CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Sophomore Jay Carlson scored three goals and junior goalie made 14 saves to lead the No. 2 University of Maryland men’s lacrosse team to a 9-7 victory over No. 15 Virginia on Saturday in front of 5,225 at Klockner Stadium.

The victory, which was the Terps’ first at Klockner Stadium since 2003, boosts the Terrapins’ record to 7-1 on the season and closes out their conference record at 2-1. The Cavaliers now stand at 5-6 overall and 0-1 in ACC play.

Maryland got off to a fast start when junior Mike Chanencuk ripped a low shot from 10 yards straight away to give the Terps a 1-0 lead just 35 seconds into the game.

The lead grew to 2-0 as some Terrapin defensive standouts hooked up for a transition goal. Sophomore Casey Ikeda caused a Virginia turnover near the top of the restraining box and senior Landon Carr picked up the loose ball and pushed the transition up the field. The Wahoo defense picked up Carr as he entered the box, but he threaded a pass to senior Jesse Bernhardt, who ripped a shot past UVa goalie Rhodey Heller at the 13:06 mark.

Carlson gave Maryland a 3-0 cushion with 8:15 left in the first when he scored a goal from virtually no angle on the left side of the crease.

Virginia got on the board with an extra-man goal at 6:19 in the first on a Ryan Tucker score.

The second quarter was scoreless until the 7:57 mark when the Wahoo defense gave senior Kevin Cooper a little too much room in the right alley and Cooper buried a big overhanded shot to give the Terps a 4-1 advantage.

The Maryland transition game struck again with 3:54 to play in the second as Amato made the save on a shot by Matt White and then fired a great outlet pass to Bernhardt. No one on the Virginia defense picked Bernhardt up as he entered the box and he laced a shot past Heller from eight yards out.

The Cavaliers ended their 18:14 scoreless stretch at the 2:05 mark of the second when Mark Cockerton scored unassisted to make it a 5-2 game going into halftime.

Virginia opened the scoring in the second half with a goal by Tucker at the 13:37 mark.

The Cavaliers looked to have the momentum and a golden opportunity when Jesse Bernhardt was called for a non-releasable illegal body check with 12:11 to play in the third. The Wahoos only got one chance though thanks to another great save by Amato.

Maryland would then open up a 7-3 lead on back-to-back goals by Haus. The first came with 9:11 left on the clock as he tight-roped the crease and slipped a low shot past Heller. He scored again at the 2:25 mark when he ripped a shot from the left wing into the top right corner off of a feed from senior Jake Bernhadt.

Virginia seemed to have stemmed the tide near the end of the third when James Pannell scored with 31.8 left on the clock.

But Maryland wasn’t ready to concede the quarter. After sophomore Charlie Raffa won the ensuing faceoff, Chanenchuk found Carlson on the crease and Carlson scored on an off-balance behind-the-back shot to make it an 8-4 game heading into the fourth.

Carlson finished off his hat trick with a one-timer from the crease off of a feed from Cooper at the 8:47 mark of the fourth to give Maryland a 9-4 lead.

Cockerton scored his second of the game for Virginia to trim the Terrapin lead to 9-5 with 7:00 to play.

The lead was trimmed to 9-7 with back-to-back goals by Virginia’s Greg Coholan and O’Reilly with 1:27 to play, but Amato came up big again, making two of his 14 saves down the stretch to help preserve the victory.

Raffa finished the game winning 10-of-20 faceoffs with a game-high nine groundballs. Junior Michael Ehrhardt led the defenders with three groundballs, while sophomore Goran Murray had two groundballs and a caused turnover.

Maryland returns to on Friday, April 5 when it plays at Navy. Faceoff between the Terps and the Midshipmen is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Game Notes:
• With today’s 9-7 win, Maryland is now 46-43 all-time vs. Virginia.
• With three points on three goals, sophomore Jay Carlson now has three hat tricks, nine multi-point and eight multi-goals for his career.
• With two points on a goal and an assist, senior Kevin Cooper now 17 multi-point games for his career.
• With three points on two goals and an assist, senior John Haus now 24 multi-point and 12 multi-goal games for his career.
• With two points on a goal and an assist, junior Mike Chanenchuk now has 22 multi-point games for his career.
• With his 14 saves, junior Niko Amato now has 16 double-digit save games for his career.
• Amato’s assist in the second quarter was the third of his career and his first since assisting on a goal by Landon Carr vs. Virginia on March 31, 2012.

