This Week's Sights From Terpland

The Terrapins lost Saturday for the second week in a row, this time to out of conference rival West Virginia. The Mountaineers running game proved to much for a worn out Terps defense that couldn't seem to get a rest. With the Terps offense on the field for only 24 out of the game's 60 minutes, the hillbillies smashed Terp mouth after mouth in the final quarter turning a surprising early 4th quarter comeback into a 31-19 rout.







The teams battled on another beautiful Saturday afternoon in College Park. Temperatures soared into the upper 80's, however, and the heat combined with the Terrapins defeat made sitting in the bowl akin to one of Dante's circles of Hell. After spending two years in the Midwest, it seems almost sacreligeous to attend a football game in such warm weather. This definitely isn't Lambeau Field in December.

Tim Strachan finds a spot in the shade next to Testudo in the player's tunnel. Smart man. I was lucky enough to get upgraded from my seats directly in the sun, to cooler seats in the shade of the Byrd Stadium press box. Few times in my life have I been happier.





















Both teams battled in the heat to a 7-6 stalemate through the third quarter, until the Mountaineers offense made like the sun and got hot. A 14-6 lead quickly became 21-6 with 10:41 left in the final quarter. The Terp defense huddled together for answers but seemed out of fresh ideas to stop the burgeoning WVU rushing attack.

















Then the Terps offense briefly exploded, scoring a TD on a 73 yard pass from QB Sam Hollenbach to Man Among Boys TE Vernon Davis. The score stood at 21-13. On the ensuing kickoff, Terrapin special teams forced a fumble, and suddenly Maryland had a short field before it, down by on a TD and a two point conversion.

Unfortunately, most of the Maryland student body wasn't there to see this amazing turn of events. They had already abandoned the team at the 10:41 mark, shamefully streaming en masse out of the stadium.





















A few plays later, Sam Hollenbach hit a receiver in the endzone, and the Terps needed only a two-point conversion to tie this baby up! Hollenbach, to the delight of the large and still intact WVU fan section overthrew his receiver in the back of the endzone. 21-19 WVU.

There was still work to be done on defense if the Terps were to build this comeback into an eventual victory. But the Mountaineers proved more than a match for the worn out Terps D. Coach Dave Sollazo (in black) tried again and again to rally his troops, but to no avail.















The combination of the weather and a superior WVU rushing attack proved the Terrapins ruin. The final score, 31-19 Mountaineers. We'll have to wait 'til next year, as they say EVERY year in Chicago, for that elusive championship. Time has run out on this season.

If any positive came out of this game, I hope it is that the Terp student section feels remorse for abandoning its team early in the fourth quarter, down by only two TD's. Coach Friedgen always asks the fans, "Are you in, or are you out?" The students on Saturday disrespected their football program. Until Maryland fans realize what it takes to be a big football program (ie, a big, rabid following), they won't have one. Certainly success on the field is a big factor towards attracting such a following, but the fans that are already there should know better. The large Mountaineer contingent stayed, and stayed loud, until well after the game. Terrapins fans should take some pointers.