Maryland-Virginia rivalry
Maryland Terrapins Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...	Virginia Cavaliers Virginia Cavaliers football Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
Originated	1919
Continuity	1957
Games Played	76 (through 2011)
Series Record	Maryland leads, 42–32–2
Most Recent Game	Virginia 31-13
Next Game	2012 TBA (Charlottesville)

The Maryland–Virginia rivalry, the Virginia–Maryland rivalry, or the Beltway Brawl is an American college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 rivalry

College rivalry

Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...

 game played annually by the Maryland Terrapins football

Maryland Terrapins football

The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

 team of the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 and the Virginia Cavaliers football

Virginia Cavaliers football

Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

 team of the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

. Terrapins and Cavaliers first met on the football field in 1919, and the series has been played annually without interruption since 1957.

Maryland leads the all-time series with an total record of 42–32–2, although Virginia is 15–5 in the rivalry since 1992. Maryland possesses the longest winning streak of the series, sixteen games between 1972 and 1987, while Virginia has the second longest streak with nine consecutive wins ending in 2000.

Contributing factors

Several factors contribute to the intensity of the rivalry. The two states and their eponymous flagship universities, share close historical and cultural ties. The schools are located in relatively close geographic proximity, separated by about 129 miles. Due in large part to this proximity, the schools aggressively compete for recruits in the Mid-Atlantic

Mid-Atlantic States

The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...

 region. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...

 expressed the importance of the rivalry by stating, "It's a potential rivalry in every sport we play. They're border states. We compete for students, not just athletes."

The two are both long-time members of the Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Coast Conference

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

, with Maryland becoming a founding member in 1953 and Virginia joining later in that same year. When the conference reorganized in 2005, Maryland and Virginia were placed in separate divisions, but designated as cross-divisional rivals that continue to meet annually. The intensity of the rivalry is increased by a long history in the series of comebacks, shutouts, and spoilers that prevented one team from securing a conference championship or bowl game appearance. From the 1920s until 1945, the teams competed for the Tydings Trophy, named for former politician and Maryland alum Millard Tydings

Millard Tydings

Millard Evelyn Tydings was an attorney, author, soldier, state legislator, and served as a Democratic Representative and Senator in the United States Congress from Maryland.-Early life:...

 who had several friends amongst the professors at Virginia. In 2003, the schools discussed reviving the trophy tradition, but it was ultimately rejected by Virginia, due to concerns over the reorganization of the ACC.

Before and after their meeting in 2010, players from both schools attributed the importance of the game to the negative feelings the programs have for each other. Virginia center

Center (American football)

Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...

 Anthony Mihota said "I guess it's because we don't like them very much. Something about them that gets under our skin". After Maryland's victory, Terp linebacker

Linebacker

A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

 Adrian Moten commented, "This was a big win in the rivalry. They hate us. We hate them."

The high academic standing of the University of Virginia in a national publication has added to the competitiveness between the two. In 2003, University of Maryland president C.D. Mote

C. Daniel Mote, Jr.

Clayton Daniel Mote, Jr., Ph.D. served as President of the University of Maryland, College Park from September 1998 till August 2010...

 asserted that, in academic terms, Virginia was "highly overrated these days ... U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

places them at the top of the pile with Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

, which is ridiculous." Mote further stated that students from the state of Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 paying a higher tuition cost to attend the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

 "don’t know any better." While the University of Virginia president, John Casteen

John T. Casteen III

John Thomas Casteen III is an American educator. He has served as Professor of English and President of the University of Virginia from 1990 through 2010.-Early life and career:...

, said such remarks can be taken out of context, Virginia board of visitors member, William H. Goodwin, responded in The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily is the fully independent student-run newspaper at the University of Virginia, founded in 1890. It is the oldest daily college newspaper in Virginia and the oldest newspaper in Charlottesville, Virginia...

, "I certainly think a college president should have more class, but you have to expect that from Maryland."

Relative importance

Virginia has a far more vehement rivalry with Virginia Tech

Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry

The Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry is an American college rivalry that exists between the Virginia Cavaliers sports teams of the University of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Hokies sports teams of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Both universities are members of the...

, in which they compete for the Commonwealth Cup

Commonwealth Cup

The Commonwealth Cup is an American college football rivalry game played between the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Hokies football team of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Typically, this series is played on a Saturday...

