Deacons Direct - Maryland Gameday Blog
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 18, 2008
3:14 p.m. - And it's a final from College Park. Maryland hands Wake Forest a 26-0 shutout. The Terps move to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, while the Deacs drop to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play. There is a logjam at the top of the Atlantic Division now with Wake, Maryland and FSU all with 2-1 records.
3:07 p.m. - The teams have emptied their benches with backups in the final few minutes here in College Park. Maryland is facing a fourth down at midfield with 46 seconds left in the game.
3:04 p.m. - Maryland adds an insurance touchdown by throwing for a 50-yard score with under five minutes to go in the game. The Terps are now up 26-0 with 4:33 left in the game. QB Chris Turner hit WR Danny Oquendo for the score.
2:58 p.m. - Another three-and-out by Wake gives Maryland the ball. Two Deacons were shaken up on the last offensive series. Marshall Williams was hit hard trying to make a leaping catch on the sidelines. He left the field under his own power. The next play center Trey Bailey went down and had to be helped off the field. There have been no reports on the status of either player.
2:52 p.m. - Maryland was forced to punt, giving Wake Forest the ball at its own 13 yard line with 7:47 left in the game. The Deacs will have to move the ball quickly if they want to have any chance of getting back into this ballgame.
2:42 p.m. - Wake comes up empty despite driving into Maryland territory. The Deacs advanced inside the 30 but a sack created a third-and-13 situation. Skinner rushed for seven yards on third down, but his fourth down passing attempt was knocked down in the secondary. The Terps take over at their own 28 with 11:19 to play.
2:38 p.m. - Today's attendance at Byrd Stadium is 46,257.
The Deacs have a first down at midfield after a 17-yard completion to Boldin and a 11-yard completion to Kevin Harris.
2:35 p.m. - Wake Forest forced a Maryland punt and takes over at its own 20 with 14:01 left in the game.
To add on to the previous shut out note: The Deacs have not been shut out by an ACC foe since falling 52-0 at Maryland on Oct. 19, 1996, a span of 93 conference games.
2:33 p.m. - The Deacs are in danger of being shut out for the first time since 1998, a span of 123 games. The last time Wake Forest failed to scored was on Sept. 5, 1998, in a 42-0 loss at Air Force.
2:30 p.m. - With the third quarter in the books, Maryland holds a 19-0 advantage. The Terps have a first down at their own 49.
2:29 p.m. - Wake went three-and-out and punted. Skinner tried a deep ball to Marshall Williams on third down but the pass was just out of the reach of the receiver. A kick catch interference call on the punt gives the Terps the ball at their own 39.
2:26 p.m. - Maryland has four field goals on the day, accomplishing the feat for the first time since 2006. Coming into the game, Wake had allowed just two total field goals this season -- one at Florida State and one against Navy. It is the first time since the Virginia game in 2004 that a Wake opponent has four field goals.
2:24 p.m. - The Terps take a 19-0 lead with a 26-yard field goal at the 1:40 mark of the third quarter. On the scoring drive, Maryland went 72 yards in 11 plays over 5:07. Wake Forest takes over at its own 32.
2:15 p.m. - Another not good note to report. Coming into to today's game, Maryland had beaten each of the last four ranked opponents it had faced. Unless things turn around here quickly, Wake could become the fifth.
2:14 p.m. - Wake Forest is forced to punt again, and Maryland takes over at its own 19 yard line.
Trailing by 16, a Deacon victory would be the fourth-largest comeback in program history. That's not out of the question when you remember what happened between Wake and Maryland last season in Winston-Salem...
2:12 p.m. - Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey has 10 catches for 103 yards on the day. He is the first opponent to have 10+ catches in the Jim Grobe Era. Heyward-Bey is also the first opponent to have 100+ yards receiving since the NC State last year.
2:05 p.m. - Maryland added to its lead with a 35-yard field goal with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter. The Terps now hold a 16-0 lead, as the Deacs take over at their own 29.
2:00 p.m. - After picking up one first down, the Deacs' drive stalled at midfield. A 17-yard punt allows Maryland to take over at its own 36.
