The first month of the season has left Virginia with nowhere to go but up. The Cavaliers have been blown out three times and rank last among 119 major college teams in scoring.

In a glass half-full way of thinking, then, the Cavaliers could ask for no better opponent this weekend than Maryland, which has rebounded from an embarrassing early loss with three convincing victories.

Of course, for those more inclined toward the half-empty side of things, the Terrapins (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have not only righted their ship, but will arrive at Scott Stadium thinking revenge.

In a rivalry that often takes outcomes to the wire, Maryland is still hurting from the Cavaliers' visit a year ago. In that game, Mikell Simpson went from seldom-used backup to unstoppable force, accounting for 271 yards of offense, including the winning touchdown with 16 seconds left.

"It definitely still sticks with me and I think it has stuck with anybody that was there and witnessed it," Terps senior offensive lineman Edwin Williams recalled this week. "It was a tough one to swallow."

No tougher, though, than what Virginia (1-3, 0-1) had to deal with the previous year, when it led 20-0 at Scott Stadium, then saw the Terrapins score 28 unanswered points on their way to a stunning 28-26 victory.

But that Virginia team, coach Al Groh liked to say then, was playing the 2006 season with the team for 2007. This year, having been outscored 128-20 in three games against Bowl Subdivision teams, is something else.

The Cavaliers have lost at least nine players to non-football issues since January, including Jameel Sewell, their starting quarterback for the past two seasons, and Peter Lalich, the heir apparent until he was arrested for underage drinking and then kicked off the team this month.

Marc Verica, the fourth-string quarterback a year ago, will make his third consecutive start on Saturday night. Like the rest of the team, the key for Verica will be putting the last game out of his system.

A week ago, in a 31-3 loss that snapped Duke's 25-game ACC losing streak, Verica was just 19-for-42 and threw four interceptions. In his first career start a week earlier, the Cavs lost 45-10 at Connecticut.

"We're just going to try to get one win here and that's all it will take," Verica said hopefully, comparing the team's predicament to last year, when it lost its opener at Wyoming, then won seven games in a row.

"Maybe we can start another run like last year," Verica said.

Having had their own urgent thoughts after a 24-14 loss at Middle Tennessee State in their second game, the Terps are determined to keep pushing toward an ACC Atlantic Division title by not letting up at all.

"This is a huge game and at this point, we can't lose right now," senior tight end Dan Gronkowski said. "It's a game we should win if we play like we can and it's going to be a good feeling knowing we have a week off after to rest up and get ready for the rest of the season."

For Virginia, two months remain in that rest of the season, and with fans already calling for Groh to be replaced, it figures to only get more difficult if the Cavaliers don't do something to stem the negative tide.

"It would mean a lot to win," Groh said, "period."