, and a far more historical border rivalry against North Carolina

North Carolina Tar Heels football

The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...

, the South's Oldest Rivalry

South's Oldest Rivalry

The South's Oldest Rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the North Carolina Tar Heels football team of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...

. Maryland, on the other hand, does not possess one sole arch-rival. Each of the other teams with which the Terrapins have important rivalries also have more traditional opponents, such as West Virginia (which has Pittsburgh

Backyard Brawl

The Backyard Brawl is an annual football game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-iannually and may also be used to refer to other...

) and Navy (which has Army

Army-Navy Game

The Army–Navy Game is an an American college football rivalry game between the teams of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. The USMA team, "Army", and the USNA team, "Navy", each represent their services' oldest...

).

Former Virginia head coach Al Groh

Al Groh

Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...

 stopped short of calling the game with Maryland a 'rivalry', but said that "it is a very important game to our team and it is our annual game. So that certainly designates it as being different from the other games." Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...

 conceded that "[Virginia has] Virginia Tech as an in-state rivalry, but I think we're their out-of-state rivalry."

Virginia–Maryland is the second most played out-of-state rivalry for Virginia, after the longest standing rivalry in the ACC, the South's Oldest Rivalry

South's Oldest Rivalry

The South's Oldest Rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the North Carolina Tar Heels football team of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...

 between Virginia and North Carolina. It is the fourth most played for the Cavaliers overall, after North Carolina, Virginia Tech (Commonwealth Cup

Commonwealth Cup

The Commonwealth Cup is an American college football rivalry game played between the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Hokies football team of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Typically, this series is played on a Saturday...

), and Virginia Military Institute.

In contrast, Maryland–Virginia is the most-played historical series for Maryland.

Game results

Maryland victories are shaded in red. Virginia victories are shaded in navy blue. Ties are shaded in gray.