1:56 p.m. - The Deacs get the ball to start the second half. After a solid return by Alex Frye, Wake begins the series at its own 29.
1:54 p.m. - Wake Forest has struggled to get any offense in the first half not only today but in recent week. Over their last four games, the Deacons have scored a combined six points in the first half. Wake had three points at FSU, zero against Navy, three against Clemson and zero here today.
1:47 p.m. - Maryland out-played Wake Forest in the first half, and it shows on the stat sheet. The Terps ran 41 plays and gained 251 yards of total offense. The Deacs, on the other hand, ran 32 plays for just 106 yards of total offense.
The Terps have been especially potent through the air, completing 21 of 29 passes for 195 yards. Darrius Heyward-Bey has eight catches for 94 yards and a score
Skinner has completed eight of 16 passes for 75 yards for Wake. Adams has rushed seven times for 20 yards.
1:34 p.m. - The Terps tack on a 39-yard field goal to take a 13-0 lead into the locker room. Wake Forest will get the ball to start the second half.
1:23 p.m. - The Deacons had another stalled drive and were forced to punt. Wake cannot get anything going on offense. Maryland takes over at its own 26 with 1:06 left in the half.
1:20 p.m. - Ghee has returned to the game made a nice pass breakup to thwart a Maryland third down attempt. The Deacs get the ball back at their own 25 with 2:17 left in the half.
1:10 p.m. - Maryland takes a 10-0 lead with a 40-yard field goal at the 6:41 mark of the second half.
Injury news to report. Brandon Ghee has been ruled out for the first half. Ben Wooster who was shaken up on a play will return.
1:00 p.m. - The offense stalled again going three-and-out, and the Deacs came up empty on points. Skinner almost hit Wooster on a gain to the goal line, but the ball glanced off Wooster's hands before he suffered a big hit. Popham's 47-yard field goal attempt was wide left. Maryland takes over with 9:57 left in the half.
12:58 p.m. - The Deacon defense forces another turnover as Stanley Arnoux forced a fumble and Josh Bush made the recovery. Bush was in there at cornerback because Brandon Ghee was injured on the previous play. It was not apparent whether Ghee's injury was serious but he walked off the field on his own. Wake takes over at the Maryland 30.
12:53 p.m. - Wake Forest's drive stalled at the Maryland 42-yard line. The Deacs looked to have a first down but a illegal blocking penalty brought the gain back. Popham's punt is downed at the Terrapin one-yard line by Kerry Major.
12:48 p.m. - The game's first official booth review went Wake's way. Rich Belton caught a ball at the sideline and was ruled out of bounds on the field. However, a booth review overturned the call, giving the Deacs an 11-yard gain into Terrapin territory.
12:43 p.m. - With the first half coming to a close, Maryland leads 7-0. The Deacs have a first down at the Maryland 27-yard line.
Skinner completed two of four pass attempts in the first quarter, which was his fewest completions in the first quarter since 2006. Josh Adams rushed five times for 17 yards, including a five-yard gain that gives the Deacs a first down to start the second quarter.
12:40 p.m. - The Deacons stopped the Terps and take over with just under a minute to play in the first half.
12:34 p.m. - Wake Forest comes up empty after the turnover. The Deacs went three and out and then Popham's 38-yard field goal attempt was wide right. The Deacons dropped two passes on the three-and-out, the last of which would have been good for a first down. The Terps take over at their own 24.
12:31 p.m. - The first turnover of the game goes Wake's way. Da'Rel Scott fumbled the ball, and Stanley Arnoux pounced on it at the Maryland 25-yard line. The Deacs need to capitalize with some points off the miscue. Brandon Pendergrass is now in the backfield on the second offensive series.