Is it over? Are they finally gone? Have we seen the last of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team in the state of Maryland? We couldn’t have bid them a finer farewell! The Good (Terps) 83 points, the Bad (refs – relentless grief from the student section) and the Ugly Dukies 81 points - See Ya! The Terps get the Dukies once next year during the regular season and Mark Turgeon probably said it best – “Doubt the ACC is going to do us any favors.” With the Big Ten move, it appears we have seen the last of Duke at College Park. I am old school, I am a Maryland alum, I am sick of Coach K (the Rat Man) and I am sick of Duke basketball.

Hopefully you caught the show Saturday evening. It was quite an event. It was ugly, (26 turnovers), but they won. The young Terps refused to lose. The rested Terps ran circles around los arrogant ones, out rebounded the Dukies 40 -20, shot like 60%  and still barely managed to squeak out a 2-point victory. Carolina refs were present. I had to mute Doris (Dukie) Burke many times throughout the broadcast. Some young smart mouthed kid named Quinn Cook, (Dukie guard) claimed Gary Williams court was ”his city”.  And Lenny ate up Mason Plumlee. “O” that’s right, he was exhausted. Eat it Coach K.

Best part about watching it on ESPN? The crowd played well on the tube. I am not much on the cursing from the student section – I believe they could be more creative. But for once, I was glad to hear and even proud at times of “REF – YOU S…K”! Because they did and a national television audience got a taste of what loyal Terp fans have been getting handed for the past 40 years – lopsided calls. Doris (Dukie) Burke did acknowledge the late game ”charging” call on Dez Wells, ”should have been a no call”, when a Pukie had clearly not established ground. I do not agree with the “Rock n’ Roll Part II” - (Gary Glitter)/ Hey, You S…k chant, when the #2 in the nation is in your house. They are not in the top 10 because they s…k. I really don’t like it against any team. But, since it was Puke and since it was the last time they were going to be here….let ’em have it. I also did enjoy the “B…L S…T”, “You Can’t Do That”, “LET’S GO TERPS”, etc. The place was electric. If you haven’t seen this “flash mob” clip, watch it. Terpland on a high -http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G1qoZxWAsk8  – it was good clean fun.

My daughter was there. She hit me up with text pictures. From the early afternoon pics, 4 hours prior to game time and Terp faithful lined up outside waiting to get in, up until the storming of the court after the final buzzer. Got me all choked up inside. The kids experienced a night at Comcast, that hopefully will never forget.”O” the memories…………..my “stormin’ the court game” was when the Terps beat then #1 ranked UVA and Ralph Sampson (1982), in overtime at Cole. I remember Adrian Branch going off and Mark Fothergill playing Sampson tough. Then I believe Fothergill hit a late game field goal from the corner to ice it. Do you all have a “stormin the court” moment?

I don’t like Duke. I have not liked Duke since Jim Spanarkel and Mike Gminski. I am tired of the arrogance. I am tired of the preferential treatment. I am tired of the money. I am tired of the whining. I am tired of them winning. I am tired of Mike Krzyzewski. And if those weren’t reasons enough, there was the Final Four game in 2001. That loss still gives me chills. I dislike Duke more than any other sports team. I don’t like the majority of Yankee fans, Steeler fans and especially Red Sox fans. The teams…….. I can put up with (well, maybe not the Yankees). But Duke is in a class all by itself. It has always been, “Anybody but Duke”.  I really think that adage originated with Duke basketball. I am not going to miss Terps/Duke basketball. I know my blood pressure will be better for it.

