Colandrea Falters in 4th Quarter, Maryland Routs Virginia 42-14
By the end of the game, Virginia's dreamlike start to the game seemed a distant memory. Entering the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers trailed by just seven points and were threatening to tie the game at the Maryland 12-yard line. Then things fell apart, as rookie phenom Anthony Colandrea finally started to play like an inexperienced true freshman.
Colandrea turned the ball four times in the fourth quarter, including interceptions on three-consecutive passes, allowing the Terrapins to turn what was a closely-contested game early in the fourth quarter into a rout. In the end, Maryland scored 42 unanswered points, with 21 of those points coming in the fourth quarter, and handed Virginia a disheartening 42-14 loss, UVA's third-straight defeat to start the 2023 season, on Friday night in College Park.
After spending all week telling the media, fans, the Fox Sports broadcast team, and anyone who would listen that Tony Muskett would be the starting quarterback for Virginia on Friday, Tony Elliott pulled a fast one on the Terrapins and trotted out true freshman Anthony Colandrea, who had done plenty to earn the opportunity after shattering several UVA freshman quarterbacking records in his first collegiate start last week. After Virginia's defense started the game by forcing Maryland to go three and out, the Cavaliers doubled down on the misdirection by calling a trick play on their first offensive play from scrimmage.
Colandrea handed the ball off to Perris Jones, who then turned around and pitched the ball back to Colandrea for a flea flicker. Colandrea found a wide open Malik Washington for a 49-yard gain, setting up a 13-yard touchdown run for Jones two plays later.
Virginia's defense came up with another stop and Maryland kicker Jack Howes missed a 55-yard field goal. UVA capitalized on the good field position as Colandrea continued his hot start, hitting Malachi Fields and Malik Washington for back-to-back 16-yard completions. Then came Colandrea's most impressive play of the night, as he rolled to his left and, just as he was getting hit, released a perfect backfooted throw to the opposite side of the field, where a wide open Kobe Pace settled under it and cruised into the end zone for a 19-yard score. Less than 11 minutes into the game, Virginia led 14-0 and Maryland was stunned.
The Terrapins weren't out of it for long and it started with a single play that got them right back into the game. Braeden Wisloski returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, cutting Virginia's lead in half. Maryland's defense feasted on that energy and held UVA to punts on each of the next two possessions.
On the second punt, Daniel Sparks managed to pin the Terrapins at their own 3-yard line. That didn't faze Taulia Tagovailoa, though, who returned to form and led Maryland on a remarkable 14-play, 97-yard drive to tie the game at 14-14 heading into halftime.
By then, Virginia's early-game magic had worn off and, even though the scoreboard showed a tie score, Maryland clearly had the upper hand. UVA sputtered on its first drive of the second half and then Tagovailoa showed why he's one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, rolling to the right and firing a laser down the field to a wide open Jeshaun Jones, who beat Malcolm Greene on a double move and made the catch before strolling into the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown and taunting Greene while he did it.
That gave the Terrapins their first lead of the night and they certainly held all the momentum at that point, but the Cavaliers were still very much in the game and had a couple of golden opportunities to tie things up.
The first came on Virginia's next drive, as Colandrea did a great job of extending the play on 3rd and 10, rolling to his right and making an off-balanced throw to Malachi Fields, who was wide open behind the Maryland secondary. Fields, who had essentially caught everything that had been thrown at him so far this season, had to wait for the ball to arrive, and he took his eyes off the ball for a moment and let it slip through his hands. It wasn't going to be a certain touchdown, but at the very least, a catch by Fields would have set Virginia up with a first down inside the Maryland 10-yard line.
UVA's defense gave the offense another chance with a stop thanks to a sack by Kam Butler. The Cavaliers put together a nice possession, driving from their own 14-yard line all the way into the Maryland red zone, spurred along by a 15-yard catch by Suderian Harrison and a 25-yard reception by Washington.
The game was essentially decided by a 3rd and 10 play from the Maryland 12-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Colandrea tried to find Washington in the back right corner of the end zone, but Tarheeb Still won the battle with Washington and stepped in front of the pass to make the crucial interception. A solid drive by UVA ended with zero points and carried demoralizing consequences that crippled the Cavaliers, and in particular their quarterback, for the remainder of the game.
After the turnover, Maryland drove the length of the field with a 9-play, 80-yard possession, capped by a three-yard rushing touchdown from Roman Hemby to make it 28-14. Still maintaining a glimmer of hope, Colandrea tried to connect with Sackett Wood but his pass was tipped into the air by Donnell Brown, who juggled the ball all the way to the ground but managed to hang on to give Colandrea back-to-back picks. Tagovailoa hit Corey Dyches on the right sideline for a 28-yard gain on the next play and Maryland punched in another touchdown on a run by Antwain Littleton II.
By then, the game was essentially out of hand but things continued to get worse for the Cavaliers. After a couple of modest run plays, Colandrea had his third-consecutive pass picked off. The Terrapins poured it on, calling a flea flicker of their own and scoring another touchdown to make it a 42-0 run.
Colandrea's previously unwavering confidence - one of his finest traits especially as a freshman - was clearly shaken. And in one final blow to that confidence, Colandrea was sacked and fumbled the ball for yet another turnover. On replay, it looked like Colandrea's knee might have been down prior to him losing the ball, but with the game already decided, there was no replay review, so it goes down as a fourth turnover by Colandrea.
Even with those miscues, it was still a solid overall performance for Colandrea, who completed 23 of 39 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown and made several eye-popping plays in the first three quarters. If his confidence bounces back, the starting quarterback job is Colandrea's to lose.
Malik Washington was another bright spot, as he surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark for the second-straight game with nine catches for a career-high 141 yards. Malachi Fields had seven receptions for 70 yards as part of another solid all-around showing from UVA's passing game.
Virginia's defense largely held its own, giving up just two touchdowns before the fourth quarter, when UVA's turnovers piled up and put the Cavalier defense in poor field position situations.
With the loss, Virginia falls to 0-3 for the first time since the 2016 season, Bronco Mendenhall's first as the head coach at UVA. Virginia's search for its first win in 2023 will continue next week when the Cavaliers host Brennan Armstrong and the NC State Wolfpack on Friday night at Scott Stadium.
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