WVU speeds past Terps

By Mickey Furfari
For The Register-Herald

September 14, 2007 12:46 am

— COLLEGE PARK, Md. — West Virginia’s football team measured up to its No. 4 national ranking here Thursday night with an impressive 31-14 victory over Maryland.
An overflow crowd of 53,107 (fifth-largest ever in Byrd Stadium) saw the Mountaineers build a 31-7 bulge in the fourth quarter before the Terps scored a second touchdown with 5:50 remaining.
In making its record 3-0, West Virginia posted a fourth consecutive win over UM for the first time in a series that the Mountaineers now lead 23-21-2.
The Mountaineers had 21 first downs to 15 and piled up 448 yards on 61 plays while limiting the Terps to 269 yards. It had to be the WVU defensive unit’s finest performance of the year.
WVU coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Three-and-o, it can’t be better than that. I’m tickled to death. I’m going to go hug my wife and give her a kiss.
“I’ll enjoy this for a day or so, and then get ready for East Carolina.”
He said he was disappointed with the offensive execution in the first half.
“It was important for us to get that first drive in there (to start the second half), and we did that.”
Talking about the defense, he said that Johnny Dingle “may have played his best game since he’s been a Mountaineer.”
He also praised such defenders as linebackers Marc Magro and Mortty Ivy. “We put pressure on the quarterback (five sacks) and we really tackled well.”
UM Coach Ralph Friedgen said the Mountaineers smothered his team much of the game with effective pressure on the quarterback and more man-to-man coveraged than he had seen in WVU game tapes.
All-America tailback Steve Slaton rushed 26 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns to lead the winning attack. But Noel Devine, the flashy freshman, was right behind with 136 yards on just five carries.
It was his beautiful 76-yard run which paved the way for WVU’s final touchdown, a one-yard slash by Slaton.
Quarterback Patrick White scored on a 22-yard run for a 7-0 lead even before some fans were in their seats. That came after Dingle’s fumble recovery.
Slaton’s other two scores came on runs of one and 22 yards, and Pat McAfee was good on a 32-yard field goal after having failed on a 22-yard attempt early in the second quarter.
West Virginia put points on the board in every quarter.
Maryland, now 2-1 on the season, tallied a touchdown in each the first and fourth quarters.
Tailback Keon Lattimore capped a 78-yard drive with a four-yard run for a 7-all deadlock after the first quarter. UM’s other TD came on quarterback Jordan Sheffy’s 22-yard pass to Danny Oquendo.
White completed 8 of 13 passes for 95 yards, but netted just 22 yards on 11 carries rushing. Steffy connected on 16 of 23 for 180 yards.
Lattimore had 80 yards rushing on 21 attempts. He also caught four passes for 17 yards.
Darius Reynaud wss WVU’s top receiver with four catches for 55 yards.
Maryland fumbled the game’s first snap, with Dingle recovering at the Terps’ 20. After Slaton lost two yards, White raced 22 yards for a touchdown. McAfee kicked the extra point.
Taking the ensuing kickoff at its 25, Maryland marched 75 yards in 11 plays and 4:22 to tie the score 7-7. Lattimore went over from four yards out, and Obi Egekeze converted.
WVU returned the next kickoff to its 32 and drove all the way to the UM 23. But the Mountaineers lost ground all the way back to the 40 on three plays and had to punt.
As the second quarter started, the Mountaineers got the ball on a punt at their 22 and, thanks to a 44-yard run by Owen Schmitt, moved all the way to a first down at the Terps’ two-yard line.
But Slaton lost six, Schmitt was stopped cold, and Slaton gained three yards to the five. Then McAfee failed on a 22-yard field goal with 9:50 left in the second quarter.
WVU held UM for three plays, then thundered 78 yards in just seven plays and 2:02 of the clock for its second touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
Slaton scored on a 22-yard run after White had completed a 35-yard pass to Reynaud. Just 5:02 remained in the half.
Eric Wicks intercepted a long pass at his 20 to kill the Terps’ next drive. UM got the ball back on a punt to its 42 only to return possession to WVU at its 40.
White’s lost fumble at midfield was offset by Wicks’ second interception as the half ended.
At intermission WVU held a 12-8 edge in first downs and a 223-143 margin in total offense yards.
Slaton showed 103 yards on 16 carries rushing and Lattimore 49 on 11 totes.
White had completed 5 of 9 passes for 69 yards, Steffy 6 of 10 for 67 yards.
Devine returned the second-half kickoff to his 37, and WVU drove 63 yards in nine plays fora third touchdown. Slaton slipped into the end zone from a yard out, and McAfee’s kick made the score 21-7 with 4:19 elapsed.
Devine had set the stage with a 31-yard gallop to the one-yard line.
Neither team could muster a sustained drive until Divine broke loose for 76 yards before being caught at the one-yard line.
It was the longest run by a Mountaineer this season and tied the school record for non-scoring run as set in 1962 against William & Mary.
Slaton scored his third touchdown on the next play with 1:53 left in the quarter, and McAfee’s PAT widened the gap to 28-7.
With 10:39 left in the game, McAfee made a 32-yard field goal to make it 31-7 after a 49-yard march.
Maryland marched 91 yards in 10 plays, with Steffy passing 22 yards to Oquendo for a touchdown which trimmed the deficit to 31-14 with 5:50 to go.
The Terps recovered an onside kick at the WVU 49. But Sheffy was sacked by Magro for a 10-yard loss and Sheffy fumbled and lost four more yards.
An 18-yard pass carried to the WVU 46, but Magro sacked Sheffy again and the Mountaineers took over on downs at the UM 47 with 3:20 to go.
They moved the ball to the 25 before time ticked out.
Rodriguez said he planned to give his players Friday and Saturday off. Then they will begin preparations for East Carolina Sunday.
WVU hosts the Pirates next Saturday, Sept. 22.

No. 4 WEST VIRGINIA 31, MARYLAND 14
West Virginia 7 7 14 3 — 31
Maryland 7 0 0 7 — 14
First Quarter
WVU—White 22 run (McAfee kick), 14:15.
Md—Lattimore 4 run (Egekeze kick), 9:53.
Second Quarter
WVU—Slaton 22 run (McAfee kick), 5:02.
Third Quarter
WVU—Slaton 1 run (McAfee kick), 10:41.
WVU—Slaton 1 run (McAfee kick), 1:53.
Fourth Quarter
WVU—FG McAfee 32, 10:39.
Md—Oquendo 22 pass from Steffy (Egekeze kick), 5:50.
A—53,107.
WVU Md
First downs 21 15
Rushes-yards 48-353 39-89
Passing 95 180
Comp-Att-Int 8-13-0 16-24-2
Return Yards 24 3
Punts-Avg. 3-35.7 6-35.8
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 2-1
Penalties-Yards 6-53 5-58
Time of Possession 28:35 31:25
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—West Virginia, Slaton 26-137, Devine 5-136, Schmitt 4-46, White 11-22, Sanders 2-12. Maryland, Lattimore 21-80, L.Ball 6-19, Heyward-Bey 1-(minus 3), Steffy 11-(minus 7).
PASSING—West Virginia, White 8-13-0-95. Maryland, Steffy 16-23-2-180, Lattimore 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—West Virginia, Reynaud 4-55, Jalloh 1-21, Slaton 1-10, Gonzales 1-8, Devine 1-1. Maryland, Lattimore 4-17, Heyward-Bey 3-56, Oquendo 3-55, Haynos 2-17, Jackson 2-13, Gronkowski 1-12, I.Williams 1-10.