SB Nation DC - Maryland vs. West Virginia: Stefon Diggs, Perry Hills Impress But Terrapins Fall, 31-21https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2012-09-24T08:00:49-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/31283692012-09-24T08:00:49-04:002012-09-24T08:00:49-04:00Maryland Football: Grading The Morgantown Showdown
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<p>SB Nation DC hands out grades to the Terps' units after Saturday's closer-than-expected loss in Morgantown.</p> <p>Maryland put up a real fight against West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday, tying it up at 14-14 before giving up 17 straight points and losing 31-21. The Terps saw vastly improved efforts on both sides of the ball over last week's disappointing loss to Connecticut, and it's difficult to feel too disheartened after a performance like that on the road against a top 10 team. Let's hand out our grades, unit by unit.</p>
<p><b>Quarterback - A+. </b>You could not ask for a better game from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills">Perry Hills</a>. West Virginia's defense is nothing special, but the true freshman was still 20/29 for 305 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception coming on an arm-punt. He looked comfortable as the leader of this team, came back into the game one play after getting absolutely demolished by the Mountaineer defense, and consistently found <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36623/matt-furstenburg">Matt Furstenburg</a> for the first time this season. In fact, Hills spread the ball around incredibly well, with five players getting at least three receptions.</p>
<p>And no, we did not forget about the early fumble, but that was more on Tyler Cierski for his lack of a blitz pick-up.</p>
<p><b>Running Backs - D. </b>Where was Wes Brown? After what seemed to be a breakout performance against UConn, Brown only received two carries on the day, for a grand total of three yards. Meanwhile, Brandon Ross got his first action of the year, to the tune of 20 carries for 52 yards. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165666/albert-reid">Albert Reid</a> had four rushes for 20 yards, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133991/justus-pickett">Justus Pickett</a> caught four passes for 27 yards but did not get a rush.</p>
<p><b>Wide Receivers - A. </b>It all starts with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165665/stefon-diggs">Stefon Diggs</a>, but it's important to remember that he only had three catches. Regardless, the true freshman had 113 receiving yards, including two touchdowns, and looked like the most explosive offensive player on the field not named Tavon Austin. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134002/marcus-leak">Marcus Leak</a> continued his strong start, with a team-high five receptions that led to 69 yards and a score, while the aforementioned Furstenburg had four catches for 65 yards. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36612/kevin-dorsey">Kevin Dorsey</a> rebounded from last week's debacle, with three catches for 31 yards.</p>
<p>Hills seemed to be comfortable with that foursome out there, and it will be interesting to see how much playing time <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75972/kerry-boykins">Kerry Boykins</a> gets when he comes back. After the emergence of Leak and Diggs and Boykins' own troubles early in the season, it's hard to imagine seeing too much of him.</p>
<p><b>Offensive Line - B-. </b>They did a relatively good job throughout the game, and we can't talk enough about <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133998/andrew-zeller">Andrew Zeller's</a> huge day (he flattened three Mountaineers on one play to spring one of Diggs' touchdowns), but Hills was still sacked five times, and the Terrapins' running backs only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. Expect Zeller and fellow freshman <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/167362/mike-madaras">Mike Madaras</a> to continue to see more time as Maryland sorts the rotation out.</p>
<p><b>Defensive Line - A-. </b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76015/a-j-francis">A.J. Francis</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36624/joe-vellano">Joe Vellano</a> came up huge again, and the Terps swallowed up any semblance of a West Virginia running game (25 yards on 25 carries). The two seniors combined for ten tackles (six by Vellano), including four tackles for losses (two apiece), and a sack (by Francis), and came up big when they needed to yet again. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114383/darius-kilgo">Darius Kilgo</a> went without a stop this time (the Terps used a lot of two down-linemen sets), but Justin Anderson had two tackles, including one for a loss.</p>