12:29 p.m. - With our first break in action, here's a look at Wake's starters today. Nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Offense:
QB - Riley Skinner
RB - Josh Adams
FB - Mike Rinfrette
WR - D.J. Boldin
WR - Chip Brinkman
TE - Ben Wooster
LT - Joe Birdsong
LG - Russell Nenon
C - Trey Bailey
RG - Barrett McMillin
RT - Jeff Griffin
Defense:
DE - Matt Robinson
NG - Boo Robinson
DT - John Russell
DE - Anthony Davis
OLB - Aaron Curry
MLB - Stanley Arnoux
OLB - Chantz McClinic
CB - Alphonso Smith
CB - Brandon Ghee
FS - Chip Vaughn
SS - Kevin Patterson
12:27 p.m. - Wake Forest's first offensive series stalled in Maryland territory. The Deacs came up less than a hard shy of converting a third-and-3. Popham's punt barely went into the endzone for a touchback. Skinner completed both of his pass attempts and rushed for seven yards on two carries on the drive. The Terps take over with 6:15 left in the first stanza.
12:16 p.m. - Maryland is on the board with a touchdown at the 10:59 mark of the first quarter. Running back Da'Rel Scott threw a nine-yard TD pass to Darrius Heyward-Bay. The Terps went 58 yards on nine plays over 4:01. Maryland fumbled deep in Wake territory but came up with the ball to retain possession.
12:12 p.m. - We're under way in College Park as Maryland ran the opening kickoff back to almost midfield. It looks as if Swank is out for today after Shane Popham handled the kickoff duties. Maryland is moving the ball well right now and is in Wake Forest territory.
Coin Toss - 12:09 p.m.
Maryland won the coin toss and will receive. Wake Forest will kickoff and defend the west goal.
Wake Forest's game captains are Rich Belton and Chantz McClinic.
Looking for a First - 11:45 a.m.
Wake Forest enters today's game at 2-0 in the ACC. The Deacons have never gone 3-0 in ACC play. To do so, Wake will have to take down a streaky Maryland team. The Terps reeled off a three-game winning streak, including victories over Cal and Clemson, but suffered a disappointing 31-0 setback at Virginia two weeks ago in Charlottesville.
Wake Forest has relied on its defense to win its first two ACC games. The Deacs held FSU to just a field goal and then allowed only a touchdown to Clemson. The offense, on the other hand, has just one touchdown in two conference games. It was a big touchdown, however, as it proved to be the winning score in the 12-7 defeat of Clemson.
On the Radio - 11:35 a.m.
Not to self-promote or anything, but I will also be giving live updates over the radio waves today. I'll be on the Big Tailgate with Taylor Zarzour every half hour on the fives.
As Skinner Goes... - 11:10 a.m.
So do the Deacs. Obvious statement of course, but it can be confirmed through a statistic unearthed by Steve Shutt in our office. Wake Forest is 15-1 when Riley Skinner does not throw an interception. The Deacons are just 7-6 when Skinner throws at least one pick. The only time Wake lost when Skinner did not throw an interception was the Virginia Tech game in 2006.
Swank Update - 11:00 a.m.
Senior kicker Sam Swank was on the field with the special teams unit for pre-game warmups. However, the All-American did not take any real kicks. He had one pooch punt but did not attempt any field goals. Backup Shane Popham looked solid, hitting from 50+ yards in warmups. Emergency kicker Andrew Wright was out there as well. Wright, a non-scholarship wide receiver, is a former Demon Deacon soccer player.
The quarterbacks have emerged from the locker room and are stretching out on the field right now.
Uniform Watch - 10:55 a.m.
From watching the Deacons warm up without pads on the field, it looks as if Wake is going with black pants today. The Deacs have gone white-on-white in each of their first two road games this season but will go with white-on-black for today's game. Maryland wears white pants at home so the change might be to get a better contrast from the Terps.
Greetings From Byrd Stadium - 10:45 a.m.
We're coming to you live from a chilly Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Md. The sun is shining and the skies are clear, but there is still a little nip in the air as the Deacons get ready to take on the Terps.
Wake Forest arrived at the stadium around 10:15, and a smattering of the Deacons are on the field now warming up. The group includes the injured Sam Swank, who is listed as questionable with a strained quadriceps muscle. He has yet to take any kicks, however, as backup kicker Shane Popham and emergency kicker Andrew Wright practice their field goals.
Blog posts by Scott Wortman, WFU Media Relations
