BLACKSBURG, Va. - There's the Hokie Stone that Virginia Tech players rub entering Lane Stadium. And the lunch pail the Hokies carry to games. And the fans dancing the "Hokie pokie" in the stands.
The Maryland Terrapins don't seem to like any of it, and why would they? The Terps entered last night's game not having won at Virginia Tech since 1949.
Maryland, which lost its previous outing here four years ago by 49 points, again found little reason to enjoy its visit to the stone stadium last night. The No. 23 Terps gave up 253 rushing yards to redshirt freshman Darren Evans but couldn't run themselves in a 23-13 loss that left them tied for the lead in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division.
Maryland did not go quietly in a game attended by scouts from a number of bowls, including the Gator, Champs Sports, Capital One, Chick-fil-A and Meineke Car Care.
Several thousand Maryland fans also attended the game, including about 300 of the football program's top boosters who were bused to Blacksburg by the athletic department.
Maryland (6-3, 3-2 ACC) still controls its outcome in the division, but the Terps have narrowed their margin for error. A Nov. 22 meeting with Florida State - with whom the Terps are tied - now looms large.
"We still have an opportunity [to win the ACC], but we're going to have to play better than we did tonight," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who was frustrated his defense surrendered 273 rushing yards.
Trailing 20-3, the Terps scored 10 points in a row in the third quarter. But the comeback ended there.
Maryland was never able to stop Evans, who rushed for 116 yards in the first half and then helped Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2) run out the clock to end the game with eight carries over the final 5:38.
"We were prepared, but we were missing assignments and missing tackles, which you can't do," Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak said.
Meanwhile, the Terps struggled on the ground. Da'Rel Scott, the ACC's leading rusher, who had been questionable with a sore shoulder, started but found little room. Maryland totaled minus-12 rushing yards.
Friedgen said Scott wasn't given many holes and wasn't 100 percent because his shoulder had prevented him from practicing.
But Maryland, aided by a key break, managed to make the game interesting. Darrius Heyward-Bey took a short pass and turned up the middle for a 63-yard touchdown to make it 20-10 with 6:43 left in the third quarter.