Date	Site	Winning team		Losing team		Series
5 November 2011	College Park College Park, Maryland College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S... , MD Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...	Virginia	31	Maryland	13	MD 42–32–2
14 November 2010	Charlottesville Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for... , VA Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...	Maryland	42	Virginia	23	MD 42–31–2
17 October 2009	College Park College Park, Maryland College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S... , MD Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...	Virginia	20	Maryland	9	MD 41–31–2
4 October 2008	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	31	Maryland	0	MD 41–30–2
20 October 2007	College Park, MD	Virginia	18	Maryland	17	MD 41–29–2
14 October 2006	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	28	Virginia	26	MD 41–28–2
1 October 2005	College Park, MD	Maryland	45	Virginia	33	MD 40–28–2
6 November 2004	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	16	Maryland	0	MD 39–28–2
13 November 2003	College Park, MD	Maryland	27	Virginia	17	MD 39–27–2
23 November 2002	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	48	Maryland	13	MD 38–27–2
6 October 2001	College Park, MD	Maryland	41	Virginia	21	MD 38–26–2
7 October 2000	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	31	Maryland	23	MD 37–26–2
20 November 1999	College Park, MD	Virginia	34	Maryland	30	MD 37–25–2
12 September 1998	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	31	Maryland	19	MD 37–24–2
1 November 1997	College Park, MD	Virginia	45	Maryland	0	MD 37–23–2
14 September 1996	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	21	Maryland	3	MD 37–22–2
11 November 1995	College Park, MD	Virginia	21	Maryland	18	MD 37–21–2
12 November 1994	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	46	Maryland	21	MD 37–20–2
4 September 1993	College Park, MD	Virginia	43	Maryland	29	MD 37–19–2
5 September 1992	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	28	Maryland	15	MD 37–18–2
7 September 1991	College Park, MD	Maryland	17	Virginia	6	MD 37–17–2
17 November 1990	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	35	Virginia	30	MD 36–17–2
18 November 1989	College Park, MD	Virginia	48	Maryland	21	MD 35–17–2
19 November 1988	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	24	Maryland	23	MD 35–16–2
12 September 1987	College Park, MD	Maryland	21	Virginia	19	MD 35–15–2
28 November 1986	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	42	Virginia	10	MD 34–15–2
29 November 1985	College Park, MD	Maryland	33	Virginia	21	MD 33–15–2
24 November 1984	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	45	Virginia	34	MD 32–15–2
1 October 1983	College Park, MD	Maryland	23	Virginia	3	MD 31–15–2
20 November 1982	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	45	Virginia	14	MD 30–15–2
21 November 1981	College Park, MD	Maryland	48	Virginia	7	MD 29–15–2
22 November 1980	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	31	Virginia	0	MD 28–15–2
24 November 1979	College Park, MD	Maryland	17	Virginia	7	MD 27–15–2
11 November 1978	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	17	Virginia	7	MD 26–15–2
19 November 1977	College Park, MD	Maryland	28	Virginia	0	MD 25–15–2
20 November 1976	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	28	Virginia	0	MD 24–15–2
22 November 1975	College Park, MD	Maryland	62	Virginia	24	MD 23–15–2
23 November 1974	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	10	Virginia	0	MD 22–15–2
10 November 1973	College Park, MD	Maryland	33	Virginia	0	MD 21–15–2
28 October 1972	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	24	Virginia	23	MD 20–15–2
20 November 1971	College Park, MD	Virginia	29	Maryland	27	MD 19–15–2
21 November 1970	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	17	Virginia	14	MD 19–14–2
22 November 1969	College Park, MD	Maryland	17	Virginia	14	MD 18–14–2
23 November 1968	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	28	Maryland	23	MD 17–14–2
25 November 1967	College Park, MD	Virginia	12	Maryland	7	MD 17–13–2
19 November 1966	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	41	Maryland	17	MD 17–12–2
20 November 1965	College Park, MD	Virginia	33	Maryland	27	MD 17–11–2
21 November 1964	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	10	Virginia	0	MD 17–10–2
23 November 1963	College Park, MD	Maryland	21	Virginia	6	MD 16–10–2
24 November 1962	College Park, MD	Maryland	40	Virginia	18	MD 15–10–2
25 November 1961	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	28	Maryland	16	MD 14–10–2
19 November 1960	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	44	Virginia	12	MD 14–9–2
21 November 1959	College Park, MD	Maryland	55	Virginia	12	MD 13–9–2
22 November 1958	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	44	Virginia	6	MD 12–9–2
23 November 1957	College Park, MD	Maryland	12	Virginia	0	MD 11–9–2
24 November 1945	Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....	Maryland	19	Virginia	13	MD 10–9–2
4 November 1944	Washington, D.C.	Virginia	18	Maryland	7	Tied 9–9–2
6 November 1943	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	39	Maryland	0	MD 9–8–2
14 November 1942	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	27	Virginia	12	MD 9–7–2
12 October 1940	College Park, MD	Virginia	19	Maryland	6	MD 8–7–2
14 October 1939	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	12	Maryland	7	MD 8–6–2
22 October 1938	College Park, MD	Virginia	27	Maryland	19	MD 8–5–2
16 October 1937	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	3	Virginia	0	MD 8–4–2
17 October 1936	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	21	Virginia	0	MD 7–4–2
2 November 1935	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	14	Virginia	7	MD 6–4–2
3 November 1934	College Park, MD	Maryland	20	Virginia	0	MD 5–4–2
4 November 1933	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	6	Maryland	0	Tied 4–4–2
1 October 1932	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	7	Maryland	6	MD 4–3–2
3 October 1931	College Park, MD	Maryland	7	Virginia	6	MD 4–2–2
1 November 1930	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	14	Virginia	6	MD 3–2–2
2 November 1929	College Park, MD	Maryland	13	Virginia	13	Tied 2–2–2
17 November 1928	College Park, MD	Maryland	18	Virginia	2	Tied 2–2–1
12 November 1927	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	21	Maryland	0	UVA 2–1–1
13 November 1926	College Park, MD	Maryland	6	Virginia	6	Tied 1–1–1
24 October 1925	Charlottesville, VA	Virginia	6	Maryland	0	Tied 1–1
11 October 1919	Charlottesville, VA	Maryland	13	Virginia	0	MD 1–0

Statistics

Maryland	Virginia
Games played	76
Wins	42	32
Home wins	20	18
Road wins	21	13
Neutral wins	1	1
Consecutive wins	16	9
Most total points in a game	89 (2005)
Most points in a win	62	48
Most points in a loss	30	34
Fewest total points in a game	3 (1937)
Largest margin of victory	43	45
Smallest margin of victory	1	1
Total points scored in series	1602	1385
Shut-outs of opposing team	10	7

1945

Maryland: 19, Virginia: 13

In 1945, the two teams met for a neutral site match-up at Griffith Stadium

Griffith Stadium

Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 Head coach Frank Murray

Frank Murray

Frank J. Murray was an American football and basketball coach. He is one of the few head football coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same college or university. Murray was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Marquette:Murray was the 13th head football at the...

