45–32–2[1] |
Largest victory | Virginia, 45–0 (1997) |
Longest win streak | Maryland, 16 (1972–1987) |
Current win streak | Maryland, 3 (2012–present) |
The Maryland–Virginia football rivalry is an American
Maryland leads the series 45–32–2, although Virginia is 15–8 since 1991. Maryland possesses the longest winning streak of the series, sixteen games between 1972 and 1987, while Virginia has the second longest streak with nine consecutive wins ending in 2000.
The schools jointly announced a home-home series in 2017 that would be played during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.[3]
Background
Contributing factors
Several factors contribute to the intensity of the rivalry. The two states, and their eponymous flagship universities based in
The two are both long-time members of the
Before and after their meeting in 2010, players from both schools attributed the importance of the game to the negative feelings the programs have for each other. Virginia
The high academic standing of the University of Virginia in a national publication has added to the competitiveness between the two. In 2003,
Relative importance
Former Virginia head coach Al Groh stopped short of calling the game with Maryland a 'rivalry', but said that "it is a very important game to our team and it is our annual game. So that certainly designates it as being different from the other games."[10] Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen conceded that "[Virginia has] Virginia Tech as an in-state rivalry, but I think we're their out-of-state rivalry."
Maryland–Virginia is the second most played out-of-state rivalry for Virginia, after the longest standing rivalry in the ACC, the
Noteworthy games
1945
Maryland 19, Virginia 13
In 1945, the two teams met for a neutral site match-up at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Head coach Frank Murray, a future Hall of Fame inductee, had led 13th-ranked Virginia to a perfect 7–0 record. The Cavaliers also held an undefeated streak of fourteen games. Bear Bryant was in his only year as Maryland's head coach. Maryland's Sam Behr broke away for a 90-yard touchdown run, but Virginia held the lead in the fourth quarter.[11] In the final seconds of play, Terrapin freshman tailback Bill "Red" Poling completed a forward pass to end Don Gleasner for a 50-yard score.[12] With the win, Maryland tied the all-time series record. The 19–13 loss to Maryland ended Virginia's perfect season and they fell to 20th place in the AP Poll.[13] After this game, the series went on hiatus for 11 years, and it was the last year the Tydings Trophy was awarded.[4]
1961
Virginia 28, Maryland 16
Tom Nugent's Terps entered their last season game boasting a 7–2 record that included a win over seventh-ranked Syracuse with Heisman Trophy-winner Ernie Davis and the only victory over Penn State until 2014. They faced a Virginia team that started off their season by breaking a three-year, 28-game losing streak against William & Mary. The Cavaliers had lost the last three meetings against Maryland by an average of 38 points. With a win against Virginia, the Terps would secure the ACC title and a trip to the Gator Bowl. After Maryland scored for an early lead, Virginia quarterback Gary Cuozzo tossed three short touchdown passes to third-string receiver John Hepler. Defensive back Ted Rzempoluch returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown, and sealed the Terps' fate to go bowl-less. The other three-loss team in the ACC, Duke, won the conference.[14]
1988
Virginia 24, Maryland 23
In the final minutes of the game, with the Terps trailing the Cavaliers 24–17, Maryland quarterback Neil O'Donnell was injured and taken out of the game. He was replaced by a young second-stringer Scott Zolak. Zolak led a drive which culminated with a three-yard option run for a touchdown narrowing the deficit to a point. With 1:09 left in the game, Maryland went for two. Zolak threw into the endzone to running back Ricky Johnson. Johnson appeared to catch the ball before being hit by defensive back Keith McMeans, knocking the ball loose. An official in the endzone immediately signaled for a catch, before others waved it as incomplete. After the game, the usually level-headed Terps head coach Joe Krivak ran to the official who made the initial call, following him to the locker room, and then ran over to yell at referee Don Safrit. Several witnesses claim he said to the officials that "If it takes every ounce of energy, I'm going to get you out of this league."[15] Virginia (7–4) broke their 16-game losing streak in the series and finished second in the conference. Maryland (5–6) failed to achieve a winning season for the third consecutive year.[16] However, the Cavaliers failed to secure a bowl game berth, while N.C. State with a worse record went on to the Peach Bowl.