<p><b>Linebackers - B+. </b>Well, well, well, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/85395/kenny-tate">Kenny Tate</a>! Or Kenneth, apparently. In his first game back in about a year, the senior had a good game, with four tackles (including a key one for a loss) and a very impressive pass breakup. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36619/demetrius-hartsfield">Demetrius Hartsfield</a> continued his usual beast mode status with seven tackles (two for a loss) and a monster of a sack on Geno Smith. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75999/darin-drakeford">Darin Drakeford</a> pitched in with three tackles, while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75987/marcus-whitfield">Marcus Whitfield</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133987/alex-twine">Alex Twine</a> and L.A. Goree each had two.</p>
<p><b>Secondary - B-. </b>Geno Smith ended up with 338 passing yards and three scores, and Austin had 13 receptions for 179 yards and those same three scores, but the secondary actually did pretty all right. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75984/dexter-mcdougle">Dexter McDougle</a> actually led the team with eight tackles, and while it's never a good sign to have a defensive back lead your team in that category, he also impressed in coverage with some very nice plays, including one pass breakup. Jeremiah Johnson had four tackles -- including one for a loss -- with one breakup but got beat silly by one Austin touchdown. Matt Robinson had three tackles, but missed a key stop on Austin's first score, and Eric Franklin was nearly unnoticeable, with only one tackle. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159216/isaac-goins">Isaac Goins</a> had a good game, and finished with two tackles.</p>
<p><b>Special Teams - B. </b>Well, they didn't give up a return touchdown, so that's already an improvement from last week. Diggs was a mixed bag, doing well on kick returns (21 yards per return) but proving unable to significantly break one on a punt (6.3 average). <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133980/nathan-renfro">Nathan Renfro</a> did well, with 45.8 yards per punt, but only pinned one inside the opponent's 20. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165664/brad-craddock">Brad Craddock</a> made all three extra points, but missed his only field goal attempts.</p>
<p>It was a good game for Maryland, and one of the only legitimate arguments for a moral victory, but let's look at three things they need to do to ensure a victory against Wake Forest in 12 days.</p>
<p><b>1. Get the running game going again. </b>It would be nice to say we could expect this kind of performance from Perry Hills every week, but we'll attempt to be a bit realistic here. Maryland needs much better production from its ground game in the future to put points up, and that (hopefully) means more Wes Brown.</p>
<p><b>2. Protect Perry Hills. </b>The true freshman has been sacked 16 times this year, second-most in the country, and the Terps need to curtail that if they hope to keep up an outside shot of making a bowl game. The wear-and-tear will hurt his production or, even worse, could sideline him. He was knocked out for a play against West Virginia, and Maryland would like to keep him fresh and healthy for as long as possible.</p>
<p><b>3. Keep up the defensive pressure. </b>Geno Smith was only sacked twice, but Maryland was in his face for most of the game, especially in the first half. A.J. Francis and Joe Vellano have been a deadly tandem on the defensive line, and Demetrius Hartsfield has been one of the best linebackers in the country. When you get into the quarterback's face, mistakes happen, and the Terps hope they will be able to capitalize.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/24/3379980/maryland-vs-west-virginia-report-card-grades-stefon-diggs-tavon-austinPete Volk2012-09-23T12:58:03-04:002012-09-23T12:58:03-04:00Maryland Vs. WVU: Terrapins Play Well, Keep Game Closer Than Final Score Indicates
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/maryland-terrapins">Maryland Terrapins</a> managed to hold their own and make things interesting against a very tough West Virginia team on Saturday. Still, they wound up on the losing end of a 31-21 game, and that's what people will see the most. Were it not for some mistakes, though, Maryland might have actually been able to beat No. 8 West Virginia on Saturday. The only issue is that the underdog usually has to play flawless to pull off that kind of win.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2012/9/22/3373366/maryland-terrapins-west-virginia-mountaineers-2012-recap-tavon-austin-stefon-diggs">Ben Boman of SB Nation's Testudo Times</a> has more on that in their postgame recap:</p>
