EMBARRASSING: Virginia 31, Terps 0

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - As kicker Obi Egekeze stood ready to open the second half of Saturday's game at Virginia, the Terrapin football team had reason for hope.

Although down three touchdowns to a Cavalier team that had struggled so far this season, they had history on their side.

The Terps rallied from 20 points down to beat Virginia in their last trip to Scott Stadium two years ago and last week overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to win at Clemson.

A little early momentum could've gone a long way toward sparking a similar comeback. So it wasn't surprising Egekeze attempted an onside kick, trying to push the ball to himself.

But the result was astonishing. The senior barely grazed the top of the ball, which trickled to a stop 4 yards in front of him.

Virginia got the ball at the Terp 49-yard line. The momentum never swung the Terps' way, and the Cavaliers cruised to an easy and unlikely 31-0 win.

"Obi kicks that thing perfectly every time in practice," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "He missed the ball. It wasn't our night."

It was Virginia's night from the start as they shrugged off a 28-point loss at Duke last week to delight their home crowd.

The Terp defense could not stop the Cavaliers, who ranked last in the nation in scoring coming into the game. Virginia quarterback Marc Verica accounted for three touchdowns, while running backs Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson combined for 187 yards. The Cavaliers' four touchdowns Saturday equalled their season total going into the game.

Quarterback Chris Turner and the Terp offense never got on track. Six first-half possessions netted just five first downs as the Terps fell behind big. Running back Da'Rel Scott struggled to find running lanes, the offensive line couldn't keep pressure off Turner and big-play wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was a non-factor for the second straight week.

The Terps (4-2, 1-1 ACC) were denied a 2-0 start to ACC play as they were shut out for the first time since a 16-0 loss in Charlottesville on Nov. 6, 2004. Their recent trend of inconsistent and erratic performances continued as Virginia (2-3, 1-1), which had been outscored 128-36 in their first four games, dominated.

"I guess we thought that, since their record wasn't very good, that they weren't going to play the exact same way they played the last couple years against us," center Edwin Williams said. "We just didn't put forth our best effort."

Unlike after the team's disappointing loss at Middle Tennessee Sept. 6, Friedgen said he was pleased with the Terps' practice performances coming in. But after preaching to the team throughout the week about what to expect at Scott Stadium, he was disappointed in the result. The eighth-year head coach took the blame for not having his team ready to play in a hostile environment.

"It really wasn't about X's and O's," Friedgen said. "It was about who came to play and who didn't. That's what it was about. You could have the greatest plays in the world and if you're not going to execute them and the other team is playing at a different speed than you are, then it's not going to work."

The Terps moved the ball to the Virginia 32 on their first drive of the game but failed to convert on a fourth-and-2 when Turner missed Heyward-Bey. It turned out to be their best scoring opportunity in the game. The Terps recorded 302 yards of total offense but couldn't overcome a pair of turnovers and an inability to convert third downs.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers jumped on the board and never looked back. Verica hit wide receiver Kevin Ogletree on a 51-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 remaining in the first quarter. It was the first passing touchdown of the season for Virginia and first for Verica, who was 25-for-34 for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his third career start.

Before the half ended, Virginia added two more touchdowns on long 12-play drives. With 11 seconds left in the half, Ogletree, who had 100 yards receiving on five catches, grabbed his second touchdown of the game to put the Cavaliers up 21.

"I said a lot to them at halftime, and so did the other coaches," Friedgen said. "Some of the players said things. But they still had that distant stare they seem to get down here."

It didn't get any better as Virginia turned to the ground game in the second half. Peerman and Simpson picked up first downs and ran out the second-half clock. Peerman, a senior captain who had more yards Saturday than in the first four games combined, capped the Virginia scoring when he took a fourth-and-short hand off 9 yards for a score with 5:21 left in the third quarter.

With their team's first ACC win of the season well in hand by the start of the fourth quarter, fans started to file out of Scott Stadium before Turner was intercepted near the end zone in the final minute. It was the Terps' final chance to avoid the shutout.

"We're up some weeks, and we're down some weeks," Turner said. "We just need to be more consistent. It's a constant theme every week, but we can't joke around any more. We need to get this fixed."

The Terps head to their first bye week of the season looking for answers after a baffling performance against their ACC rival.

Friedgen lamented his messages not getting through to his players, suggesting, "maybe their biorhythms were off," and talking about the need to get better.

No matter the cause, it definitely wasn't a good night for the Terps in Charlottesville.

And if they need reminder of that, they can just look at the tape of Egekeze whiffing his onside attempt.

"Had it worked, it would've been great, but it definitely didn't," said cornerback Kevin Barnes with an unamused chuckle. "I was shocked. It didn't even go 5 yards."

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