Sept. 18, 2004
Recap – In an early season showdown between top 25 border rivals, Maryland and West Virginia fought tooth and nail down to the wire to try and claim bragging rights and national acclaim. West Virginia RB Kay Jay Harris got things started for the Mountaineers with a 6 yard TD early in the first on his way to 142 yards for the day. Sandwiched in between several field goals by both teams was Maryland wide receiver D. Fenner beating WVU star corner “PacMan” Jones for a 27 yard touchdown reception in the third. The game nearly ended very poorly for the Mountaineers as Maryland’s Nick Novak just missed on a 49 yard field goal with 1:15 left in the game that would have given the Terrapins the lead. In overtime, the Terps converted a field goal, putting the pressure on WVU’s offense. However, QB Rasheed Marshall found Chris Henry in the endzone for a 7 yard scoring strike that sent the 60,000+ Mountaineer fans in attendance into wild celebration.
Impact on Season – WVU came into 2004 with a lot of hype, but many analysts were questioning their strength of schedule, so it was important to win against ranked teams at every opportunity. Secondly, since the Big East had just been raided for three teams by the ACC, this game had an extra feeling of animosity. West Virginia would go on to what many consider a very disappointing finish to the season, losing three straight games to end the year. This win was a high point in a season that didn’t come close to living up to the hype.
Impact on Program – West Virginia had lost four straight against the border rival Terrapins from 2001-2003, most by embarrassing margins. That humiliating streak included two losses in the 2003 season by a combined margin of 75-14, one coming in the Gator Bowl. The 2004 win put an end to the embarrassment at Maryland’s hands and shifted the momentum of the series back to West Virginia, who would go on to win the 2005 and 2006 matchups.
Memorable Quote – “When you go out and perform above what other people think that you will, it satisfies you, and I did that today” – Rasheed Marshall, referencing a quote from a Maryland player in a local newspaper questioning Marshall’s abilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment