Things couldn’t have been much better for West Virginia after a first half that saw the offense rack up 198 yards en route to a 27-10 lead.

So, naturally, things got worse.

By the end of the game, Maryland’s offense racked up 477 total yards of offense – the first time West Virginia’s defense has allowed more than 400 yards since the 2010 Gator Bowl.

Things were looking good for the Mountaineers to start the half after junior quarterback Geno Smith found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Stedman Bailey deep over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown. After that electric play, though, the momentum swiftly shifted toward the Terrapins.

“The biggest single thing that we tried to get accomplished this week was to hit the field with some excitement and start the game fast,” said head coach Dana Holgorsen. “The first half, I felt like we won all three sides of the ball. Second half, other than the first drive for offense and the last drive for defense, I thought they outplayed us on all three sides of the ball.”

A third quarter that quickly began with Maryland facing a 24-point deficit ended with the Terrapins closing the gap to just 11 points.

A pair of rushing touchdowns by senior Davin Meggett and sophomore D.J. Adams put Maryland within striking distance heading into the final period.

The duo would finish the game with a combined three touchdowns and 199 yards of total offense.

With 10:29 remaining in the fourth quarter, Adams again hit pay dirt, scoring from two yards out to cut the WVU lead to five points. Maryland then elected to go for two, and the attempt was successful as Meggett pushed his way over the goal line and shrunk the Mountaineer lead to just three points.

In need of a big play to prevent Maryland from getting the ball back and potentially taking the lead, West Virginia got another big play from Bailey, who took a screen pass 21 yards on third down to keep the drive alive.

“Late in the game, (Maryland) had a lot of momentum, and I just felt like I needed to make a play,” Bailey said. “I was able to keep my feet in and keep going for the first down.”

The drive eventually stalled when the Mountaineer offense could not find the end zone after three consecutive plays inside the 10-yard line. Redshirt junior kicker Tyler Bitancurt connected on a 21-yard field goal to make the score 37-31 in favor of West Virginia.

But there was still plenty of time left for Maryland to have a chance to drive down the field and take the game.

Maryland and sophomore quarterback Danny O’Brien appeared poised to do just that, as the Terrapin offense was driving methodically down field.

O’Brien had completed three straight passes on the drive before redshirt senior safety Eain Smith picked the sophomore off to seal the victory for the Mountaineers.

“(The receiver) ran a seam route, (and) I was just in the right place at the right time,” Smith said. “I kind of recognized what route he was running before he broke it off. I just got my head back in time and saw the ball.”

In the first half, the West Virginia offense had its quickest start of the season. The Mountaineers had 315 yards of total offense through the first two quarters of play and 232 of those came through the air.

After a Nick Ferrara field goal gave Maryland an early 3-0 lead, West Virginia answered by taking the lead on a 9-yard touchdown run by

freshman running back Vernard Roberts.

West Virginia’s defense forced its first turnover of the season on Maryland’s next drive. Junior safety Terence Garvin intercepted an O’Brien pass and took it back 37 yards for a touchdown.

Junior Tavon Austin led all receivers with 11 catches for 122 yards. Sophomore Ivan McCartney also grabbed eight catches for 113 yards. After adding in Bailey’s performance, it was the first time since 1998 that at least two receivers gained 100 or more yards.

Smith threw the ball 49 times, completing 36 passes for a career-high 388 yards and a touchdown.

“The tempo for us was fantastic,” Holgorsen said. “I’ve said this a bunch: When we get things going, it’s easier to play with tempo.”

O’Brien finished with 289 yards passing, including one touchdown and three interceptions. Meggett carried the ball 19 times for 113 yards and Kevin Dorsey led all Maryland receivers with nine catches for 79 yards and a score.

“Maryland’s a good program; they’re well coached,” Holgorsen said. “They have good players that are in a good conference and all the rest.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, and I felt like we were ready, and I was just happy to see us finish the game.”