COLLEGE PARK - - The Maryland Terrapins saw a potential victory washed away Saturday amid cold rain, mist and their usual abundance of perplexing turnovers.
Virginia, which managed just nine first downs, claimed a 20-9 victory and was the beneficiary of two Maryland fumbles and two interceptions, including one returned for a pivotal, third-quarter touchdown.
The loss dropped the Terps (2-5) to 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and diminished their fading hopes of qualifying for a bowl game this season. The miscues and the steady rain made for an unpleasant homecoming game for the fans in Byrd Stadium's half-filled stands.
"It's the same story over and over again," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "Until that [the turnovers] gets fixed, it's going to be hard to win football games."
Friedgen has battled turnovers all season, even resorting to asking now-injured tailback Da'Rel Scott to carry a football around campus as a lesson in hanging on to the ball. Saturday's fumblers were running backs Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas. Quarterback Chris Turner was intercepted twice.
With the Terps ahead 9-6, Turner's second-down pass was tipped into the hands of defensive end Nate Collins, who returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to put the Cavaliers up 13-9 with 1:43 left in the third quarter.
Turner said wide receiver Ronnie Tyler was open against man-to-man coverage but that the ball was "tipped up right into the guy's arms."
Rashawn Jackson's 2-yard touchdown run increased Virginia's lead to 20-9 in the game's final minutes.
Turner said the sloppy conditions "had to be a factor" in Maryland's fumbles. He conceded that Douglas's second-quarter fumble - the score was tied 3-3 - came when the running back "just took a hit right in the shoulder."
Friedgen said Douglas, who had six carries for 49 yards, suffered an injury to his AC joint - at the top of his shoulder - and could be out a few weeks.
Maryland entered the game with 16 turnovers in six games.
"We thought there were some opportunities in the turnover area tonight, and they were certainly as big a factor as anything," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "They stopped some drives, and they gave us some field position."
Turner had said before the season that the Terps could win 10 games. "It's very tough," the quarterback said. "It's not the way I wanted my senior season to go. There's nothing I can do about it. I go out and play my heart out."
