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Skinner leads Wake Forest past Maryland 42-32

Oct 11, 2009 - 2:05 AM By MIKE CRANSTON AP Sports Writer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.(AP) -- Riley Skinner threw for 360 yards and a career-high four touchdowns Saturday, shattering the Wake Forest record for yards passing in a career in a 42-32 victory over Maryland.

Chris Givens caught five passes for 116 yards and two scores for the Demon Deacons (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who moved into first place in the Atlantic Division by shredding Maryland's suspect defense.

Wake Forest scored touchdowns on its first five possessions in building a 35-10 halftime lead. Skinner went over 8,000 yards passing in the second quarter to move past Brian Kuklick. A week earlier he broke Kuklick's career touchdown mark.

It looked easy against Maryland (2-4, 1-1), which couldn't build on last week's surprising win over Clemson. The Terrapins allowed 516 yards and their banged-up offense couldn't keep up.

Chris Turner was 24 of 44 for 307 yards and three touchdown passes for Maryland, playing only its second road game of the season. Davin Meggett, filling in for injured running back Da'Rel Scott, was held to 21 yards on six carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down.

Turner's 4-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith with 1:37 left cut the lead to 10, but Wake Forest recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

With Wake Forest alum Arnold Palmer watching from the sidelines on homecoming, Josh Adams rumbled 48 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession with the aid of a crushing downfield block by Mike Rinfrette.

It was a sign of how easily Wake Forest would move the ball against first-year coordinator Don Brown's defense.

Unfazed by Maryland's constant blitzing, Skinner threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Marshall Williams, a 32-yarder to a wide-open Givens and 20-yard TD to an even more open Andrew Parker as Wake Forest took control.

Skinner set a career-high for TDs in the third quarter when Givens beat Cameron Chism on a 27-yard play for a 42-17 lead. Dominique Tate intercepted Turner in the end zone with 8 minutes left and Maryland trailing 42-25.

Wake Forest, which came in ranked No. 1 in the ACC in total offense, proved no match for Maryland, which has allowed at least 32 points in four of five games.

Beating poor-tackling Maryland and with losses by Boston College and North Carolina State, the Demon Deacons now control the unpredictable Atlantic Division ahead of next week's trip to Clemson.

They're doing it with the poise of the lightly recruited Skinner, who got one of Wake Forest's final scholarships in 2005.

Skinner completed 24 of 33 passes and finished 2 yards shy of setting a career high in yards passing for a fourth straight week.

It was Wake Forest's 16th win in 58 meetings against Maryland, which won 26-0 last year. This time the Demon Deacons had 21 points at the end of the first quarter, their best output in more than five years.

Josh Adams added 94 yards rushing and a TD for Wake Forest.