The Charleston Daily Mail Wrote:Maryland-West Virginia set to resume football series in 2010
By Mickey Furfari
For the Daily Mail
May 21, 2008

MORGANTOWN - As far as West Virginia University is concerned, its football rivalry with Maryland will be resumed automatically in 2010.

Two games remain on an existing contract, according to WVU Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons. Maryland asked that those games be delayed for two years so the Terrapins could play a home-and-home series with California in 2008-09.

"That contract wasn't up when they asked to get out of the scheduled games these next two years," Parsons said Tuesday. "We also will be negotiating for more games in the future."

This is the first interruption in the WVU-Maryland football rivalry since 1980. There have been 29 meetings in the last 28 years, including a Toyota Gator Bowl meeting Jan. 1, 2004, which was a rematch of the 2003 regular-season game.

Maryland won both of those contests handily. WVU has won the last four clashes, though, and leads the all-time series 23-21-2.

As you can see, this has been a closely contested rivalry over the long haul despite a layoff here and there, and it just makes good sense for WVU and Maryland to continue meeting not only in football but also in basketball.

The last lapse in the rivalry was in 1978 and 1979.

WVU shut out Maryland 27-0 in 1919 in the teams' first meeting, and the schools did not clash again in football until 1943. That was by far the longest lapse in the series.

Parsons said Maryland has given no indication it intends to drop the football rivalry. If the Terps wanted to get out of those two games still under contract, it could cost them big bucks.

As for resuming the basketball rivalry, Parsons said it would be up to the close relationship between Maryland Coach Gary Williams and WVU assistant Billy Hahn.

Hahn was an assistant under Williams for 12 years and is a Maryland alumnus. The two have talked about the possibility of scheduling some future games.

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A couple of preseason football magazines are about to hit the newsstands, and WVU director of football communications Mike Montoro says the Mountaineers and several of their players are getting recognition in those publications.

Lindy's ranks the Mountaineers No. 9 nationally and projects them to win the Big East Conference championship. That magazine rates WVU's veteran offensive line No. 4 and its backfield No. 5 in the country.

Senior offensive lineman Ryan Stanchek made Lindy's All-America first team, and senior Patrick White was listed No. 3 among the nation's leading quarterbacks. Stanchek is the No. 3 tackle, junior Greg Isdaner No. 7 among offensive guards and sophomore Noel Devine No. 11 among running backs.

White, Devine, Stanchek, Isdaner and senior kicker/punter Pat McAfee were named to the All-Big East first team. Second-team selections include senior center Mike Dent, kickoff returner Devine, sophomore defensive lineman Scooter Berry and junior linebacker Reed Williams.

Libby's named White the Big East's MVP, Devine the toughest to bring down and Stanchek the best run blocker.

Three newcomers were listed among the league's top 20. They are junior defensive lineman Tevita Finau, freshman offensive lineman Josh Jenkins and freshman offensive lineman Benji Kemoeatu.

Finau was named the most likely to be the best NFL player, and freshman cornerback J.J. Dorsey was selected as the top sleeper.

Montoro said Phil Steele's publication named White to its All-America second team and also to its All-Big East second team.

Other Mountaineers on the league's first team are Devine, Isdaner, Stanchek, Williams and junior safety Quinton Andrews. Dent, senior linebacker Mortty Ivy, McAfee as a punter, and Devine as kickoff returner are on the second team.

Third-team members include senior offensive lineman Jake Figner, Ivy, McAfee as punter, and Devine as a kickoff returner. Senior wide receiver Dorrell Jalloh, Finau, and sophomore running back-wide receiver Jock Sanders were named to the fourth team.