2004 Gator Bowl The 2004 Gator Bowl was a post - season American college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida on 1 January 2004 . The game was the final contest of the 2003 NCAA Division I - A football season for both teams , and ended in a 41 – 7 victory for Maryland . The Maryland Terrapins ( more often , simply ' Terps ' ) earned a bid to the Gator Bowl following a 9 – 3 record during the 2003 regular season . It was Ralph Friedgen ' s third season as Maryland head coach and third consecutive bowl game , making him just the second Maryland head coach to do so in his first three seasons — the other being Bobby Ross . At the conclusion of this game , Friedgen also became the first Atlantic Coast Conference coach to ever win at least ten games in his first three seasons . Going into the game , Maryland ' s 30 - win three seasons was the best three - year total in school history . The West Virginia Mountaineers had finished the regular season with a record of 8 – 4 , which already included a defeat at the hands of Maryland . Like Friedgen , it was Rich Rodriguez ' s third year as head coach of his program . West Virginia entered the game on a seven - game winning streak , as co - champions of the Big East conference . The game took place in front of a crowd of 78 , 892 fans . The Terps got off to a quick lead , and never relented . Early in the third quarter , Maryland led 31 - 0 before West Virginia scored its only points . Oddly enough , the bowl game was a re - match of a regular season game which had similarly lop - sided results : Maryland had won that contest too , 34 - 7 . It marked the fourth Terps ' win over the Mountaineers in three years , by an average score of 35 - 13 . Team selection . Maryland . The 2003 season was Ralph Friedgen ' s third as head coach at Maryland . He had already compiled an impressive record in his first two years , elevating Terrapins football back to the national stage for the first time since Bobby Ross left the program in the wake of the Len Bias tragedy . His first year as head coach in 2001 , Friedgen had led the Terrapins to a 10 - 2 record and the BCS Orange Bowl , for the team ' s first winning season in five years and the first bowl game in eleven years . West Virginia . West Virginia ' s 2003 season started off badly , with a 1 - 4 record including losses to Wisconsin , Maryland , and fellow Big East foes Miami and Cincinnati . However , the Mountaineers recovered to win their next seven games and secure a conference co - championship with Miami . With it they also received a bowl bid to travel to Jacksonville to face the Terps in a post - season rematch . Game summary . First quarter . The game started with a West Virginia kick off into the Maryland endzone where Steve Suter returned it for 23 yards . Quarterback Scott McBrien led the Terps on a drive with Bruce Perry carrying 22 yards and a pass to Steve Suter for 16 and Jo Jo Walker for 29 yards . The Mountaineers held fast at their own 10 - yard line and forced a field goal attempt . Nick Novak made good a 27 - yard kick for the first points in the game . In the next two series , West Virginia and Maryland exchanged punts . Mountaineer running back Kay - Jay Harris then fumbled the ball which was recovered by Shawne Merriman for the Terps . Maryland suffered two fumbles , by running back Bruce Perry and Scott McBrien , but recovered both . They again tried for a field goal , but Nick Novak missed the 51 - yard attempt . West Virginia took over on downs on their 34 - yard line and rushed three times for 16 yards before quarterback Rasheed Marshall fumbled and Maryland linebacker Andrew Henley recovered it at midfield . On their next possession , the Terps pushed to the Mountaineer 31 - yard line before Scott McBrien completed a pass to Jafar Williams for a 31 - yard touchdown . Second quarter . The Terps kicked off to start to 2nd quarter , and with a touchback , West Virginia took over on their 20 - yard line . After a three - and - out series , they brought on their special teams unit . Steve Suter received the punt on the Maryland 24 and ran it 76 yards for a touchdown . West Virginia took over and made a first - down , but was forced to punt again . Scott McBrien then led the Terps on an 81 - yard drive capped by a 22 - yard touchdown pass again to Jafar Williams . The Mountaineers were forced three - and - out and punted once more . Maryland drove down to the West Virginia 18 , but a 35 - yard field goal attempt by Nick Novak was again missed . Likewise , West Virginia pushed to the Maryland 24 , before missing a 41 - yard field goal of their own to end the half . Third quarter . After Grant Wiley returned the kick 28 yards for the Mountaineers , they were once again held three - and - out and forced to punt . After driving to mid - field , Scott McBrien launched a 43 - yard pass to Steve Suter . Despite good coverage from cornerback Lance Frazier , Suter was able to tip the ball with one hand and catch it in mid - air as he was diving to the ground in a tangle with Frazier . This set up a two - yard rush by McBrien for a touchdown , and Maryland expanded its lead to 31 - 0 . West Virginia received the kick and Adam Jones made a short return for six yards . Rasheed Marshall held onto the ball and rushed for another six yards . Kay - Jay Harris then broke free for a 29 - yard run . The Mountaineers picked up another eight yards with a pass to Chris Henry . This set up a 15 - yard run up the middle by quarterback Marshall for what would be West Virginia ' s only points of the game . Maryland responded with another drive , including a 28 - yard pass to the right to Josh Allen and a 43 yard pass up the middle to Dan Melendez . After another short run and short pass , Maryland settle for a 24 - yard field goal by Novak . Fourth quarter . The teams traded punts , and then the Mountaineers punted once more . A 73 - yard drive was then capped with a 14 - yard pass to Jo Jo Walker for another touchdown , and the final points of the game . The next Mountaineers ' possession was ended with a sack of second - string quarterback Charles Hales and a turnover on downs . Maryland took over on the West Virginia 38 , and pushed to the 6 - yard line before the game ended on 4th and 1 . Postgame effects . The New York Times computer ranking system rated the Maryland Terrapins as the number - three team in the nation , after split - national champions USC and LSU . The rating put the Terps considerably ahead of number - four Ohio State , number - five Miami , and number - six Georgia . The Associated Press poll placed Maryland as # 17 and the ESPN / USA Today Coaches ' poll ranked them as # 20 in the nation . Terps ' head coach Ralph Friedgen was picked as a coach of the Kai team for the Hula Bowl opposite Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel . Maryland players Lamar Bryant ( OG ) , Eric Dumas ( OL ) , Dennard Wilson ( S ) , and Jeff Dugan ( TE ) were selected to play for the Kai squad . Scott Smith ( DE ) was selected for the Las Vegas All - American Classic , while Madieu Williams ( FS ) played in the Senior Bowl . Bruce Perry ( TB ) , Scott McBrien ( QB ) , and Leon Joe ( LB ) played in the Gridiron Classic .