College Park , MD--

The Terps might have started their second game of the 2006 season slow, but they sure did not finish that way with a 24-10 victory over Middle Tennessee State.

Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach once again led the offesne and put things together when the team most needed it. another . He was a strong 11 for 16 for 139 yards in the passing department . His longest pass of the night was a 22-yarder to tight end Joey Haynos, who finished the night as the Terps' top receiver with three catches for 45 yards.

After the game Middle Tennessse Head Coach Rick Stockstill did not have much praise for the way the Blue Raiders stayed with the Terps for most of the game on the statistics sheet.

"Statistics are for losers," he said. "And we lost the game."

 

Tonight's game was over just minutes into the game, as Josh Wilson returned the opening kickoff 61 yards, putting the Terrapins on the Blue Raiders 39. On the second play from scrimmage, Terps runing back Keon Lattimore broke a 24-yard run. The long gain set up Ball's 12-yard touchdown run to give the Terrapins a 7-0 lead.

 

Middle Tennessee showed some offensive prowess on their first drive after a penalty pinned the Blue Raiders inside its 10. With the Blue Raiders facing a third and 11 from its 8, Middle Tennesee's No. 8 all time scorer EugeneGross broke a 39-yard run to keep the drive going. The Blue Raiders capped the drive with Colby Smith's 42-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 6:42 left in the first quarter.

 

Then on the next possession for the Terps, the game followed a similar path to the end-zone, Hollenbach hit tight end Haynos with a 22-yard strike to put Maryland in Blue Raiders territory on the next drive. Five plays later, Dan Ennis delivered a 37-yard field goal to put the Terrapins up 10-3 with 4:06 left in the opening quarter.

Hollenbach's one-yard touchdown dive capped a nine-play, 61-yard drive to put the Terrapins ahead 17-3 with 7:04 left in the second quarter.

Lance Ball's two-yard touchdown run put Maryland ahead 24-3 in the third quarter. This would be all the Terps needed, but it turns out they will need a lot more if they plan to hang with West Virginia in Morgantown next week.