I’m not buying this, “the rivalry is gone”. Duke is not our rival, people. UVA is our rival. The Duke rival is UNC. Terp fans don’t like Duke. Terp fans want to beat Duke. Terp fans would like to think Duke is our rival……….but they are not. And who should care anymore? We gone. We is going to the midwest. Now watch, Coach K will retire. The 5 Super Conferences are right around the corner. The real intrigue is, who will be following the Terps to the Big 20 or whatever the conference becomes? All I can say is, anybody is welcome, “Anybody But Duke!” GO TERPS!

D.I.Y.

Fedman
 

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Led by a defense that ranks as one of the nation’s best, Maryland will look to build on its ACC-opening victory over Wake Forest when it travels to Virginia for a 3 p.m. game that will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic locally. The Terps and Cavaliers will be meeting for the 77th time, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps’ 120-year football history.

First-and-10

• For the first time since 1999, Maryland has held its opponent under 300 yards of total offense in four of the season’s first five games. Only No. 5 West Virginia, which is averaging 570.8 yards of total offense per game, exceeded the 300 mark against the Terrapins (363). The Terps rank seventh nationally in total defense (257.2 ypg), seventh in rushing defense (81.0 ypg) and 15th in passing defense (176.2 ypg). Maryland has been very tough against the run with an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.3 yards per rush, which ranks third nationally. The Terps received a major boost to their linebacking corps with the return of Kenneth Tate in the West Virginia game. Tate, a 2010 consensus first team All-ACC choice, had missed the previous 11 games dating back to the 2011 season due to a knee injury. The fifth-year senior has already made an impact in his two games back: he has eight tackles, two for a loss, a sack, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He and Hartsfield helped seal the victory over Wake Forest by providing back-to-back sacks late in the fourth quarter, preserving a 19-14 win. Hartsfield earned ACC Linebacker of the Week honors for his play.

• Offensively, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. The freshman has put together back-to-back 100-yard receiving games by catching three passes for 113 yards and two TDs against West Virginia and then hauling in five passes for 105 yards vs. Wake Forest. Against the Demon Deacons, his 63-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter setup the game-winning score. Diggs, who ranks second in the ACC and 19th nationally with 154.8 all-purpose yards per game, is the only player in the conference with 350 receiving yards, 150 punt return yards and 150 kickoff return yards. He has been named ACC Rookie of the Week in each of his last two games.

• Quarterback Perry Hills, who is just the third true freshman quarterback to start for Maryland in school history (Randall Jones in 1998; Latrez Harrison in 1999), is directing the offense. Hills had his best collegiate game against West Virginia when he finished 20 of 29 for 305 yards and three touchdowns, all season highs. He led Maryland on the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of the season opener against William & Mary, and was named ACC Rookie of the Week after going 11 of 21 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Temple.

• The Maryland running game has been a work in progress as four capable backs have all seen time this season. SophomoreJustus Pickett, the most experienced of the four, and true freshman Wes Brown received the bulk of the carries against Wake Forest. Brown leads the team with 150 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry, while Pickett is second with 137 rushing yards and is a threat on screen passes, having caught 13 passes for 70 yards. True freshman Albert Reid, who started against William & Mary, and redshirt freshman Brandon Ross, who started the last two games, have also been in the mix.

Quick Hitters

• A Terrapin has received Rookie of the Week honors three times in Maryland’s last four games. Quarterback Perry Hillsearned the award for his play against Temple (9/8), while Stefon Diggs received the honor for his play against West Virginia (9/22) and Wake Forest (10/6). Hills became the first Maryland true freshman QB to earn the award since Calvin McCall on 9/20/99, while Diggs became the first Maryland freshman receiver to earn it since Darrius Heyward-Bey on 10/30/06.

• Diggs ranks ninth in the conference and first among freshmen with 72.8 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 17 catches for 364 yards, is averaging 21.4 yards per catch. That leads all ACC receivers with 15 or more catches. It also ranks third among the top-100 receivers (yards per game) nationally.

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Thirteen players have made their first career starts at some point this season. In the season opener against William & Mary, quarterback Perry Hills, running back Albert Reid, safety Sean Davis, defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, linebacker Cole Farrand, nose tackle Darius Kilgo and offensive lineman Nick Klemm debuted. Against Connecticut, wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his first career start; defensive back Isaac Goins and running back Brandon Ross made their starting debuts at West Virginia. Defensive back Anthony Nixon and offensive linemen Mike Madaras and Andrew Zeller made their first starts vs. Wake Forest.

