Nov. 13, 2003

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Maryland Head Coach Ralph Friedgen

On the team's opening possession:
"I think the first drive of the game was a critical drive. They came out and won the toss and elected to defend, so we had to go into the wind. If we don't get it out of there and get field position...I've seen some games where you don't get out for a whole quarter."

On the team's offensive performance:
"I think Coach Taaffe did a great job calling plays. And then Scott [McBrien] made a great throw to Latrez [Harrison] to get the first touchdown and get us on the board. But not only did we get on the board, we ate up close to eight minutes. I think that really set the tone."

"Then for the second half, we took the ball so we would have the wind in the fourth quarter. There was a point there when I was wondering if that was the right move, but it worked out okay."

"Josh Allen obviously had an unbelievable night. I thought our offensive line blocked very, very well. [Virginia] is a team that, as I said at Tuesday's press conference, has done a great job stopping the run with a seven-man box. They must have heard the press conference because they were putting eight people in the box the whole night. Scott McBrien really had a great game with the way he ran the team and the throws he made and the decisions he made."

On the team's remaining schedule:
"We're down to two games and I told the team these two games will really define us as a team. We have two really good football teams that we're playing on the road and depending on how NC State does against Florida State Saturday, that [game] could be for a tie for first place in the ACC...so I'm pretty happy right now."

Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien

On Josh Allen's performance:
"Josh really had a great game tonight. He has done a great job all year. Tonight was the night that we really needed him and he came through. I don't know how that game would have turned out if Josh was not there. He ran the ball hard and got some great yardage, and picked up some key first downs. He is a great football player and is always going to do well.

On the Terrapins' first possession:
"Anytime you score on the first drive, it always gives you confidence through out the rest of the game. It was important for us to get out of the gates early. We went right down and scored seven points, it made our defense relax a little and made them more comfortable."

Maryland linebacker Shawne Merriman

On Josh Allen's performance:
"With Josh you cannot really tell too much. He is as quiet as a cat and you can't really tell too much. He is just really consistent. He showed it all week in practice.

On the importance of tonight's game:
"[Last years loss] drove us to the point where we knew that we had to win. It was our last home game and we all knew that we had to come together as a team. This was a big thing for us with recruiting as well. They beat us last year and we just wanted revenge."

Maryland cornerback Curome Cox

On the win over Virginia:
"Virginia hit us at a really crucial part of the schedule last year. This year we really didn't focus too much on last year, because we were focusing on today's game. We just had to make sure we were ready for today's game."

On the remainder of the season:
"No matter what happens throughout the rest of the season, we feel as if we are in a good position. Hopefully we will get a share of the title. If not, then we are pretty confident that we will get second place and then go from there."

Maryland center Kyle Schmitt

On the win over Virginia:
"After the Georgia Tech game, we were about as low as we could go. But this turnaround is just incredible. It really felt great tonight to play this way, and we just want to keep it like this. [The offensive line] was not going to give in tonight. With the forecast being what it was, we were excited... The offensive line really likes to play in this kind of weather."

Virginia Head Coach Al Groh

On the game's outcome:
"We gave it a good go but in our business, you don't get medals for trying. It's just another chapter in the same story. Players played hard and put a lot into the game. I'm pleased with the way they approached it and the effort they gave in the game. They showed the same kind of resolve to fight back as they have in all sorts of circumstances. Once again, we just made it too hard on ourselves."

On the Terps opening drive:
"The first critical play of the game was when it was third down on the first drive. We had them stopped and we got a roughing the passer penalty. Eventually the drive concludes with 7 points so it is reasonable to say that was a seven-point penalty. I had my doubts about it but that's the way it got called."

On the 80-yard touchdown by Maryland's Josh Allen:
"Josh Allen is a quality back. He played like one tonight. He did a great job. Allen was faster than the guys who were chasing him, certainly. That was painfully evident as I had to stand there and watch him."

On the wind:
"Wind did not seem to be a factor to the quarterbacks but it seemed to be a factor on kicks throughout the game. Field position was a big issue in the game and wind was a big factor in field position so we wanted to make sure that we weren't the team kicking into the wind in the early part of the game."

Virginia Quarterback Matt Schaub

On the wind:
"It wasn't too much of a factor I didn't think. We did a lot of things we needed to do. It had more of an affect on the kicking game than passing."

On struggling offensively in the first half:
"It was just a matter of us hurting ourselves, like it has been all year. We couldn't make a few plays here and there. We couldn't get ourselves out of a hole."

Virginia Tailback Alvin Pearman

On the team's performance:
"It's just the same old, tired story. Week to week, we're real frustrated now. We're frustrated with ourselves, with our performance and we're frustrated with our effort. It's just the same thing week to week, and we're tired of it."

On his performace:
"Everyone has to do their job to help the team win, and we're not winning right now, so I don't feel like I'm doing my job. Hopefully, other members of the team feel the same way."

On finishing the season at home:
"We have to bounce back. I mean, we don't have a choice. We have two home games to set a scene for a happy ending."