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<p>But when a young and flawed team plays a top-10 opponent that largely outclasses them across the field, at their own house, there's no room for error. Flawless execution is required. And Maryland, between dropped first downs, fumbles that turned into West Virginia points and took Maryland out of scoring position, killer penalties, and missed field goals, simply made too many mistakes.</p>
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<p>The Terrapins did a lot to stifle WVU's offense, besting them on third down early and often, but in the end, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin">Tavon Austin</a> amassed almost 200 yards and had three touchdown receptions. That's par for the course for him against Maryland, and it was very obliviously the deciding factor in this game.</p>
<p>Still, the game was a lot closer than the final score indicated, with just a couple costly errors being the biggest deciding factor. It isn't exactly a feel-good loss, but it wasn't the most demoralizing game Maryland has ever played, and the postgame recap makes that pretty clear.</p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/9/23/3377406/west-virginia-maryland-2012-reactionJames Brady2012-09-22T18:24:50-04:002012-09-22T18:24:50-04:00ANIMATED: Despite Loss, Maryland's Stefon Diggs Continues To Impress
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<p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/maryland-terrapins" class="sbn-auto-link">Maryland Terrapins</a> fell 31-21 in Morgantown on Saturday afternoon to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/west-virginia-mountaineers" class="sbn-auto-link">West Virginia Mountaineers</a>, but Maryland uber freshman <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165665/stefon-diggs" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefon Diggs</a> continued to wow the Terrapins faithful with his play. In addition to gaining 63 yards on kick returns and 25 yards on punt returns, Diggs hooked up with quarterback <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> on three catches for 113 yards, with two of the completions leading to electric touchdowns. Join me after the jump, won't you, to watch Diggs at work.</p>
<p>First quarter 42-yard touchdown, with take off for the end zone at roughly the six-yard line. Oh my:</p>
<p><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1416471/diggs2.gif"></p>
<p>Fourth quarter 56-yard touchdown in which, by my count, he makes eight West Virginia defenders look silly (well, one poor guy actually got abused twice, so seven):</p>
<p><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1416819/diggsHOF_medium.gif"></p>
<p>Both GIFs above courtesy of <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNationGIF">@SBNationGif</a></p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3374294/stefon-diggs-maryland-touchdownT.J. Doyle2012-09-22T15:57:16-04:002012-09-22T15:57:16-04:00Maryland Vs. WVU 2012 Final Score: Terrapins Fall To No. 8 Mountaineers, 31-21
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<p>No. 8 West Virginia improved to 3-0 on Saturday with a 31-21 win over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/maryland-terrapins" class="sbn-auto-link">Maryland Terrapins</a>. It didn't come easy for the Mountaineers, as true freshman <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> led the Terps and kept them close throughout. But the duo of Geno Smith and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin" class="sbn-auto-link">Tavon Austin</a> were too much for Maryland, as the Mountaineers continued to rack up impressive numbers in Dana Holgorsen's offense.</p>
<p>WVU jumped in front by two touchdowns early, converting a score on the defensive side of the ball first. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84141/darwin-cook" class="sbn-auto-link">Darwin Cook</a> came right through the center of the Maryland line and sacked Hills as he turned to hand off, forcing a fumble which the Mountaineers returned 51 yards for the touchdown. Three minutes later, Smith would connect with Austin for a 44-yard TD, their first of three scores.</p>
<p>But Hills and the Terps did not fold, charging back with two touchdowns of their own to even it up. At the end of the first quarter, Hills hit fellow true freshman <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165665/stefon-diggs" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefon Diggs</a> and the heralded speedster took it down the left sideline for a 42-yard score. Diggs scored his second touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter, another big play strike from Hills that went for 56 yards and put Diggs over the century mark for the day. The Maryland freshman duo consistently responded when it appeared Holgorsen's offense would take control of the game.</p>