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 22 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (12 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• Maryland’s defense allowed just 682 total yards to opponents through its first three games (William & Mary – 229, Temple – 230, Connecticut – 223). That marks its best defensive performance in a three-game span since 2004, when it held The Citadel (137), West Virginia (156) and Eastern Michigan (275) to a total of 568.

• Maryland held a high-powered West Virginia offense that came in averaging 226 rushing yards per game to just 25 yards on 25 attempts.

• West Virginia came into its game with Maryland averaging 612 yards of total offense and 55.5 points per game. The Terps held the Mountaineers well below those averages, surrendering 363 yards and 31 points, seven of which came on a fumble return for a TD by the WVU defense.

• The Terps surrendered just 45 yards to Wake Forest in the second half, including just four in the fourth quarter. Maryland has been at its best in the second half all year, surrendering just 121.4 yards in the second half.

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.3 yards per carry, which ranks third nationally. Of the opponents’ 174 rushing attempts this season, 122 (70.1%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 43 tackles and three sacks, and has had a hand in three turnovers, also a team high (one interception, two fumble recoveries).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In five games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:43 to 28:17 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent. Against Wake Forest the Terps did their best job of clock control all season, holding the ball for 35:48 to just 24:12 for Wake.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. In the win over William & Mary, Marcus Leak got the game ball for offense, Joe Vellano for defense and Nathan Renfro for special teams. In the win over Temple, Sal Conaboy got the game ball for offense, Demetrius Hartsfield for defense and A.J. Francis for special teams. Against Wake, Kevin Dorsey got the offensive game ball, Jeremiah Johnson the defensive and Anthony Nixon special teams.

• Against William & Mary, Perry Hills became the first true freshman starter at quarterback for Maryland since Latrez Harrison in 1999. He also became the first freshman to start a season opener since redshirt freshman Calvin McCall on Sept. 2, 1999, in a 6-0 win over Temple.

• Nine bowl teams from last year appear on Maryland’s 2012 schedule: Temple (Gildan New Mexico Bowl), West Virginia (Discover Orange Bowl), Wake Forest (Franklin American Mortgage Music City), Virginia (Chick-fil-A Bowl), NC State (Belk Bowl), Georgia Tech (Hyundai Sun Bowl), Clemson (Discover Orange Bowl), Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl) and UNC (AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl).

Maryland-Virginia Series History

• Saturday’s game will mark the 77th meeting between the Terrapins and Cavaliers, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps’ 120-year football history. The schools have met every season since 1957.

• Maryland leads the all-time series, which began in 1919, by a 42-32-2 margin.

• Maryland is 21-18 all-time against Virginia on the road, and has won two of the last three meetings in Charlottesville. The road team has won five of the last six meetings.

• Virginia has won four out of the last five in the series, with Maryland’s win coming in Charlottesville in 2010.

• From 1969 through 2000, play between the two schools was feast or famine for one team. From 1969-87, the Terrapins held an 18-1 advantage in the series and at one point ran off 16 wins in a row, the longest streak in the series. Then from 1988 to 2000, the series swung almost exclusively to the Cavs as they were 11-2 in that span. Over the last 11 meetings, Virginia holds a 6-5 edge.

• Maryland’s 41-21 win in 2001 broke a string of nine straight losses to Virginia. In the win, the Terps allowed a 24-7 lead to be cut to three in the third quarter before scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth to win going away.

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On how the offensive players performed:

“Obviously we didn’t run the ball very well, so it’s hard to say if any of them did well. Whether it’s in the run game or pass game, we have a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. It starts with executing our techniques and executing the fundamental things that we teach. When you go back and watch the tape as a play caller, you see that plays are there but then a guy shows up. It’s not just one guy, it’s a guy on each play, maybe not doing their job or not taking care of their responsibilities. As coaches we have to find a way to get our guys to find a way to the things they’re coached to do in games.”