, a future Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...

 inductee, had led 13th-ranked Virginia to a perfect 7–0 record. The Cavaliers also held an undefeated streak of fourteen games. Bear Bryant

Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...

 was in his first and only year as Maryland head coach. Maryland's Sam Behr broke away for a 90-yard touchdown run, but Virginia held the lead in the fourth quarter. In the final seconds of play, Terrapin freshman tailback Bill "Red" Poling completed a forward pass to end Don Gleasner

Don Gleasner

Donald "Don" Gleasner was an American football player. He played as an end and guard at the University of Maryland. In 1945, his senior year, Maryland was coached by the legendary Bear Bryant. Their penultimate game of the season was in Washington, D.C. against then 13th-ranked and undefeated...

 for a 50-yard score. With the win, Maryland tied the all-time series record, and, to date, Virginia has never regained the lead. The final result, 19–13, in favor of Maryland ended Virginia's perfect season and they fell to 20th place in the AP Poll. After this game, the series underwent an 11-year hiatus, and it proved to be the last year that the Tydings Trophy was awarded.

1961

Virginia: 28, Maryland: 16

Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent

Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3...

's Terps entered their last season game boasting a 7–2 record that included a win over a seventh-ranked Syracuse

Syracuse Orange football

The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...

 with Heisman Trophy

Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...

-winner Ernie Davis

Ernie Davis

Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...

 and the only victory over Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions football

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...

 in school history. They faced a Virginia team that started off their season by breaking a three-year, 28-game losing streak against William & Mary

William & Mary Tribe

The William & Mary Tribe are the athletic teams for the College of William & Mary. The name Tribe now refers to the unity and comradery that William & Mary student-athletes share when competing in the classroom and on the field. William & Mary has transitioned through several official nicknames...

. The Cavaliers had lost the last three meetings against Maryland by an average of 38 points. With a win against Virginia, the Terps would secure the ACC title and a trip to the Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...

. After Maryland scored for an early lead, Virginia quarterback Gary Cuozzo

Gary Cuozzo

Gary Samuel Cuozzo was a former professional American football player. An undrafted quarterback from the University of Virginia, Cuozzo played in 10 NFL seasons from 1963-1972. He began his NFL career on the Baltimore Colts as a backup to Johnny Unitas...

 tossed three short touchdown passes to third-string receiver John Hepler. Defensive back Ted Rzempoluch

Ted Rzempoluch

Theodore Charles Rzempoluch is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played in the NFL for only one season...

 returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown, and sealed the Terps' fate to go bowl-less. The other three-loss team in the ACC, Duke, won the conference.

1988

Virginia: 24, Maryland: 23

In the final minutes of the game, with the Terps trailing the Cavaliers 24–17, Maryland quarterback Neil O'Donnell

Neil O'Donnell

Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...

 was injured and taken out of the game. He was replaced by a young second-stringer Scott Zolak

Scott Zolak

Scott David Zolak is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for nine seasons...

. Zolak led a drive which culminated with a three-yard option run for a touchdown narrowing the deficit to a point. With 69 seconds remaining on the clock, Maryland attempted the two-point conversion. Zolak threw into the endzone to running back Ricky Johnson. Johnson appeared to catch the ball before being hit by defensive back Keith McMeans, knocking the ball loose. An official in the endzone immediately signaled for a catch, before others waved it as incomplete. After the game, the usually level-headed Terps head coach Joe Krivak ran to the official who made the initial call, following him to the locker room, and then ran over to yell at referee Don Safrit. Several witnesses claim that Krivak said to the officials that "If it takes every ounce of energy, I'm going to get you out of this league." Virginia (7–4) broke their 16-game losing streak in the series and finished second in the conference. Maryland (5–6) failed to achieve a winning season for the third consecutive year. However, the Cavaliers failed to secure a bowl game berth, while N.C. State with a worse record went on to the Peach Bowl.

