Taylor with a career high: Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor enjoyed a career day against the Terrapins, throwing a career-high three touchdown passes. He became the first Tech quarterback to throw three touchdown passes in a game since Sean Glennon against BC in 2007.
Taylor threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone. He finished the day completing 13-of-23 for 268 yards, with the three touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 81 yards. His lone blemish on the day came in the fourth quarter when, with Tech backed up at its own 1, he fumbled in the end zone.
“He didn’t have any mental errors except for the one in the end zone,” tailback Ryan Williams said. “He ran the ball well and threw the ball well. He made very good reads. He played a heckuva game. He’s had some good games, but this was one of his best.”
Taylor now has 12 touchdown passes and three interceptions this season. His three interceptions are the fewest by a starting quarterback in the ACC.
Taylor’s 349 yards of offense gave him 5,142 yards for his career. He moved past Steve Casey (1979-81) into fifth place on Tech’s all-time list.
His 268 passing yards gave him 3,683 for his career. That moves him past Mark Cox (1981-85) into eighth place on Tech’s all-time list.
Receivers come up big: Taylor appeared to look down the field for the majority of the game, and as a result, his receivers enjoyed huge days.
Jarrett Boykin caught three passes for 118 yards, including a 64-yarder for a touchdown. Dyrell Roberts caught two passes for 78 yards and Danny Coale caught two passes for 23 yards. Marcus Davis added a 15-yarder.
In all, Tech’s receivers caught passes of 64, 41, 30,16 and 15 yards.
“They played great today,” Taylor said. “They made a lot of plays against good defenders. It’s my job to get the ball around them and they did a good job of making plays. That’s what we preached all week – just make a play. They did a good job of that.”
Williams breaks another freshman record: Tech tailback Ryan Williams continued his outstanding season with a fine performance at Maryland. Williams broke the Tech freshman record for touchdowns in a season when he scored on a 1-yard run early in the first quarter. The touchdown marked his 12th of the season (11 rushing and one receiving), which breaks Darren Evans’ mark of 11 set last season.
Williams finished the day with 126 yards on 23 carries. The game marked his seventh 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
Williams now has 1,235 yards rushing this season and needs just 31 rushing yards to break Evans’ single-season ACC and Virginia Tech record for rushing yards by a freshman (1,265) set last season.
Smith ends tight end streak: Andre Smith became the first Tech tight end to haul in a touchdown reception this season when the redshirt junior from Germantown, Md., caught a 3-yard scoring pass from Taylor late in the first quarter.
Tech’s tight ends had not caught a touchdown pass in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season when Greg Boone caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in Tech’s win over Maryland. Boone did reach the end zone in that span, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run against UVa.
The touchdown reception marked the second of Smith’s career. He hauled in a touchdown catch from Cory Holt in the Hokies’ loss to Florida State last season in Tallahassee.
The reception was just his third this season and just the ninth by a Tech tight end at the time. The tight ends finished with three catches in the game – one each by Smith, Boone and Sam Wheeler.
Johnson with a big day: Tech backer Jake Johnson lost his starting job before the Hokies took on East Carolina, but he got his game back on track in Tech’s victory over Maryland. He came off the bench to lead the Hokies in tackles with seven, including two sacks – part of a six-sack day for the Hokies.
“Jake’s made out of the right stuff,” Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “He’s an athletic guy and he’s made out of the right stuff. He just needs to get experience. That will help him a lot, as far as adjusting to things.”
Waldron extends streak: Tech kicker Matt Waldron accounted for all of Tech’s second-half scoring, booting three field goals – 21, 28 and 33 yards. He now had made a field goal in all 10 games this season.
Snapping a streak: Maryland kicker Nick Ferrera missed a 39-yard field goal to end the first half, marking the first missed field goal by a Tech opponent in 16 attempts. Opponents are 18-for-20 on field goals this year with the only other miss coming from Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin in the opener.
Via gets another start: Redshirt freshman Michael Via made his second collegiate start, getting the nod at center for the injured Beau Warren (sprained MCL). Warren did not make the trip to College Park with the team.