Maryland @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2007 ) West Virginia 31, Maryland 14

Maryland and West Virginia renew their spirited border-war rivalry Saturday in Morgantown following a two-year hiatus, with both teams sporting 2-0 records but facing some questions on offense.

West Virginia, ranked No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, needed fourth-quarter scoring drives of 96 and 98 yards from an offense that had sputtered for most of the game, a successful two-point conversion to forge a tie and a field goal by Tyler Bitancurt in overtime to defeat upset-minded Marshall 24-21 last week.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen plans to continue experimenting with a two-quarterback system, but redshirt freshman Danny O’Brien, who threw three touchdowns in the first four pass attempts of his career last Saturday in a 62-3 trouncing of Morgan State, is nursing a sprained right ankle he suffered in the game. O’Brien’s ankle has improved, but it’s uncertain how much playing time he will see behind junior starter Jamarr Robinson.

O’Brien is considered the better passer of the two, but West Virginia’s 3-3-5 defense can present problems for a young quarterback. However, the Mountaineers’ defense was dealt a blow Tuesday when starting senior cornerback Brandon Hogan was suspended indefinitely by coach Bill Stewart following Hogan’s arrest after the Marshall game on a drunken-driving charge. Hogan, who is one of the best defensive backs in the Big East and is on the Thorpe Award watch list, has made 25 career starts and is fourth on the team with 11 tackles this season and an interception.

West Virginia also has a young quarterback in sophomore Geno Smith, but he showed the poise of a veteran when, trailing 21-6, he engineered the fourth-quarter scoring drives against Marshall in only his second career start. Smith, who finished with 316 yards passing against Marshall, has speedy receivers in Jock Sanders and Tavon Austin, but the Mountaineers also have a dynamic scoring threat in tailback Noel Devine, who was selected the Big East offensive player of the week after registering his second 100-yard rushing game this season.

Maryland, which already has matched its win total of last season, has more speed on defense this season, but the Terrapins have not yet faced a speedy trio the likes of Devine, Sanders and Austin. It’s likely that Maryland defensive coordinator Don Brown will implement an aggressive scheme against WVU in an effort to rattle Smith.

Offensively, the Terps feature an inside-outside rushing attack with DaRel Scott and Davin Meggett, and junior Torrey Smith is an All-ACC receiver/kick returner who already ranks fifth in all-purpose yards in Maryland history. Also, tight end Will Yeatman, who broke his finger in practice in mid-August, has returned to practice and is expected to play Saturday.


West Virginia leads the series 23-21-2, and the Mountaineers have won the last four meetings, including a 31-14 win against the Terps in 2007, the last time they met. The last time Maryland defeated the Mountaineers was in the Gator Bowl after the 2003 season when the Terps crushed WVU 41-7. The Mountaineers averaged more than 300 yards rushing in their last four games against Maryland, but WVU has shown a more balanced attack under Stewart, who took over as Mountaineers coach in 2008.


The rivalry has been a spirited one over the years, and this week the schools announced that the series would continue at least through 2017.