<p>With WVU holding a three-point lead, Smith and Austin would connect twice for 14 unanswered points that proved to be the difference. Their third touchdown came after a scoreless third quarter, the first one of the Mountaineers' season. Smith hit Austin in the middle of the field and speedy wideout took it in for a 34-yard score.</p>
<p>The Terps cut the lead back to 10 on the second big play by Diggs, but WVU's defense would dig in on the next possession and force a fourth and 20. The desperation situation resulted in a Hills heave that fell into the hands of WVU's Wes Tonkery.</p>
<p>Smith and the offense would salt the game away from there, moving the chains and killing the final four-plus minutes.</p>
<p><b>Box Score Hero:</b> Tavon Austin finished the day with 13 catches for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Austin set a school receptions record with his big day, passing <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6469/jock-sanders" class="sbn-auto-link">Jock Sanders</a>, who established the mark in 2010.</p>
<p><b>Rankings Ramifications: </b>While it wasn't their most dominating performance of the season, West Virginia should remain in the top 10. They have an opportunity to move up with three teams (Oregon, Oklahoma, FSU) ahead of them playing ranked teams on Saturday night.</p>
<p><b>But Did They Cover?</b> The Mountaineers entered the game as 27-point favorites and were not able to cover.</p>
<p><b>For More On This Game: </b><i>Visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>. </i><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com">SB Nation DC</a>.</i></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b style="font-weight: bold;">Next Week's Schedule: </b>The Mountaineers will make their Big 12 debut, hosting Baylor in Morgantown. Maryland will be idle next week before starting their ACC schedule against Wake Forest in October.</p>
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<p><i>This story was originally published at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/9/22/3373562/west-virginia-maryland-final-score-recap/in/3136345">SB Nation</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3373924/west-virginia-maryland-2012-results-scoreEric Stephen2012-09-22T15:30:24-04:002012-09-22T15:30:24-04:00Maryland vs. West Virginia Final: Terps Keep It Close, But Fall To Mountaineers 31-21
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<p>Maryland put up a fight, but Tavon Austin and the West Virginia Mountaineers proved to be too much in Morgantown, as the Terps fell 31-21.</p> <p>It was probably Maryland's best game of the season, but it still wasn't enough. The Terps played a much more competitive game than expected in Morgantown Saturday, but <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin" class="sbn-auto-link">Tavon Austin</a> again proved to be too much as the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/west-virginia-mountaineers" class="sbn-auto-link">West Virginia Mountaineers</a> won, 31-21.</p>
<p>Austin finished with 12 receptions for 173 yards and all three of West Virginia's offensive touchdowns, and was absolutely explosive every time he touched the ball.</p>
<p>Maryland was able to counter with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165665/stefon-diggs" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefon Diggs</a>, who had three receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns and three kick returns for 63 yards but it ultimately proved to be not enough.</p>
<p>West Virginia took an early lead, as a perfect blitz stopped a Maryland drive and resulted in a score. The Terps and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> were driving down the field when <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84141/darwin-cook" class="sbn-auto-link">Darwin Cook</a> came through and sacked him, forcing a fumble. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134577/doug-rigg" class="sbn-auto-link">Doug Rigg</a> recovered, returning it 48 yards for a touchdown.</p>
<p>The Mountaineers' next drive only took two plays - a 34-yard screen pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134557/andrew-buie" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrew Buie</a> and a pass over the middle to Austin for a 44-yard score. On the touchdown, Matt Robinson missed a key tackle that would have likely prevented a first down, let alone the score.</p>
<p>Maryland was able to respond, as after four straight runs, Hills executed a perfect play-action to find Diggs on the left sideline. Diggs sprinted by the West Virginia defenders and dove in for the 42-yard score, making it 14-7 Mountaineers.</p>
