1950 Maryland Terrapins football team The 1950 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) college football in its 30th season as a member of the Southern Conference . Maryland was led by fourth - year head coach Jim Tatum , who " Time " magazine called " the most successful major college coach in the game " during his nine - year tenure at College Park . To date , Tatum remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era , with a winning percentage of 0 . 819 . The team was led on the field by sophomore quarterback and future Heisman Trophy runner - up Jack Scarbath who made his first career start in the season - opener . The highlight of the season was Maryland ' s upset victory over second - ranked Michigan State , 34 – 7 , in what was that team ' s only loss of the season . Two weeks later , however , the Terrapins ' bowl game hopes were ended with a Homecoming defeat at the hands of North Carolina State . Personnel . Players . The Maryland roster for the 1950 season consisted of the following players : Game notes . Georgia . Georgia scored first in the opening period . In the second quarter , Maryland sophomore quarterback Jack Scarbath completed three passes in a 54 - yard drive that culminated in a pitch to Bob Shemonski who ran around the right end and into the end zone . After the game , Maryland head coach Jim Tatum said , " We weren ' t ready for Georgia in a game as early as September 23 . . . We weren ' t in shape and the [ 92 °F ] heat killed us . " The loss , however , did not affect Maryland ' s poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood . Navy . In Week 2 , the Terrapins played the inaugural game at the newly - completed Byrd Stadium . It was the first game against the Naval Academy in 16 years . The series had been canceled in 1936 after Maryland accused Navy of an illegal play for their go - ahead score . Maryland had agreed to fill in a vacancy in the Navy schedule left open by a Georgetown cancellation . In the first quarter , Scarbath broke away for a 21 - yard touchdown run . Then , in the second quarter , Scarbath linked up with end Stan Karnash for a 44 - yard touchdown . Scarbath again passed for a 59 - yard score to end Pete Augsburger . At halftime , the Terrapins led 21 – 0 . Navy responded with a touchdown of their own in the third quarter . In the final quarter , Maryland end Elmer Wingate returned an interception 34 - yards for a score . Fifty - four seconds later , Maryland end Lew Weidensaul recovered a Midshipmen fumble . Ed Modzelewski capped the ensuing Terrapins ' possession with a five - yard rush into the end zone . The high - scoring game resulted in just the second - ever Maryland win in the 12th meeting of the intense in - state rivalry . Michigan State . Michigan State College entered the game after beating first - ranked Michigan , 14 – 7 , the week prior . It was the Spartans first victory over their arch - rivals in thirteen years and propelled Michigan State to the number - two spot in the AP Poll . The previous season , Maryland had traveled to Michigan State where the Spartans handed them their lone defeat , 7 – 14 . Ed Modzelewski scored a touchdown in both the first and second quarter . Michigan State responded with a touchdown of their own in the third quarter . In the final period , Scarbath scored on a quarterback sneak . End Pete Ladygo returned an intercepted pass 35 - yards for a touchdown and later Bob Shemonski made an interception for a 37 - yard touchdown return . Maryland ' s defense held the high - powered Michigan State offense to 140 rushing yards , 67 of which were gained on a single run by Sonny Grandelius . Michigan State completed three of 20 pass attempts . Maryland intercepted six passes and returned two for scores . After the upset victory , Maryland climbed to an AP Poll ranking of 8th in the nation . It was the only loss of the season for Michigan State , which ended the season ranked eighth in the nation . Georgetown . After the upset win over number - two Michigan State , Maryland rose in the AP Poll to become the second - ranked team in the country . Georgetown entered the game as 27 - point underdog s . In the first quarter , Maryland executed an eight - play , 95 - yard drive that culminated in an eight - yard touchdown rush by fullback Ed Fullerton . Georgetown tied the game at 7 – 7 with a fourth - down pass in the end zone . In the second quarter , Bob Shemonski scored on a six - yard end - around to end the half at 14 – 7 . In the third quarter , Maryland recorded two safeties in quick succession : one when punter Joe Pallotta stepped outside of the end zone and the other when Bob Ward tackled Frank Mattingly for a loss . With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter , Georgetown scored another touchdown to narrow the deficit to 18 – 14 . Fullerton then rushed for 24 yards to advance to the Georgetown six - yard line . Scarbath then ran into the end zone for the final result of 25 – 14 . Despite the closeness of the contest , Maryland dominated the game statistically . The Terrapins rushed 342 yards to the Hoyas ' 40 . Georgetown compiled 128 yards through the air and Maryland 118 . The Terrapins returned kicks and punts for a combined 225 yards , compared with the Hoyas ' 66 yards on returns . NC State . For Homecoming weekend , NC State met eighth - ranked Maryland at Byrd Stadium . In the first quarter , a Maryland fumble rolled out of the end zone for a safety , and soon after , another fumble set up a touchdown with a 13 - yard rush by NC State ' s Ed Mooney . Maryland advanced inside the NC