Oct. 9, 2004
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By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Georgia Tech ended No. 23 Maryland's 13-game home winning streak in stunning fashion, blanking the Terrapins through three
quarters and forcing out quarterback Joel Statham in a 20-7 victory
Saturday.
Reggie Ball threw for 197 yards and a touchdown to help the Yellow Jackets
(3-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) snap a two-game losing streak. It's been
an erratic season for Georgia Tech, which has also defeated then-No. 18 Clemson
but lost to lowly North Carolina.
The Terrapins (3-2, 1-1) were undefeated at home since September 2002 and
21-1 at Byrd Stadium since coach Ralph Friedgen took over the program in 2001.
Statham, who came in leading the ACC in total offense, received complete
support from Friedgen despite his seven interceptions and propensity to fumble.
But Friedgen removed the struggling quarterback in the third quarter with
Maryland trailing 20-0.
True freshman Jordan Steffy directed a scoring drive that made it 20-7 with
11:28 left, but that was the extent of the damage that Maryland could inflict
on a defense that was surrendering an average of 23 points per game.
Statham went 6-for-14 for 36 yards. Steffy was 5-for-9 for 38 yards and
showed enough poise to at least warrant consideration as a starter next week.
The Terrapins mustered just over 100 yards in offense, and their defense had
no answer for Ball, whose starting job was believed to be in jeopardy after he
threw three interceptions last week in a 27-3 loss to Miami.
Ball completed 11 of 21 passes, ran for 43 yards and coolly directed an
offense that did not commit a single turnover.
He received ample support from P.J. Daniels, who ran for 91 yards on 26
attempts. Daniels gained 51 yards on three carries and scored from the 12
during a 65-yard drive that made it 17-0 with 10:06 left in the third quarter.
A 26-yard pass from Ball to Nate Curry set up a field goal by Travis Bell
for a 20-0 lead.
Maryland senior Steve Suter set the ACC record for career punt return yards
(1,212). He returned three punts for 24 yards to pass Ledel George of North
Carolina State, who had 1,191 yards from 1990-93.
Georgia Tech ran up a 201-66 advantage in offensive yardage and took a 10-0
lead at halftime.
Allen ran for 28 yards on Maryland's first play from scrimmage, but the
promising drive ended with Nick Novak missing a 44-yard field goal try.
Neither team threatened again until early in the second quarter, when Bell
kicked an apparent 45-yard field goal. But Georgia Tech was called for an
illegal shift and subsequently punted.
On their next series, however, the Yellow Jackets took a 7-0 lead. Ball used
two completions to Devon Thomas totaling 50 yards to set up an 11-yard
touchdown pass to Curry.
Georgia Tech made it 10-0 late the half when Bell kicked a 19-yard field
goal after freshman Calvin Johnson made a sensational catch for a 44-yard gain
to the Maryland 6.
