Oct. 6, 2001

Recap| Final Stats| Photo Gallery

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland ran its record to 5-0 and beat Virginia 41-21 to remain undefeated before a crowd of 44,197 on Saturday at Byrd Stadium. Next week, Maryland faces Georgia Tech in a Thurdsday night battle on ESPN.

Below are notes following Saturday's win.

* With today's 41-21 win over Virginia, Maryland moves to 5-0 for the first time since 1978, and moves into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

* Today's Maryland win was its first in the series with Virginia since 1991, ending a string of nine-straight games without a victory. The Cavaliers are now 0-8 against Maryland when the Terrapins are ranked. The Terps' 41 points were the most they have scored against Virginia since scoring 42 in 1986.

* Maryland has not trailed in any game this season since allowing a 77-yard touchdown run to North Carolina on the season's first play.

* Maryland's first quarter defense held Virginia to a total of just five yards of offense. In that quarter, the Terp defense posted two sacks, four TFLs, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. The Cavaliers finished the first half with just one rushing yard.

* With Maryland's win today, Ralph Friedgen becomes the only Terp head coach to open his first full season at 5-0. (The start of H.C. Byrd's career began with six straight wins, but the first two games were at the end of the 1911 season).

* Maryland dominated the game on the ground, outgaining Virginia 243 yards to 64. Overall, Maryland held the ball for 37:09 and amassed 480 yards on 90 plays. Virginia possessed the ball for just 22:51.

* With 143 yards on 25 carries against Virginia, Bruce Perry has now rushed for at least 100 yards in each of his first five starts. He becomes just the second Terrapin to open the season with five straight 100-yard rushing performances. Steve Atkins began the 1978 season with seven straight efforts of 100 yards or better.

* Perry's five games to open the 2001 season: 21-for-116 vs. North Carolina, 16-for-133, 3 TDs vs. Eastern Michigan, 30-for-276, 2 TDs at Wake Forest, 31-for-153, 1 TD vs. West Virginia, 25-for-143, 1 TD vs. Virginia. Perry entered the Virginia game as the nation's leading rusher with a 169.5-yard per game average.

* Perry's five consecutive games over 100 rushing yards matches the second-longest string in Maryland history. Atkins had seven straight in 1978. Perry also caught eight passes against the Cavaliers, for 51 yards.

* Curtis Williams' blocked punt at the end of the second quarter and the ensuing recovery in the end zone by Leroy Ambush was Maryland's first blocked punt recovered for a touchdown since 1992, when Jermaine Lewis scored on a blocked punt versus Georgia Tech (10-10-92). The block was also the first of (redshirt freshman) Williams' career.

* Guilian Gary's 53-yard touchdown reception from Shaun Hill in the second-quarter was the longest of his career and the longest pass of Shaun Hill's career as a Terp. The last time Maryland had a TD pass over 50 yards was a 70-yarder from Calvin McCall to LaMont Jordan against Wake Forest in 1999 (10-9-99).

* Guilian Gary again led the Terps in receiving (he has led or tied for the team lead in each game this year) today, grabbing five passes for a career-high 99 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, Gary has now caught at least one pass in each of the past 16 games.

* QB Shaun Hill opened the game going 1-of-6 passing and handing Virginia good field position with his third interception of the season on the Terps' first drive of the day. Overall, Hill was a reliable and effective, finishing 22-of-35 fora career-best 237 yards passing including two touchdowns. Hill also rushed 16 times for 47 yards and scored on a 4-yard option keeper for Maryland's first score.

* In each of the last 12 seasons that Maryland has gone to a bowl game, it has beaten Virginia. In the other five bowls in which the Terps played (between 1948 and 1956), the Terps and Cavs did not play (i.e. Maryland has not gone to a bowl game in any year it has lost to Virginia).

* Tony Okanlawon picked off a Matt Schaub pass for his fourth interception of the young season. Okanlawon had just one career interception leading into this season, but came into this week's game tied for first in the ACC and sixth nationally in interceptions per game with .75.

* Billy McMullen's 60-yard touchdown reception from Matt Schaub in the second quarter was the first over 50 yards against Maryland since Dan Ellis connected with Tavon Mason in last year's game at Charlottesville. It was also just the third TD through the air allowed by the Terp defense this season. McMullen finished with 11 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. Schaub, meanwhile, completed 20-of-33 passes for a career-high 271 yards for the Cavs. He also rushed for the first touchdown of his career.

* Maryland's attendance today was a season-high 44,197. It marks the first time since 1983 Maryland has opened its season with four-straight home games with an attendance of 40,000 or more.

* Maryland entered the game ranked No. 25 by both major wire service polls. The national ranking is Maryland's first since 1995 when the Terrapins made their way to No. 17 before dropping from the rankings. The last time the Terps finished the season in the Top 25 was in 1985 when they finished 18th and went to the Cherry Bowl.