Saturday’s Maryland-Virginia non-conference matchup in Scott Stadium played out to be a perfect example of not placing too much emphasis on the outcome of one football game.
Especially an early-season game.
Maryland, just one week removed from an ugly-tasting loss to Michigan State at home, after leading by seven with under five minutes left, bounced back Saturday night with a solid 27-13 win over the Cavaliers, before an announced crowd of 41,352.
Virginia, on the other hand, had prevailed 31-30 over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem a week ago, in what coach Tony Elliott labeled “a program win.”
The Cavaliers came out strong and appeared ready to use the momentum of the win over the Demon Deacons to jump on Maryland early.
Defensively, at least.
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The Terps’ first six possessions ended in five punts and a missed 52-yard field goal following a three-and-out after a UVA turnover.
Maryland totaled only five first-downs – two on its final series of the half that concluded with a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Billy Edwards to wide receiver Tai Felton.
The Cavaliers took the ensuing kickoff and marched down field to score with one second remaining in the first half on an electrifying scramble by quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
Virginia again appeared to have seized momentum, and took a 13-7 lead in the lockers.
But, as in the Wake Forest contest, UVA returned from intermission flat, and momentum (there’s that word again) shifted in the third quarter when Maryland marched 68 yards in eight plays, which ended in a touchdown, when Edwards found Kaden Prather on a 27-yard scoring strike.
Maryland regained the lead at 14-13, and never trailed again.
The loss could prove huge for UVA as the season unfolds.
For now, the loss cost Virginia an opportunity to go undefeated in its first three games for the first time since 2019.
That squad played for the ACC title in 2019 and appeared in the Orange Bowl under former head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
Virginia has not earned a win over Maryland at home since a 31-0 shutout on Oct. 4, 2008.
The long-term ramifications of the loss to Maryland may even be more significant, and here’s why.
The talk in the media circles during the preseason was that it might take six wins to prevent the coaching staff from having to circle the wagons.
Six wins, which gets a team to a wintry weather bowl game likely in a baseball stadium.
It’s been well discussed that the back-half of the 2024 schedule is brutal for the Cavaliers, so it was critical to pick up as many wins as possible while the leaves were still on the trees.
All was going as hoped it would be for UVA after two games, with wins over Richmond and lowly Wake Forest.
The Maryland game was certainly winnable.
Heck, even the wise guys in Vegas had moved Virginia to a slight favorite at kickoff.
After two quarters here Saturday evening, the Cavaliers were proving them right.
Then Maryland came out and flipped the switch on Virginia in the second half, and now the Cavaliers are heading down to South Carolina to play in what will be a hostile environment against Coastal Carolina.
While the game will be played close to Myrtle Beach, the game surely won’t be a day at the beach for UVA.
A loss to Coastal will make reaching that six-win mark exceedingly difficult.
Last week, down in Winston-Salem, it was Hall of Fame sports writer Jerry Ratcliffe drawing the short straw and being assigned the seat beside me.
This week in the Scott Stadium press box it was back to my running mate Chris Graham suffering my rants.
Unlike Ratcliffe, Graham doesn’t go away as easily.
He can turn the tables.
Saturday, Chris was suggesting that hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
My counter is this; I don’t see one shred of evidence that there is any building taking place.
The “program” win over Wake Forest?
That didn’t age well.
So, here we are, Virgina is 2-1 with an absolute must-win over a school that only began fielding a team in 2003.
Saturday felt like a game that UVA simply let slip away.
The inability to punch in some early scoring opportunities cost the Cavaliers, as well as four turnovers.
The lack-luster second half performance is troubling as well.
Last week against Wake, the ‘Hoos overcame a nightmarish third quarter with a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.
That wasn’t in the cards Saturday against a better Maryland squad.
As Yogi Berra said, “it gets late early out here.”
A loss Saturday against Coastal, and things might start getting late early for Virginia.
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