1990
Maryland 35, Virginia 30
Besieged Maryland head coach Joe Krivak, with a 17–25 record, led his Terps (5–5) to a sold-out Scott Stadium in Charlottesville for their final regular season game. George Welsh's eighth-ranked Virginia (8–1) had spent three weeks atop the AP poll at number-one until a loss against Georgia Tech. At halftime, Maryland trailed 21–7. Then freshman reserve running back Mark Mason put the Terps back in the game with a 59-yard touchdown breakaway, and a team best run for the year. Maryland quarterback Scott Zolak threw for two more touchdowns and Mason scored the go-ahead with an 8-yard rush to put the Terps ahead 35–30. With the win, Maryland secured a bowl berth for the first time since Bobby Ross left four seasons prior.[17] Virginia took a nose-dive in the AP rankings to 17th, and after another loss to Virginia Tech settled for the Sugar Bowl where they were edged by Tennessee, 23–22.[18]
1999
Virginia 34, Maryland 30
After starting 5–2, Maryland suffered a three-game losing streak before their finale at
2002
Virginia 48, Maryland 13
After Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen stated Maryland expected to "beat teams like Duke and Virginia", the Cavs sought vindication for the comparison to ACC football's perpetual underdog. While Maryland's Scott McBrien passed for a touchdown in the first series, Virginia went on to score 20 unanswered points in the second quarter with two Matt Schaub passes and two field goals. In the second half, the Cavaliers delivered four more touchdowns: another Schaub pass, a pass by receiver Billy McMullen, and two short rushing scores. The Terps only managed to use Nick Novak to make two field goals. The loss broke Maryland's eight-game winning streak, and prevented them from sharing a piece of the ACC championship. Instead, Florida State finished with a better conference record (7–1), and secured the title outright.[21]
2003
Maryland 27, Virginia 17
With leading rusher Bruce Perry out due to a sprained ankle, Terps running back Josh Allen adeptly filled in, and racked up 257 yards and two touchdowns. Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub threw for a touchdown and ran for another, but his second-half comeback attempt ultimately fell short. In the game, Schaub overtook Shawn Moore's career passing record at the school. There was also some excitement even before the game started. Maryland assistant coach James Franklin and Virginia head coach Al Groh had a heated exchange after a Cavaliers player interrupted the Terps' warm up drills. Then, after Virginia won the coin toss, Al Groh infamously elected to kick off to start both halves. Immediately after the decision, the entire Maryland team rushed the field in celebration and was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty before the opening kickoff. The win kept the Terps' ACC title hopes alive, but Florida State narrowly beat N.C. State 50–44 to win the conference outright. Maryland finished second-place in the ACC.[22]
2006
Maryland 28, Virginia 26
After giving up 255 yards, the Terps trailed 20–0 at halftime. Cavaliers punt returner Emmanuel Byers muffed a third-quarter punt to give Maryland possession on the Virginia one-yard line. Lance Ball rushed for a touchdown on the next play, and the Terps went on to score another 21 points in the final quarter to include a 56-yard breakaway by Keon Lattimore and a 45-yard pick-six by linebacker Erin Henderson. With 2:37 left on the clock, the Cavaliers responded with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree, to pull to 28–26. Virginia attempted a two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. Cornerback Josh Wilson, who was scored on twice earlier, broke up the pass to clinch the win for the Terps.[23]
2007
Virginia 18, Maryland 17
Reserve sophomore running back Mikell Simpson racked up 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns to go along with 152 receiving yards, for 271 all-purpose yards, as 19th-ranked Virginia came from behind to defeat Maryland. The game ended when, with 16 seconds left, Simpson dived into the endzone as the ball was knocked out of his hands. It was ruled a touchdown and Virginia defeated Maryland. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said "I saw the ball come out on the goal line. I saw it and I don't think he had possession." Simpson himself stated, "It crossed the line. I knew I scored because I looked down and saw the yellow line and I saw the ball cross [before] they hit it out." With the victory, the Cavaliers reached seven wins in a row for the first time since 1990 and for only the fourth time in school history. They also accomplished the feat in 1914 and 1949.[24] That season, Virginia won an NCAA record of five games by two points or less, with the other edged teams being North Carolina, Middle Tennessee State, Connecticut, and Wake Forest.[25]
Game results
Maryland victories | Virginia victories | Tie games |
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See also
- List of NCAA college football rivalry games
- Maryland–Virginia lacrosse rivalry
- Maryland–Virginia men's soccer rivalry
References
- ^ a b "Winsipedia - Maryland Terrapins vs. Virginia Cavaliers football series history". Winsipedia.
- ^ Prewitt, Alex (November 19, 2012). "Maryland moving to Big Ten". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Virginia Football to Face Maryland in 2023, 2024". Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c Eric Prisbell, 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, The Washington Post, November 13, 2003.
- ^ Rick Snider, Maryland, Virginia seeking KO punch, The Washington Times, November 13, 2003.
- ^ Kurtz, Hank Jr. (November 12, 2010). "There's no love lost between Cavaliers and Terps". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ Prisbell, Eric (November 13, 2010). "Maryland football defeats Virginia, stays alive in ACC race". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ a b Doug Doughty, Cavs, Terrapins a textbook rivalry, The Roanoke Times, November 14, 2003.
- ^ Manese-lee, Angela (October 27, 2003). "UMD President: University overrated". The Cavalier Daily.
- ^ Eric Prisbell, Groh on ACC Teleconference, Terrapins Insider, The Washington Post, October 1, 2008.
- ^ The Terrapin, Class of 1946, University of Maryland yearbook, p. 175–176.
- ^ Club News Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (PDF), The M Club, Spring 2007, retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ^ Virginia 1945 AP Football Rankings Archived February 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, AP Poll Archive, retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ Mervin Hyman, Football's Week, Sports Illustrated, December 4, 1961, retrieved November 14, 2008.
- ^ Terrapins Cry Foul; Virginia's 24–23 Victory Controversial, The Washington Post, November 20, 1988.
- ^ College Football: South; Virginia, at Last, Defeats Maryland, The New York Times, November 20, 1988.
- ^ Virginia upset by Maryland 35–30, New York Times, November 18, 1990, retrieved November 14, 2008.
- ^ Bob Boyles and Paul Guido, 50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport, p. 1255, Skyhorse Publishing, 2007.
- ^ David Ginsburg, Cavs rally to knock off Terps, 34–30 Archived July 15, 2012, at archive.today, AP Sports, University of Maryland, November 20, 1999, retrieved November 16, 2008.
- ^ "Most Memorable Maryland-Virginia Games". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Schaub throws three TDs, Lundy scores three in upset, ESPN, November 23, 2002, retrieved November 15, 2008.
- ^ Allen rushes for 257 yards, two TDs, ESPN, November 13, 2003.
- ^ Maryland overcomes 20-point deficit for 28–26 win at Virginia Archived July 22, 2012, at archive.today, Associated Press, University of Maryland, October 14, 2006, retrieved November 14, 2008.
- ^ Simpson's late TD caps all-around day in Virginia's comeback win, ESPN, October 20, 2007, retrieved November 15, 2008.
- ^ Football Bowl Subdivision Records[permanent dead link], National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2008, p. 111.