1990

Maryland: 35, Virginia: 30

Besieged Maryland head coach Joe Krivak, with a 17–25 record, led his Terps (5–5) to a sold-out Scott Stadium in Charlottesville for their final regular season game. George Welsh's eighth-ranked Virginia (8–1) had spent three weeks atop the AP poll at number-one until a loss against Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

. At halftime, Maryland trailed 21–7. Then freshman reserve running back Mark Mason put the Terps back in the game with a 59-yard touchdown breakaway, and a team best run for the year. Maryland quarterback Scott Zolak

Scott Zolak

Scott David Zolak is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for nine seasons...

 threw for two more touchdowns and Mason scored the go-ahead with an 8-yard rush to put the Terps ahead 35–30. With the win, Maryland secured a bowl berth for the first time since Bobby Ross

Bobby Ross

Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...

 left four seasons prior. Virginia took a nose-dive in the AP rankings to 17th, and after another loss to Virginia Tech settled for the Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl

The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...

 where they were edged by Tennessee, 23–22.

1999

Virginia: 34, Maryland: 30

After starting the season 5–2, Maryland had suffered a devastating three-game losing streak before their finale at Byrd Stadium

Byrd Stadium

Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium , is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. It is the home of the Maryland Terrapins football and lacrosse teams, which compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference...

. The Terps (5–5) needed to beat the Cavaliers to finish with a winning season and likely secure a berth in the Aloha Bowl

Aloha Bowl

The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. With the exception of the 1983-86 playings, the Aloha Bowl was traditionally played on Christmas morning in Honolulu. For most of its...

 or Oahu Bowl

Oahu Bowl

The Oahu Bowl is a now defunct National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. Played on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the Oahu Bowl was sponsored by Jeep motor company...

. At the end of the first quarter, Virginia led 17–0. Maryland's freshman quarterback Latrez Harrison

Latrez Harrison

Latrez Harrison is a former Arena Football League wide receiver/defensive back for the New York Dragons. He attended the University of Maryland. Harrison played quarterback at Maryland as a true freshman in 1999 and again in 2001 as a redshirt sophomore...

 was pulled and replaced by former safety Randall Jones. Jones along with Heisman prospect running back LaMont Jordan

LaMont Jordan

LaMont Damon Jordan is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

 led the Terps to tie it at 17–17 before halftime. In the third quarter, Jordan ran 90 yards to bring it to 24–17, but the Cavaliers equalized shortly thereafter. With 5:18 remaining, Terps kicker Brian Kopka made a field goal to bring it to 30–27. In the next series, the Cavaliers went for it on fourth down but a Dan Ellis pass was incomplete. The Terps took over on downs with 1:40 left on the clock. Victory seemed assured, but Maryland failed to convert a first down and the inexperienced Randall Jones ran out of bounds on third down, which stopped the clock when Virginia had no time-outs. The Cavaliers got the ball on their own 24-yard line. In nine plays and just 46 seconds, Dan Ellis led a 76-yard drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to Billy McMullen to clinch the game with 26 seconds left. The 33–30 final result evaporated the Terrapins' hopes for their first bowl game in nine years. After the game, Maryland coach Ron Vanderlinden

Ron Vanderlinden

Ron Vanderlinden is an American college football coach. He is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Penn State University. Vanderlinden previously served as the head coach at the University of Maryland from 1997 to 2000....

 remarked "Devastating. The worst loss I've ever been associated with because of what was on the line."

2002

Virginia: 48, Maryland: 13

After Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen stated Maryland expected to "beat teams like Duke and Virginia", the Cavs sought vindication for the comparison to ACC football's perpetual underdog. While Maryland's Scott McBrien

Scott McBrien

Scott McBrien is a former American football quarterback. He played football for several professional and college teams, most notably, the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, and the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:McBrien was born in Rockville, Maryland to Ernie and...

 passed for a touchdown in the first series, Virginia went on to score 20 unanswered points in the second quarter with two Matt Schaub passes and a field goal. In the second half, the Cavaliers delivered four more touchdowns: another Schaub pass, a pass by receiver Billy McMullen

Billy McMullen

Wilbur "Billy" Anthony McMullen, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

, and two short rushing scores. The Terps only managed to use Nick Novak

Nick Novak

Nicholas Ryan "Nick" Novak is an American football placekicker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

 to make good two field goals. The loss broke Maryland's eight-game winning streak, and prevented them from sharing a piece of the ACC championship. Instead, Florida State finished with a better conference record (7–1), and secured the title outright.