<p>The Terps tied it up early in the second quarter with some huge plays on third down by Hills. On third-and-four from their own 41, he found <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36623/matt-furstenburg" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Furstenburg</a> on a jailbreak screen for 29 yards. Three plays later on third-and-eight, a screen to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133991/justus-pickett" class="sbn-auto-link">Justus Pickett</a> went 14 yards, and three plays later on <i>another</i> third-and-eight, Hills found <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134002/marcus-leak" class="sbn-auto-link">Marcus Leak</a> in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, making it 14-14.</p>
<p>Hills was great all game, and had his best game as a Terp by far. He was 20/29 for 302 yards and three touchdowns with an interception that was essentially an arm-punt, averaging over ten yards per attempt for the first time in his career and showing his toughness throughout.</p>
<p>The Mountaineers took the lead again on a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/65897/tyler-bitancurt" class="sbn-auto-link">Tyler Bitancurt</a> field goal, and expanded it with a late drive at the end of the half that ended with another touchdown pass to Austin.</p>
<p>After a scoreless third quarter, Maryland picked up another huge third down conversion at the start of the fourth quarter when Hills completed a swing pass to Pickett on third-and-seven for 21 yards. Two plays later, Hills completed a strike to Leak over the middle, who ran for a 28-yard gain before coughing up the ball. Darwin Cook recovered, giving the Mountaineers the ball.</p>
<p>West Virginia was able to put it away on the next drive, as Austin caught four passes on the drive, including a 34-yard touchdown grab to make it 31-14.</p>
<p>On the second play of Maryland's ensuing drive, Hills found Diggs on the right sideline, who cut back and sprinted down field for a 56-yard touchdown, weaving his way through the Mountaineer defense. The run was made possible by a huge block from redshirt freshman <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133998/andrew-zeller" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrew Zeller</a>, subbing in at guard.</p>
<p>Maryland was able to force a three-and-out on West Virginia's next drive thanks to a huge pass defense from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75984/dexter-mcdougle" class="sbn-auto-link">Dexter McDougle</a>, and after a poor punt they started with the ball near midfield. After a second down seven-yard rush by Hills made it third-and-three, the offense regressed: an illegal formation penalty, a sack with an intentional grounding call, and an interception ended the Terps' hopes.</p>
<p>Overall, it was a very promising game for Maryland, despite the final score. They hung with one of the best teams in the country on the road, and for the most part kept their offense in check. Even better was the offense, especially the play of Hills and Diggs. This team could sneak out some wins in conference play if they play like they did today.</p>
<p>Improbably, the Terps kept pace with West Virginia offensively - each team had three offensive touchdowns, and Maryland only trailed the Mountaineers in offense by 20 yards.</p>
<p>We'll have more stats and reactions tomorrow.</p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3373566/maryland-vs-west-virginia-final-terps-lose-31-21-tavon-austin-stefon-diggsPete Volk2012-09-22T14:41:55-04:002012-09-22T14:41:55-04:00Maryland vs. West Virginia Score Update: Mountaineers Still Lead 24-14 Headed to Fourth
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<p>Both defense stepped their games up, as West Virginia and Maryland traded punts in a largely uneventful third quarter.</p>
<p>Maryland gave up an early first down to West Virginia, but was able to force two completions from Geno Smith and stuff <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134557/andrew-buie" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrew Buie</a> to force a punt. After a Terrapin three-and-out, the Mountaineers got the ball back, and Maryland's defense came up big again.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36619/demetrius-hartsfield" class="sbn-auto-link">Demetrius Hartsfield</a> crushed Smith for a nine-yard sack, and two plays later the Terps forced a punt. Maryland was able to get a prolonged drive going, with four first downs, but a dropped pass by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134002/marcus-leak" class="sbn-auto-link">Marcus Leak</a> forced a Terrapin punt.</p>
