Weekly Preview: Virginia

Image Credit: Virginia Sports TV

Opponent: Virginia Cavaliers (2-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference)
Game Date/Time: Saturday, October 12, 2013; 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000)
TV/Radio Broadcasts: ESPNU, Terrapin Sports Radio Network
All-Time Record: 43-32-2 Maryland

(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here.)

Series History:

The Maryland-Virginia rivalry goes back to 1919. That is the first year in which the two teams met on the football field, a game which the Terrapins took by a score of 13-0. That game was played in Charlottesville. Virginia took the next matchup by a score of 6-0 in a game that was also played in Charlottesville 6 years later. There were a few years between 1919 and 1957 that the game wasn’t played, but beginning in ’57 the matchup became annual. There was only one time in the history of the game that it was played on a neutral site: 1945 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Maryland took that game, 19-13.

From 1972 to 1987, the Terrapins never lost to the Cavaliers. In fact, most of the games played through those 15 years were blowouts. Those years were part of the Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross eras in College Park, some of the more successful in Terps football history. They also include the years that Boomer Esiason was quarterbacking in College Park.

But Virginia took advantage of the Terps’ dark years after that, as they only lost twice to Maryland from 1988-2000. Ralph Friedgen turned the Terps’ fortunes around in 2001, as they beat the Cavaliers 41-21 en route to their Orange Bowl loss to the Gators of Florida. During his time as head coach, Friedgen split the series against Virginia with 5 wins and 5 losses. His highlight in the rivalry was the Terps’ upset of #18 Virginia in College Park in 2005.

Randy Edsall has split the series with the Cavaliers in his two years at the helm, and has a chance to place his mark on the rivalry by winning what will probably be the last matchup between the Terrapins and Cavaliers. Last season’s game against Virginia was the final full game that QB Perry Hills played before tearing his ACL in the next game. Hopes were high after beating Virginia 27-20, highlighted by a Stefon Diggs kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

There is no doubt that the Maryland-Virginia matchup has provided some great games and spirited rivalries throughout the years. One of the toughest part about moving to a new conference is that, most of the time, you lose your rivals that you’ve had for years. Personally, I’d like to see the Terps try to re-ignite their rivalry with Navy in the future. But no matter who becomes the Terps’ rivals in the coming years, it will have to be pretty special to rival the series between Maryland and Virginia.

Opponent Interview:

This week, I was able to speak with Virginia beat writer Andrew Ramspacher, who works for The Daily Progress. I’d like to thank Mr. Ramspacher for his professionalism and insightful responses.

BSL: After losing to Ball State at home, Virginia is 2-3 (0-1 ACC) on the season. In their only road game, they lost to Pittsburgh by a score of 14-3. What do the Cavaliers need to do to beat a good Maryland team who will be hungry for a conference win after getting annihilated by Florida State?

Ramspacher: Several things that didn’t happen against Ball State. No. 1, UVa has to clean it up. A good part of its 2012 demise was attributed to being the most penalized team in the ACC. Through the first four games of this season, on-field discipline wasn’t a major issue. The Cavaliers were averaging just six penalties a game. But they reverted back to their old ways against the Cardinals, getting whistled 13 times for 93 yards. Seven of the penalties gave Ball State first downs. Two of the flags took back Virginia touchdowns.

No. 2, UVa has to take care of the ball. Four more turnovers against Ball State gave the Wahoos 14 for the season. That’s good for last in the ACC and 110th in the nation. In their last two games, opponents have turned six Virginia turnovers into 31 points.

Finally, there’s got to be defensive consistency. UVa players and coaches have said several times this week that they’re scouting the Maryland system, not so much either C.J. Brown or Caleb Rowe. Not matter who the quarterback is, it’s on Virginia to stop him. The Cavs did that against Pitt, BYU and VMI. They didn’t against Oregon and Ball State. At Pitt, UVa allowed less than 200 yards of offense, recorded seven sacks, allowed just 11 first downs and had three takeaways. At home against Ball State, UVa allowed over 500 yards of offense, got one sack, allowed 29 first downs and didn’t get a takeaway. Those are consistency issues.

BSL: Virginia has struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position ever since Matt Schaub graduated in 2003. This past off-season, Michael Rocco transferred and Phillip Sims transferred out of Charlottesville. This forced sophomore QB David Watford into a starting job. What can Maryland fans expect to see from Watford this weekend, and how has he adjusted to being a good running quarterback in a pro-style offense?

