Eric Barton and company
open ACC play.
| |
Football Prepares for Showdown against Virginia
Terps open ACC play on Saturday.
September 8, 1998
Game Facts and Coverage
Maryland at Virginia
Date: September 12, 1998
Kickoff: Noon, ET
Site: Scott Stadium (40,000 / prescription athletic turf)
Radio: WTEM (980-AM) in Washington, D.C. and WBAL (1090-AM) in Baltimore are flagship stations for the Maryland/Learfield Radio Network. Tape delay on WBAL following the Baltimore Orioles game, WKDB (1570-AM) in Baltimore airs the broadcast live. (Johnny Holliday, play-by-play; Ken Broo, color)
Television: Regional telecast on JP Sports. (Steve Martin, play-by-play; Rick ,Doc0/00 Walker, color)
umterps.com: Maryland sports news on the World Wide Web, updated daily.
TERPS WIN OPENER, OPEN ACC BATTLES THIS WEEK AT VIRGINIA COLLEGE PARK, MD - A stingy defense including two interceptions by junior cornerback Lynde Washington (Largo, Md.) helped propel the Maryland Terrapins to a season-opening victory Saturday over James Madison, 23-15. The Terps, 1-0, held on for the win after commanding a 23-0 lead after three quarters and handing junior QB Ken Mastrole (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) his first victory since a 22-16 win at Duke in 1996.
Mastrole last week started his first game since his redshirt freshman season in OE96. This week he guides the Terps against Virginia to begin a four-game stretch which includes three teams ranked in national Top 25 polls. He came off the bench against the Cavaliers two years ago before earning starts at West Virginia, North Carolina State and Duke.
Maryland and Virginia renew a 62-game rivalry which dates to 1919 and is the longest series in Terrapin history. A noon kickoff is scheduled for Saturday in Charlottesville. It is Virginia,s 1998 home opener.
RECORDS
Maryland is 1-0 following its 23-15 win over James Madison. Virginia is 1-0 following a 19-0 win at Auburn last Thursday. Saturday,s game is the ACC opener for both schools.
RANKINGS
In polls released on Sept. 6, Virginia was ranked #12 by the Associated Press and #12 by ESPN/USA Today. Maryland is unranked.
Four Terp opponents including three ACC schools are ranked in AP or ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls. Maryland opponents in national polls: Florida State (#2, #2), West Virginia (#20, #20), Virginia (#12, #12), North Carolina (#24 ESPN/USA Today).
North Carolina and Georgia Tech received votes in the AP poll. Clemson and Georgia Tech received votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
MARYLAND COACH RON VANDERLINDEN
Terrapin head coach Ron Vanderlinden (Albion College OE78) is 3-9 in his second season at Maryland after helping rebuild struggling programs at Colorado (1983-91) and Northwestern (1992-96). Vanderlinden, 42, was named the Terps, head coach in December of 1996 after a five-year stint as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Northwestern under head coach Gary Barnett. He helped guide the Wildcats to a pair of Big Ten championships and a 1996 Rose Bowl appearance. As defensive line coach in nine seasons under Bill McCartney at CU, he helped guide the Buffaloes to the 1990 national championship, three Big Eight titles, and six bowl games. Counting two years at Michigan, Vanderlinden has coaching experience in nine major bowl games.
Vanderlinden is 0-1 against the Cavaliers, facing a Virginia squad last season for the first time in his career either as a head coach or assistant. It is the only time he has faced George Welsh.
VIRGINIA COACH GEORGE WELSH
Virginia coach George Welsh (Navy OE56) is 168-118-4 in his 26th college season. Welsh is 113-72-3 in his 17th season at Virginia, following a nine-year stint at his alma mater where he was 55-46-1. Welsh has guided Virginia (nine) and Navy (three) to a combined 12 bowl appearances, and has received ACC Coach of the Year honors five times. Following a military career, Welsh was an assistant coach at Navy before a 10-year stay as an assistant at Penn State. He was named head coach at Navy in 1973, and owns more wins than any coach in academy history.
Welsh is 8-8 all-time vs. Maryland. He is five games shy of coaching in more ACC games than any coach in league history. His 17th season matches the longest tenure in ACC history (Frank Howard, Clemson; Earle Edwards, NC State; Bill Dooley, No. Carolina & Wake Forest). Welsh is the winningest coach in conference history with 113 victories overall and 69 against ACC teams.
LAST GAME - Maryland 23, James Madison 15
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Lynde Washington returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown and Maryland scored 13 points off James Madison mistakes in a 23-15 victory Saturday night. Held to three field goals in the first half, Maryland (1-0) scored twice in the opening seven minutes of the third quarter to go up 23-0 against the Division I-AA Dukes (0-1).