<p>For the Terps, Hartsfield, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75984/dexter-mcdougle" class="sbn-auto-link">Dexter McDougle</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36624/joe-vellano" class="sbn-auto-link">Joe Vellano</a> were particularly noticeable in making some big plays. Both teams struggled offensively, and it will remain 24-14 heading into the final quarter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> is 16/23 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, compared to Geno Smith's 21/32 for 256 yards and two scores. The Terps have a 56-1 advantage on the ground, thanks to 48 yards on 18 carries by Brandon Ross.</p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3373436/maryland-vs-west-virginia-score-update-mountaineers-still-lead-24-14Pete Volk2012-09-22T13:51:01-04:002012-09-22T13:51:01-04:00Maryland vs. West Virginia Score Update: Late West Virginia Touchdown Gives Mountaineers 24-14 Lead At Half
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<p>Maryland is still playing with West Virginia in Morgantown, scoring early but conceding late as they trail 24-14 against the #8 Mountaineers.</p>
<p>The Terps started the quarter with a third-and-four from their own 41st, and Perry hills converted a big jailbreak screen to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36623/matt-furstenburg" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Furstenburg</a> for a 29-yard conversion to start it out. On a third-and-eight three plays later, Hills completed another screen to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/133991/justus-pickett" class="sbn-auto-link">Justus Pickett</a>, this one going for 14 yards. Three plays later on another third-and-eight, Hills threaded a beautiful pass over the middle, finding <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134002/marcus-leak" class="sbn-auto-link">Marcus Leak</a> in the end zone for a 12-yard score, tying the game up at 14. Maryland came into the game 14/40 on third downs on the season, but started out 4/6, including those three key conversions.</p>
<p>West Virginia moved down the field gradually, with 50 yards passing from Geno Smith and 17 yards on the ground from the team setting up a 3rd-and-goal from Maryland's eight yard-line. After two offsetting penalties led to a replay of the down, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76015/a-j-francis" class="sbn-auto-link">A.J. Francis</a> broke through on a three-man rush to take down Smith for a sack and a 12-yard loss. The Mountaineers had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/65897/tyler-bitancurt" class="sbn-auto-link">Tyler Bitancurt</a>, only the second time this year they didn't score a touchdown in the red zone, giving them a 17-14 lead.</p>
<p>After three straight three-and-outs, West Virginia got the ball back and got to work. Three straight passes to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin" class="sbn-auto-link">Tavon Austin</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/38562/j-d-woods" class="sbn-auto-link">J.D. Woods</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84145/stedman-bailey" class="sbn-auto-link">Stedman Bailey</a> gave the Mountaineers the ball on the Terps' 24, and West Virginia used their final challenge (unsuccessfully) on a ball that Bailey dropped near the goal line after excellent coverage from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75984/dexter-mcdougle" class="sbn-auto-link">Dexter McDougle</a>.</p>
<p>On the next play, Smith found a wide open Austin in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. Jeremiah Johnson absolutely blew the assignment, letting Austin go right by him for the easy score. The Mountaineers expanded their lead to 24-14, and they will take it into halftime.</p>
<p>Right before the half, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> was hit hard from behind on a play that had already been whistled dead, and had to be taken off injured. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114360/devin-burns" class="sbn-auto-link">Devin Burns</a> came in and ran for a first down (fumbling it out of bounds at the end), and Hills was able to come back in immediately. Hills completed two 15-yard passes, one to Diggs and one to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36612/kevin-dorsey" class="sbn-auto-link">Kevin Dorsey</a>, but <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165664/brad-craddock" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Craddock</a> missed the 41-yarder.</p>
<p>Hills enters the half 14/20 for 164 yards and two scores, Brandon Ross has eleven rushes for 24 yards, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165666/albert-reid" class="sbn-auto-link">Albert Reid</a> has four carries for 20 yards. Diggs has 126 all-purpose yards on eight touches, Furstenburg has three catches for 54 yards, and Dorsey has three receptions for 31 yards.</p>
<p>For West Virginia, Geno Smith is 14/23 for 209 yards and two scores, and Tavon Austin has six receptions for 113 yards and two scores.</p>
