No. 12 Maryland Rolls Over Duke, 59-17
10/20/2001 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct 20, 2001
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Midway through the third quarter, the Maryland fans at Byrd Stadium began mimicking the Florida State war chant, chopping their arms in unison.
Bring on the Seminoles!
Unbeaten Maryland will enter next week's game against FSU riding a seven-game winning streak and the confidence generated by a 59-17 rout of hapless Duke on Saturday.
"Everybody knows you have to knock off Florida State. They're the champions," said Maryland's Tony Jackson, who had five tackles and an interception. "We're ready to run the table."
With scouts from the Sugar Bowl in attendance, the Terrapins made 34 first downs, amassed 697 yards in total offense and punted only once - on the final play of the game.
Shaun Hill passed for 323 yards, ran for 105 and led the 12th-ranked Terrapins to touchdowns on their first six possessions as Maryland (7-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) built a 42-10 halftime lead.
The 59 points are Maryland's second-most in an ACC game - behind only a 62-point effort against Virginia in 1975. Five different players scored touchdowns, led by Hill, who ran for two and threw for another.
After becoming bowl eligible last week by beating Georgia Tech on the road, and with that trip to Florida State looming, there was speculation the Terrapins might come out flat against the Blue Devils (0-7, 0-5).
But first-year coach Ralph Friedgen promised that Maryland would be ready to play, and the Terps backed him up with an overwhelming display of offense. By the fourth quarter, most of Friedgen's starters were on the bench and looking ahead to FSU.
"I guess that answers the question of if we'd have a letdown," Friedgen said.
The Terrapins, who haven't been to a bowl game since 1990, are virtually assured of ending that run - regardless of what happens next Saturday. The 7-0 start is the team's best since 1978, and the seven wins its most since 1985, the last time the Terps won an ACC title.
"Maryland certainly made us look bad, defensively," said Duke coach Carl Franks, whose team has lost 19 straight games. "They had 438 yards at halftime. That's scary."
Hill completed 26 of 32 passes before being pulled late in the third quarter with Maryland up 52-10.
Duke denied Maryland a bowl berth with a 25-22 upset in College Park in October 1999, then defeated Wake Forest two weeks later. But that was the Blue Devils' last win before launching the nation's longest Division I losing streak.
Duke committed three turnovers in the first half, each of which was converted by Maryland into a touchdown. Blue Devils quarterback D. Bryant left in the third quarter after going 12-for-29 for 160 yards and throwing three interceptions.
"The way we played today was ugly at times," Franks said. "I don't know what we can learn from this game."
If nothing else, the Blue Devils found out that Maryland's sensational start is not a fluke.
After Duke went three-and-out on its first series, the Terrapins moved 58 yards on five runs to take a 7-0 lead. Rich Parson had a 31-yard run, Bruce Perry ran three times for 25 yards, and Hill capped the drive with a 2-yard run over left tackle.
Hill ran the same play on Maryland's second possession, this time running for 57 yards to the Duke 22. Three plays later, Perry scored from the 12.
Tony Jackson then intercepted Bryant's pass, setting up a 14-yard touchdown run by James Lynch for a 21-0 lead.
Duke finally scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bryant to Nick Brzezinski, but Maryland responded with a 71-yard drive capped by Hill's 4-yard TD throw to tight end Jeff Dugan.
The Blue Devils fumbled the kickoff and Maryland's Curtis Williams recovered on the 17. Marc Riley promptly scored on a 1-yard run, making it 35-7 with 12:34 to go in the half.
After Duke kicked field goal, the Terrapins moved 80 yards in a drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Hill.
Soon after that, it was time to start thinking about Florida State, a team the Terps have never beaten. This time, however, Maryland will be ranked higher than the Seminoles.
"That's something we're going to be excited for, something we're ready for," Hill said. "We've been on the other side of the coin for a long, long time. It will really tell the whole country where we stand."