On whether the breakdowns in the running game are different each time or something particular:

“That’s the point. You can’t say that it’s this type of play that we’re running. It’s individual technique and fundamental technique things that we just have to get cleaned up. The positive side of it is that our guys, especially on the offensive side of the bal,l have had a chance in every game in the fourth quarter to win. Three of the five games we found a way and made the plays whether it be in the run game, or the pass game to win the ball game and that’s a positive. That’s something that we’ll build on but the next step for us is the execution has got to be a lot better.”

On how frustrating it’s been to see the running game struggle:

“It’s frustrating, but the thing is when you’re starting young players up front, and young in the middle of your offense, you have guys who don’t have a lot of game experience. So the thing you’d like to be able to do is find a way to run the football to take some pressure off of the young quarterback. We just haven’t been able to do it consistently. There’ve been times, the opening drive of the second half, we had a series where we had been moving the ball down the field. Wes [Brown] did a good job coming in and getting the ball downhill, and I can recall having at least a drive of some plays where we were able to cover people up. If we can do that consistently than we’ll have a chance.”

On giving Wes Brown and Justus Picket the bulk of the carries:

“They make the least amount of mistakes. That’s the thing for us, when you look at us across the board, and it’s not just one guy or one position, I think that during the course of the game we have enough what we call ‘mental assignments’ where a guy goes the wrong way, blocks the wrong guy, or doesn’t take care of his responsibility. For us right now everything we call and how we go about our game plan on offense we have to be pretty perfect. Those two guys have been the most steady in terms of knowing their assignments. Albert [Reid] still has a role, and you’ll see him. He came and filled in when Wes went out for a minute, and I still think he’s in the mix as well.”

On the importance of Justus Picket:

“He’s been the guy who’s been out there when we’ve had to do it. I know in the William & Mary game Kevin Dorsey made the big run after the catch on the screen play, and Justus came back and put it in. The Temple game where we let them back in the game, and had to put a drive together, Justus was the guy who scored the touchdown. Again this past weekend, he’s been a guy who’s been pretty steady and I think it starts with his game experience. He’s only a sophomore, but he played a lot of ball last year and that lends itself to help and be able to handle the things that happy through the course of this year. Whereas a guy like Brand Ross, it’s only been his second ball games for us. Wes Brown has still only played in his fifth ball game, same thing for Albert Reid. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel for these young guys with each game gaining a ton of experience that will be fruitful for us in the future. Unfortunately now we have to get these guys to play better.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On the goal line stand vs. Wake Forest:

“That was awesome wasn’t it? I don’t know how I could break it down; it was just great all across the board. The defensive linemen cut their offensive linemen, which made it easier for the linebackers and secondary players to see the [running]back take a leap. I think it was [Demetrius] Hartsfield who hit him first below, and then it was Cole [Farrand] who came from the other side. They got a hit on him, and then next thing you know Dexter [McDougle] comes flying all out with his best impression of Troy Polamalu without the hair and then just did a good job of hitting. It was just an awesome play, I think that was a spark for us, a big play that was huge and it kept us rolling and I think it affected the offense also.”

On preparing for Virginia using two different quarterbacks:

“Yeah, [Phillip] Sims has had an opportunity to play in almost every game. We got a chance to see him and how he handles the offense. They’re going to run the same stuff, they do the same things, there’s not a big difference. I’m just glad I don’t have to make that quarterback decision.”

On the play of Anthony Nixon:

“Anthony has done a good job of asking questions that don’t just pertain to him, but pertain to the whole scheme. So he can understand where he fits and how he fits. At practice, when you correct him, he’ll look at it on tape and say ‘coach that’s the one you were telling me about.’ So he’s always thinking, and that’s just a testament to his high school coach, his parents, and that everything is important to him.”

On how much he’s seen Jeremiah Johnson improve:

“I just think Jeremiah is another guy where everything is important to him. When you talk to him about football, he sees it. You can talk to him and he sees it. He’s just a smart kid, good grades, and that’s probably why he’s a god football player. He knows how to study, does what he’s supposed to do, and I’m excited for him.”

