 |
|
Wali Lundy celebrates after one of his two touchdowns. |
Virginia survived a treacherous first quarter, took command in the second
quarter and dominated on defense throughout the game Saturday to earn a 16-0 victory
over Maryland in front of a record crowd of 63,072 at Scott Stadium.
The Cavaliers committed two turnovers in the first quarter and gave the
Terrapins superb field position on their first four possessions. But
Maryland failed to take advantage, thanks to the UVa defense. Ahmad Brooks ended one drive with an
interception and Virginia later held firm on fourth and inches at its own 14-yard line.
Virginia turned that change of possession into a swing in momentum, driving
86 yards for a touchdown. Alvin Pearman did most of the work
before Wali Lundy scored on a four-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
That set the tone for a day of power football by the Cavaliers, who rushed 61 times for 295 yards. Lundy scored again later in the second quarter on a brilliant 15-yard run in which he reversed field and got a late block from quarterback Marques Hagans. Pearman ran for 170 yards, while Lundy finished with 107 yards and two TDs.
“We dominated them,” Lundy said. “From the beginning of the game, I could see the holes were there and it was going to be a long game for Maryland.”
Though Connor Hughes missed an extra point and two of three field-goal attempts, Virginia didn’t need more points because it didn’t allow any. The Cavs limited Maryland to seven first downs and forced three turnovers. Brooks finished with two interceptions – the first two of his collegiate career – and Philip Brown forced a fumble in his first start at cornerback.
The win allowed the 12th-ranked Wahoos (7-1, 4-1 ACC) to remain tied with Virginia Tech for first place in the conference standings going into next week’s showdown with Miami at Scott Stadium. The Hurricanes (6-2, 3-2 ACC) lost at home to Clemson in overtime, their second straight defeat.
Maryland, fresh off an upset of Florida State, fell to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in league play.
(For complete coverage of Virginia’s game with Maryland, please sign up for
Sabre Edge. In the next few hours, Edge subscribers will
be able to read John Galinsky’s game analysis and listen to Coach Groh’s postgame press conference. Joe Lemire’s article on Ahmad Brooks ‘s pass defense, Greg Waters’ Game Grades and Mike Ingalls’ photo gallery will be available to Edge subscribers on Sunday.)