Ramspacher: Maryland fans can expect to see a first-year starting quarterback playing for a first-year offensive coordinator. It’s very obvious. The connection between Watford and Steve Fairchild is still on-going. Last week, you could finally see some more trust being put on Watford’s shoulders as he threw more deep balls and kept more designed runs. But it’s a process that’s taken too long and has Virginia fans wildly impatient. At one point against Ball State, Watford had five carries for over 50 yards. He finished with 11 carries for 47 yards.

BSL: Mike London returned for his 4th season with UVA this season, but has an all-new offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. How many changes have the new coordinators implemented?

Ramspacher: On offense, the system basically remained the same. Still a pro-style, but the emphasis is much more on the power running game with Fairchild. Through five games, UVa is ninth in the ACC in rushing offense, getting just under 180 yards a game. The balance, however, has been not been there. Watford has accuracy issues and the receivers have underachieved (see 10 drops against Pitt). UVa is second-to-last in the ACC in passing offense (171 yards a game). Only option-heavy Georgia Tech is worse.

Under first-year defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, there’s been a push to be more aggressive with a pressure-filled attack. Virginia has only forced six turnovers in five games and is seventh in the ACC with 14 sacks. Blitzing is the norm with Tenuta. At times, it’s worked perfectly (ask Pitt QB Tom Savage, who was sacked seven times) and at times, it’s barely been effective (ask Ball State QB Keith Wenning, who used hard counts to force UVa to show blitz and then diced up the secondary for over 300 yards).

BSL: Speaking of Mike London, he has only accumulated one winning season in his 3 years with Virginia. From the outside looking in, it seems as if fans are quite restless and are eager for a change if London can’t get the job done this year. Can you see them making a change anytime soon, or will he be the head coach for the foreseeable future?

Ramspacher: For the foreseeable future, Mike London is the head coach. Athletics director Craig Littlepage came out and said so Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Ball State debacle. But it’s certainly an intriguing dilemma facing the program. Virginia has played the patience card with the debut of new coordinators, but hearing “patience” for a fourth-year head coach is not exactly popular with the fan base.

The Ball State game was the second-least attended game in the London era. Should Virginia lose to Maryland, the following week’s Duke game could be ugly.

A real problem is the money. All of these new assistants are on at least two-year deals. Tenuta is on a five-year deal. This is one of the most expensive staffs in the ACC and the collective buyout wouldn’t be cheap. Another problem — fire London and you risk losing a 2014 recruiting class that features two of the top 10 players in the country.

BSL: With Maryland moving to the Big Ten next season, this is probably the last time the Terps will face the Cavaliers. Virginia has a natural rival in Virginia Tech, but this matchup has resulted in some very competitive games over the years. What are your general feelings about this matchup, and how do you see this game going down in College Park on Saturday afternoon?

Ramspacher: This week, players have downplayed the last edition of this rivalry. For the Cavaliers, a reeling bunch, it’s really about them turning their own season around. They haven’t been hitting the history books too hard for proper perspective.

Saturday, I expect to see a competitive Virginia team. Last week, as London noted, was embarrassing and there’s got to be a pride factor involved. But with or without Brown, I see still Maryland winning. Virginia lacks the offensive firepower to compete on the road — especially if it gets in an early hole. I got the Terps winning, 27-13.

Zack’s Keys to the Game:

• Play with pride – This is likely the last time Maryland will meet Virginia on the football field. It would be huge for either program to go out with a win, despite the fact that Maryland will hold the series record no matter what happens.
• Run the ball – Whether C.J. Brown or Caleb Rowe is under center, the Terps have to be able to run the ball to have success. The offensive line has to be able to create space for Brandon Ross and Albert Reid to pick up 3-4 yards with consistency.
• Pressure Watford – First-year starting quarterbacks can be a bit jumpy when they get pressured, so Marcus Whitfield and team have to be able to get consistent pressure on David Watford.
• Stop the run – Virginia wants to run the ball. Not only to take pressure off of David Watford, but because that’s what the pro-style offense is built upon. If Maryland’s defense can stop the run, it forces Watford to try to make plays by himself, which could lead to mistakes.
• Win, win, win – After last week’s ugly 63-0 loss to #8 Florida State, the Terps just need a win (any win) to get back on track. Beating your rival ACC opponent would be a perfect way to do that.
• The past is the past – The Terps have to be able to put last week behind them. At the end of the day, a loss is a loss. Whether it’s 63-0 or 63-62, it goes on the schedule as a loss. This team still has a great chance of making a bowl game, and they just need two more wins to do that.