SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 22, 2012
No. 7 West Virginia 31, Maryland 21: Geno Smith passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns – all to Tavon Austin – as the seventh-ranked Mountaineers held off the visiting Terrapins.
Austin recorded 13 catches for 179 yards and set the school record for career receptions with 208, passing Jock Sanders (206).
Smith registered at least 300 yards passing for the third game this season and the 13th time in his career as the Mountaineers (3-0) extended their win streak over Maryland to seven games. Maryland (2-2) had allowed 124.3 yards per contest through the air in its first three games.
True freshman Perry Hills finished with career highs in passing yards (305) and touchdowns (three) for the Terrapins, including a 56-yard scoring strike to Stefon Diggs with 7:25 remaining in the game to cut the lead to 31-21. Diggs had three receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
The Mountaineers scored the final 10 points of the second quarter, including Smith’s 24-yard scoring strike to a wide-open Austin with 52 seconds left that built a 24-14 halftime lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: West Virginia was held without a point for the first time in a quarter this season in the third. … Smith has 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season. … West Virginia leads the series 26-21-2 dating back to 1919. Maryland has not played any non-conference opponent more than the Mountaineers.