Four plays after Matt Kalapinski scored the Terrapins, first touchdown on a 1-yard run, Washington picked off a Greg Maddox pass and ran down the left sideline untouched. It was his second interception of the game and the second of the junior cornerback,s career. The last Terrapin to score on an interception return was Mike Thomas, in October 1989.
Brian Kopka kicked three field goals and junior Ken Mastrole, making his fourth career start and first since 1996, was 15-for-24 for 181 yards.
The Terrapins played without their leading rusher of a year ago, LaMont Jordan, who has an injured ankle. Harold Westley started at tailback and gained 68 yards on 20 carries.
The Dukes scored twice in the fourth quarter. Maddox threw a 15-yard pass to Lindsay Fleshman, who got behind Washington on a fourth-down play, and Curtis Keaton scored from the 3 with 1:24 left. Maryland recovered the onside kick.
Maddox finished 15-for-25 for 154 yards and Keaton ran for 109 yards, 66 on one fourth-quarter carry.
Three straight JMU turnovers helped the Terrapins take a 9-0 halftime lead. Kopka kicked a 21-yard field after Madison punter Chris Wright fumbled a snap deep in his own territory. Five plays later, Maddox fumbled when hit by Aaron Thompson and Maryland,s Eric Barton took the ball 16 yards to the 21, setting up a 27-yard field goal. The Terrapins moved 43 yards in nine plays before Kopka kicked a 26-yarder 14 seconds before halftime.
Maryland 23, James Madison 15
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
James Madison 0 0 0 15 15
Maryland 0 9 14 0 23
Second Quarter
Md-FG Kopka 21, 12:05.
Md-FG Kopka 27, 7:02.
Md-FG Kopka 26, :14
Third Quarter
Md-Kalapinksi 1 run (Kopka kick), 9:36.
Md-Washington 32 interception return (Kopka kick), 8:16.
Fourth Quarter
JM-Flashman 15 pass from Maddox (Haston kick), 14:55.
JM-Keaton 3 run (Joyce pass from Maddox), 1:24.
JMU Md
First downs 12 16
Rushes-yards 33-109 42-42
Passing 154 181
Return Yards 120 106
Comp-Att-Int 15-25-2 15-24-0
Punts 4-48.3 5-38.2
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 9-75 8-65
Time of Possession 28:37 31:23
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-JMU, Keaton 16-109, Joyce 9-23, Payton 1-14, McCommons 1-3, Wright 1-(-10), Maddox 5-(-30). Maryland, Westley 20-68, Kalapinski 4-8, R. Jones 2-0, Mastrole 16-(-34).
PASSING-JMU, Maddox 14-24-2-131, Joyce 1-1-0-23. Maryland, Mastrole 15-24-0-181.
RECEIVING-JMU, Fleshman 5-80, Payton 5-32, Joyce 3-28, Griffin 1-13, Keaton 1-1. Maryland, Arrington 5-78, Cruz 5-62, Hatala 3-35, Cheeseboro 1-6, Waerig 1-0.
TACKLES-JMU, Carper 11-0--11, Booth 7-1--8, Clark 5-3--8. Maryland, Ogle 8-4--12, Thompson 9-2--11, Barton 7-2--9, Forte 4-3--7. A-36,547.
INJURY REPORT
RB LaMont Jordan (foot) was dressed but did not play in Saturday,s game. He is probable for the Virginia game. OT Eric Timothy (ankle) suffered the only significant Terrapin injury against JMU. He is day-to-day for the Cavaliers.
NEXT GAMES
Maryland travels to West Virginia (#20 AP, #20 ESPN/USA Today) next Saturday to meet the Mountaineers in a game televised on ESPN2. It is the second of three Top 25 opponents the Terps face during a four-game stretch. Virginia hosts Clemson in the second of three straight ACC meetings for the Cavaliers.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Saturday,s game at Virginia, televised regionally by JP Sports, is the first of two straight Maryland games on TV. The Virginia game will not be distributed locally in Maryland except on WHAG-TV in Hagerstown. The game will air live on the Sunshine Network and on numerous stations throughout Virginia and the Southeast. The telecast will be available as part of ESPN,s GamePlan pay service package in participating U.S. markets.
The following week,s game at West Virginia is slated for coverage on ESPN2, beginning at 6 p.m. Subsequent TV dates will be announced as the season progresses.