2003

Maryland: 27, Virginia: 17

With leading rusher Bruce Perry

Bruce Perry

Bruce Perry is a former American football running back in the National Football League who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles to make room for veteran quarterback Koy Detmer's return to the team...

 out due to a sprained ankle, Terps running back Josh Allen adeptly filling in, and racked up 257 yards and two touchdowns. Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub

Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...

 threw for a touchdown and ran for another, but his second-half comeback attempt ultimately fell short. In the game, Schaub reached 186 career passing yards overtaking Shawn Moore

Shawn Moore

Shawn Levique Moore is a former National Football League and Canadian Football League quarterback and coach. He attended college at the University of Virginia and has returned to Virginia as an assistant coach under Mike London....

's school record. There was also some excitement even before the game started. Maryland assistant coach James Franklin and Virginia head coach Al Groh

Al Groh

Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...

 had a heated exchange after a Cavaliers player interrupted the Terps' warm up drills. Then, after Virginia won the coin toss, Al Groh infamously elected to kick off to start both halves. Immediately after the decision, the entire Maryland team rushed the field in celebration and was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct

Unsportsmanlike conduct

Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...

 penalty before the opening kickoff. The win kept the Terps' ACC title hopes alive, but Florida State narrowly beat N.C. State 50–44 to win the conference outright. Maryland finished second-place in the ACC.

2006

Maryland: 28, Virginia: 26

After giving up 255 yards, the Terps trailed 20–0 at halftime. Cavaliers punt returner Emmanuel Byers muffed

Muffed punt

In American football, a muffed punt is defined as "touching of the ball prior to possessing the ball."A muffed punt occurs when there is an "uncontrolled touch" of the football by a player on the returning team after it is punted...

 a third-quarter punt to give Maryland possession on the Virginia one-yard line. Lance Ball

Lance Ball

Lance Ball is an American football running back who is a member of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 rushed for a touchdown on the next play, and the Terps went on to score another 21 points in the final quarter to include a 56-yard breakaway by Keon Lattimore

Keon Lattimore

Keon Lattimore is an American football running back who is currently an NFL free agent and also played for the Trenton Steel in the SIFL. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Maryland.Lattimore has also been a member of the...

 and a 45-yard pick-six by linebacker Erin Henderson

Erin Henderson

Erin Henderson is an American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Maryland.-Early years:...

. With 2:37 left on the clock, the Cavaliers responded with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree

Kevin Ogletree

Kevin Ogletree is an American football player currently with the Dallas Cowboys. He was a 2-time honorable mention All-ACC wide receiver for the Virginia Cavaliers. He declared for the 2009 NFL Draft as a junior following the 2008 season, but was not drafted...

, to pull to 28–26. Virginia attempted a two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. Cornerback Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson (American football)

Joshua Wilson is a professional American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

, who was scored on twice earlier, broke up the pass to clinch the win for the Terps.

2007

Virginia: 18, Maryland: 17

Reserve sophomore running back Mikell Simpson

Mikell Simpson

Mikell V. Simpson is an American college football player. He was most recently a running back for the Virginia Cavaliers of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...

 racked up 152 rushing yards as a 19th-ranked Virginia came from behind to defeat Maryland. The game ended when, with 16 seconds remaining, Simpson dived into the endzone as the ball was knocked out of his hands. It was ruled a touchdown and Virginia defeated Maryland. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...

 said "I saw the ball come out on the goal line. I saw it and I don't think he had possession." Simpson himself stated, "It crossed the line. I knew I scored because I looked down and saw the yellow line and I saw the ball cross [before] they hit it out." With the victory, the Cavaliers reached seven wins in a row for the first time since 1990 and for only the fourth time in school history. They also accomplished the feat in 1914 and 1949. That season, Virginia won an NCAA record of five games by two points or less, with the other edged teams being North Carolina

2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

The 2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina in the 2007 college football season. The team was led by first year coach Butch Davis.-Previous season:...

, Middle Tennessee

2007 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

The 2007 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 2007 college football season. Middle Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 7-6 record in 2006....

, Connecticut

2007 Connecticut Huskies football team

The 2007 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2007 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...

, and Wake Forest

2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

The 2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe in his seventh season at the school and played its home games at BB&T Field. The team began its season with an Atlantic Coast...

.