On the play of Darin Drakeford:

“He’s done a good job. He’s been drawing some double teams. He’s been either drawing double teams or the backs come and chip him. So that’s slowed down his production, but it also helps the guy who plays right inside him. So whoever is on his side gets the opportunity to get a single block.”

– Terps –

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“It will be good to get back out there and practice this afternoon for Virginia and the guys are looking forward to it. We know we have a tough challenge going down to Charlottesville for the game on Saturday. We see a talented team in Virginia and we have to prepare well.  I like how our guys are competing and how they are finishing, playing hard for 60 minutes and winning games in the fourth quarter. We’ve lost our games by a total of 13 points. That bodes well but we must continue – especially when we are playing all the young guys we are playing – to be patient and understand there are going to be mistakes.  We have to go out to work today and rectify those mistakes on all three phases.  That approach is what we are going to take this week and work to get a little better. We have a quarterback who is very tough and when you look at it, when we needed to make drives in our games in the fourth quarter, he’s stood up tall.  That’s what you look for in a quarterback.  There are things we have to approve upon with Perry (Hills) as well. When the time came in the games we have won, he’s stood up and made those drives he’s needed to make and I think that says a lot about our quarterback.”

On what the running back corps needs to improve on: 

“It’s just a matter of getting better with guys and their footwork and hat placement and running backs making sure they’re reading their keys correctly in terms of who we are reading whether it’s a one technique or the three technique or a five technique.  It’s just that consistency part with everybody.  We have to push on the line of scrimmage, we have to get movement, we have to sustain blocks and receivers need to get in sometimes and dig people out.  Backs need to make the right read. I think when you take a look at the offensive line, we’re going through some growing pains there with those guys playing together and meshing.  Add to that the young guys who are still learning and those are things that take some time. We need to keep working at it and get better at it.  We need to be able to run the football because I want to be a physical team.”

On what makes Demetrius Hartsfield good and what he is like off the field:

“I think that the biggest thing with [Demetrius] is that he puts the time and effort into studying the game and watching film. He wants to be good, so he will do what he has to do physically and mentally to make himself better. Off the field, he’s just a really quiet guy. He’s a great guy to be around. Never gets too high, never gets too low, very steady. I see a big difference in him from last year in the knowledge and the confidence that he has been playing with. He understands the importance of practicing hard. Watching him practice, you can tell that he is very competitive and wants to win.”

On which direction they’re going in with the running backs:

“That’s one thing that we are going to look at again this week. I have some ideas in mind about the direction we want to go in, but we have to see how the guys go about their business and how we practice.”

On how much of an influence Bennett Fulper his on the line:

“We expect a lot out of him. He’s an experienced guy that all of those guys on the line can look to. He’s a guy that should be helping them out with the little adjustments. He really helps Mike out on the left side with the experience over there. He is a guy that who played center but we moved to guard because we felt he would be stronger there. He works hard in the weight room and is a smart guy. But again, he has to do a little bit more than everyone because he’s like the shepherd looking over the flock.”

On whether or not he’d like to play multiple running backs:

“I’d like to have it where we’d have three guys: two that would carry the bulk of it and maybe a third as a specialist for those certain situations that come up in the game. I think that we are getting closer to that and hopefully we’ll have something like that worked out going into the game on Saturday.”

On if he is looking at avenging last year’s loss to Virginia:

“We have been able to avenge two; we were beat by Temple and Wake Forest last year but we beat both of them this year. We weren’t able to do that with West Virginia. You have the past there to look at, but I just want our guys to go out, play hard and execute to the best of their ability. If we practice the right way, go out and compete for sixty minutes, and play hard every play, then we will give ourselves the opportunity to win at the end of the day. Every week we are just trying to get better at what we do. We are trying to minimize mistakes and improve fundamentally and with technique. We talk to the guys about certain things from past games, but ultimately, what has to happen is we have to go out and earn it during the week on the practice field. Then we will be able to put ourselves in a better position and beat those teams that we didn’t beat a year ago.”