State five - yard line three times but was unable to score . In the third quarter , Mooney scored again to bring the score 0 – 16 . Maryland scored on a 21 - yard pass from Jack Scarbath to Bob Shemonski . With three minutes remaining , Shemonski connected with a pass to Pete Augsburger for another touchdown . Three passes to Augsburger led a 47 - yard drive into Wolfpack territory . A pass in the end zone was intercepted with seconds remaining and the game ended with a final score of 13 – 16 . The loss effectively ended the Terrapins ' hopes for a bowl game bid . The second loss dropped them out of the AP Polls for the remainder of the year . Duke . In the second quarter , Ed Modzelewski rushed 18 yards to set up a three - yard touchdown by Shemonski . Then Ed Modzelewski broke away for 44 yards and allowed end Joe Petruzzo to rush two yards for another score . Duke responded with a touchdown of its own before halftime . In the third quarter , Shemonski rushed 44 yards , reversing direction twice , before finding the end zone . Duke scored once more to bring it to 19 – 14 . With six seconds remaining , Petruzzo intercepted a Blue Devils pass and returned it 46 yards for a score to clinch the game for Maryland , 26 – 14 . It was the seventh meeting of the series and Maryland ' s first victory over Duke . George Washington . Sophomore Bob DeStefano filled in at quarterback for the injured Scarbath . In the first quarter , DeStefano connected with Stan Karnash on a 37 - yard touchdown pass . In the second quarter , quarterback Andy Davis , fourth - ranked in the nation in total yardage , led George Washington to tie the game before the half . In the third quarter , DeStefano hit Shemonski for a three - yard touchdown . In the final period , Davis led the Colonials on a 43 - yard drive , but they were stopped on the Maryland 3 - yard line . Petruzzo then stopped another G . W . drive when he intercepted a pass and returned it 44 yards . Ed Modzelewski rushed to the Colonials ' three - yard line setting up a scoring run by Fullerton . In the final minutes , G . W . ' s John Shullenbarger slipped on the wet turf in the end zone for a Maryland safety . North Carolina . In a steady downpour , 18th - ranked Maryland met North Carolina for the 17th time . North Carolina , Maryland head coach Tatum ' s alma mater , possessed a nine - game winning streak in the series . The first quarter remained scoreless , but in the second , North Carolina fumbled a punt by Maryland ' s Jack Targarona . The Terrapins ' Karney Scioscia recovered the ball on the Tar Heel 31 - yard line . DeStefano completed a 17 - yard pass to Karnash and then connected with Augsburger on the Carolina eight - yard line . In two subsequent plays , the Terps pushed to the four - yard line . DeStefano then pitched to Shemonski who ran around end and into the end zone . Maryland managed to stop two North Carolina drives on the Terrapins ' 28 - and eight - yard lines . Late in the third quarter , Carolina mounted a drive into Maryland territory which continued into the fourth quarter . The Terrapins ' defense held twice at their own one - yard line , but the Tar Heels ' Bud Wallace pushed into the end zone on third down for the score . In the final minutes , Maryland drove to the Carolina 15 - yard line . With five seconds remaining , guard Bob Dean missed on a field goal attempt , which resulted in a stalemate of 7 – 7 . West Virginia . In the first quarter , Ed Modzelewski caught a 28 - yard pass and then rushed twice from the ten - yard line for the first score of the game . In the second quarter , Modzelewski scored again on a five - yard rush . Fullerton scored on a run from the six - inch line followed by a nine - yard end around by Shemonski . In the second half , Shemonski scored twice more . Maryland capitalized heavily on turnovers , with three interceptions were returned for touchdowns . Two fumbles and a bad punt set up further scores . The 14th - ranked West Virginia passing attack was held to 79 yards . Maryland punter Targarona consistently pinned the Mountaineers deep in their own territory and recorded punts downed on the one - , eight - , five - , and eight - yard lines . During the first half , West Virginia did not convert for a first down or advance the ball beyond their own 36 - yard line . In what was the ninth game of the series , Maryland recorded its first victory over West Virginia at Morgantown . Virginia Tech . In the first quarter , Shemonski scored four touchdowns on 22 - and 26 - yard rushes , an 81 - yard punt return , and a 4 - yard rush . In the second quarter , Karnash ran an end around into the end zone for a score before Shemonski scored again . Center Jack Rowden returned an interception 45 - yards for a touchdown . In the third quarter , Johnny Idzik scored on a 10 - yard rush . DeStefano touchdown on a keeper . Tackle Chet Gierula ran an end around nine yards for a final Maryland score . In the fourth quarter , Virginia Tech scored its only points of the game for a final result of 63 – 7 . In all , 22 Maryland players made carries and guard Bob Ward made two for 46 yards . Shemonski recorded five touchdowns and became the leading scorer in the Southern Conference with a season total of 97 points . Awards . Bob Ward was named a first - team All - American by the Associated Press and a second - team All - American by United Press . Ed Modzelewski was named an honorable mention All - American . Pete Augsburger was named an honorable mention All - American by the United Press . Ward and Elmer Wingate were named All - Southern Conference .