<p>The teams are nearly even in yardage - West Virginia has 213, Maryland has 212, and the Terps end the half five of nine on third down conversions.</p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3373110/maryland-vs-west-virginia-score-update-terrapins-west-virginia-tavon-austinPete Volk2012-09-22T12:54:31-04:002012-09-22T12:54:31-04:00Maryland vs. West Virginia Score Update: Terps Keeping It Close, Trail 14-7 After First
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<p>Maryland has managed to hang with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/west-virginia-mountaineers" class="sbn-auto-link">West Virginia Mountaineers</a> in Morgantown so far, giving up two early touchdowns but responding with one of their own. The Terps trail 14-7 after the first.</p>
<p>Maryland went three-and-out on their first drive, but came up with a big defensive stop on West Virginia's first offensive opportunity. After giving up a first down on a great catch by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84145/stedman-bailey" class="sbn-auto-link">Stedman Bailey</a>, Brian Stewart's Terrapin defense brought the pressure, forcing a third down incompletion by Geno Smith and a fourth down punt by Corey Smith.</p>
<p>On the Terps' next drive, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159215/perry-hills" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Hills</a> ran for three yards before completing a play-action pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36623/matt-furstenburg" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Furstenburg</a> for a first down. Brandon Ross ran for a three-yard gain and a West Virginia facemask gave the Terps another first down. Three plays later, on third-and-ten, Hills completed a nice 13-yard pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36612/kevin-dorsey" class="sbn-auto-link">Kevin Dorsey</a> for a first down, and that's when everything fell apart.</p>
<p>The Mountaineers brought a perfectly-timed blitz, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84141/darwin-cook" class="sbn-auto-link">Darwin Cook</a> sacked Hills and forced the fumble after Tyler Cierski missed a block. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134577/doug-rigg" class="sbn-auto-link">Doug Rigg</a> recovered, returning it all the way to the end zone for a 48-yard West Virginia touchdown. The Mountaineers led 7-0 with just over 11 minutes left in the quarter.</p>
<p>On West Virginia's next drive, they struck quickly. A screen pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134557/andrew-buie" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrew Buie</a> netted 34 yards, and a pass over the middle to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84134/tavon-austin" class="sbn-auto-link">Tavon Austin</a> went 44 yards for the score. Matt Robinson made a poor attempt at the tackle, just throwing his shoulder into Austin and kind of pushing him along his way, and it was 14-0 Mountaineers.</p>
<p>Maryland responded in kind, with a strike of their own. After four straight runs, including first downs from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/165666/albert-reid" class="sbn-auto-link">Albert Reid</a> and Brandon Ross, Mike Locksley called a play-action. Hills rolled out to the left side, avoiding the blitz and picking up a big block from Cierski, and found a (somehow) wide-open Diggs on the left sideline. Diggs put on the burners and sprinted past the Mountaineers' defense before diving in for the 42-yard score, bringing it to 14-7 West Virginia.</p>
<p>The Terps forced a three-and-out on West Virginia's next drive, thanks to a tackle and a pass broken up by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/85395/kenny-tate" class="sbn-auto-link">Kenny Tate</a>, back from injury for the first time this year.</p>
<p>Maryland will start the second quarter on their own 41-yard line with a 3rd-and-4.</p>
<p>The Terps are dominating the time of possession, with nearly 11 minutes compared to West Virginia's 3:42, and are actually leading the yardage battle as well - 109 to 98. Hills has looked great, and is 7/10 for 87 yards and the score, while Brandon Ross has eight rushes for 21 yards. Matt Furstenburg has two catches for 25 yards.</p>
<p><i>For more on Terps football, visit <a href="http://testudotimes.com/">Maryland blog Testudo Times</a>, plus <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/">SB Nation DC</a>. </i><i>For more on WVU football, visit <a href="http://smokingmusket.com/">West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket</a>, plus <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Pittsburgh</a>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/9/22/3372926/maryland-vs-west-virginia-score-update-first-quarter-terrapins-mountaineersPete Volk