On who they might see as QB for Virginia, and if there is anything different between Michael Rocco and Philip Sims:

“You really don’t see anything different in terms of what they do offensively. You watch film and see what Rocco does in there and then what Sims does in there, and you don’t notice much difference in their offense. They are pretty much the same type of guy. I’ve read some things the past week and they are expected to change some things up with their running or passing games, but again, I think that they have a bit of a dilemma. They’ve got two quarterbacks down there and how do you decide who plays because it might affect the outcome. You might have guys that are in the Rocco camp and some that are in the Sims camp. So they might have a bit of a controversy themselves in terms of playing time. We will make sure that we are ready to defend Virginia, regardless of who the quarterback is.”

On what concern he has about Virginia:

“Offensively, they are going to run the football. They have good people there to run the ball. Perry Jones and Kevin Parks are two seasoned guys that run very hard and give them multiple looks from a personnel standpoint, especially with Darius Jennings who is their leading receiver. They have athletes that can make plays and they have a big offensive line. Two tackles are very good, and Morgan Moses is very good. They are rotating four guards in there. Because of the multiple personnel looks you have to be careful with what you do. Defensively, they are a team that is going to bring pressure and they are sound and solid up front. I have been impressed with Steve Greer, their middle linebacker. I have been watching him make a lot of tackles out there. They are going to play zones and bring pressures and they are going to bring both backers off the edge and bring coverage. You just have to be able to execute and if you do that you have a chance to stop them. And if you do that, you have a chance to put points on the board.”

On how Joe Vellano has played:

“I think Joe is playing a lot better this year from a fundamental standpoint. He might not be making as many tackles as he did a year ago but he is playing better this year. Because of what Joe is doing, other guys are being freed up to make plays. I think the biggest difference between last year and this year is that he is a better fundamentalist and is using better technique this year. I think he has listened to Greg Gattuso, his position coach, and he is understanding how technique is a big factor in terms of how well you can play and how it make you a better player.”

On the differences this year with the defense:

“Anytime you are successful, it is because, number one, everyone is buying into what you are doing and believes your philosophy and that everyone can do their job pretty well. The reason we are having the success that we are having is that our defensive coaches are preparing our players very well and the guys are really preparing themselves on the practice field and watching film and then taking all of the things the coaches are giving them so that when they go out on the practice field they are practicing that way. One of the things I talked to the team about after the game in the locker room is that defensively we are playing with a lot of confidence. We have some moxie. That is what we need to get on offense. We have to play with more confidence on offense. You get that by going out and practicing the right way. I think that is what the defense is doing; they are enjoying themselves and they are having fun. They are doing all of the things they are being asked to do and they are going out there and executing at a high level.”

On if it is a major difference that this team is competing for 60 minutes:

“I don’t like to look back, but we did not play for 60 minutes [last year]. When you have the chance the play the same teams this year that you played last year, you can watch some things on film and get a feel for the game. If you take a look at the game last year against Virginia, we went up 13-7, then it became a 14-13 game at halftime and I think we lost 31-13. To me, that is not finishing. That was one of the things we talked about during the offseason, and we need to learn how to finish and how to compete for those 60 minutes. So far, through our first five games this year, we have seen that. However, we have to do a whole lot more to elevate our level of play to our high standards on both sides of the ball.”

On the rivalry with Virginia:

“In terms of Virginia, they have played us second most among teams that they have played. It is a built-in rivalry in the ACC because it is the one game we are going to play every year with someone from the other division. We are bordering states and we compete for the same kids in recruiting and a lot of the kids know each other. So, to me, it is a rivalry and it is one of those things where there is a bit more meaning to it. “

– Terps –

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A former University of Virginia lacrosse player has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for the alcohol-fueled beating death of his ex-girlfriend.

George W. Huguely V was sentenced Thursday in Charlottesville for the slaying of Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old suburban Baltimore woman who was found face down in her blood-soaked pillow on May 3, 2010. Authorities said the 24-year-old defendant left his on-again, off-again girlfriend to die after he kicked a hole in her bedroom door and physically confronted her about their sputtering two-year relationship. Police said he had been drinking heavily that day.

Circuit Judge Edward Hogshire reduced the jury’s recommended sentence by three years. The jury found the Chevy Chase, Md., man guilty in February of second-degree murder and grand larceny. The defense sought a 14-year sentence.