NEXT HOME GAMES / PROMOTIONS
The Terps return to Byrd Stadium in three weeks to face Big East opponent Temple on Sept. 26. Maryland hosts No. 2 Florida State the following week on Oct. 3.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and individual game tickets for 1998 Maryland football are available by calling the Terp ticket office at 301-314-7070, or 800-462-TERP.
STATISTICAL COMPARISONS
TEAM COMPARISONS
UM Category UVa
42.0 Rushing Offense 165.0
181.0 Passing Offense 220.0
223.0 Total Offense 385.0
23.0 Scoring Offense 19.0
109.0 Rushing Defense 18.0
154.0 Passing Defense 161.0
263.0 Total Defense 179.0
15.0 Scoring Defense 0.0
4-14 Third Down Conv. 61-181
0-0 Fourth Down Conv. 11-21
4-29 Sacks By 2-7
3-33 Sacks Allowed 1-5
8-65 Penalties 5-34
0-0 Fumbles 0-0
31:23 Time of Poss. 33:05
MARYLAND STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing G Att. Gain Loss Net Avg. TD Long YPG
Harold Westley 1 20 73 5 68 3.4 0 10 68.0
Matt Kalapinski 1 4 9 1 8 2.0 1 5 8.0
Passing G Att. Comp. Int. Pct. Yds. TD Long YPG
Ken Mastrole 1 24 15 0 .625 181 0 42 181.0
Receiving G Rec. Yards Avg. TD Long YPG
Jermaine Arrington 1 5 78 15.6 0 42 78.0
Moises Cruz 1 5 62 12.4 0 21 62.0
Jason Hatala 1 3 35 11.7 0 17 35.0
Omar Cheeseboro 1 1 6 6.0 0 6 6.0
VIRGINIA STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing G Att. Gain Loss Net Avg. TD Long YPG
Thomas Jones 1 21 103 3 100 4.8 1 20 100.0
Antwoine Womack 1 12 68 0 68 5.7 0 26 68.0
Passing G Att. Comp. Int. Pct. Yds. TD Long YPG
Aaron Brooks 1 28 16 0 .571 220 1 61 220.0
Receiving G Rec. Yards Avg. TD Long YPG
Casey Crawford 1 4 67 16.8 0 24 67.0
Terrence Wilkins 1 3 48 16.0 0 20 48.0
Thomas Jones 1 3 18 6.0 0 8 18.0
Billy Baber 1 2 35 17.5 0 22 35.0
Kevin Coffey 1 1 61 61.0 1 61 61.0
MARYLAND SCHEDULE & RESULTS
(1-0 Overall, 0-0 ACC)
S5 James Madison W 23-15
S12 * at Virginia Noon
S19 at West Virginia 6:00 p.m.
S26 Temple 6:00 p.m.
O3 * Florida State TBA
O10 * at Clemson TBA
O17 * Wake Forest TBA
O24 Idle
O31 * Georgia Tech (at Balt.) TBA
N7 * at North Carolina TBA
N14 * at Duke TBA
N21 * NC State TBA
? ACC game
VIRGINIA SCHEDULE & RESULTS
(1-0 Overall, 0-0 ACC)
S3 at Auburn #25 W 19-0
S12 * Maryland Noon
S19 * Clemson 3:30 p.m.
S26 * at Duke Noon
O3 San Jose State 1:00 p.m.
O10 idle
O17 * at Georgia Tech TBA
O24 * NC State TBA
O31 * at Wake Forest TBA
N7 * at Florida State TBA
N14 * North Carolina TBA
N21 idle
N28 at Virginia Tech TBA
? ACC game
1998 ACC STANDINGS
ACC Overall
Teams W L W L Streak
Clemson 0 0 1 0 W1
Duke 0 0 1 0 W1
Florida St. 0 0 1 0 W1
Maryland 0 0 1 0 W1
NC State 0 0 1 0 W1
Virginia 0 0 1 0 W1
North Carolina 0 0 0 1 L1
Georgia Tech 0 0 0 1 L1
Wake Forest 0 0 0 1 L1
This Week in the ACC
Navy at Wake Forest (Sept. 10), 8:00-ESPN
Maryland at Virginia, Noon-JP
Duke at Northwestern, 12:35
Virginia Tech at Clemson, 1:00
Florida State at NC State, 3:30-ABC
New Mexico State at Georgia Tech, 7:00
SERIES HISTORY vs. VIRGINIA
The Terps travel to Virginia this week to renew a series that is Maryland,s longest of all-time.
Series Record:
Maryland leads 37-23-2
Series at Maryland:
Maryland leads 17-9-2
Series at Virginia:
Maryland leads 19-13-0
Neutral:
Tied 1-1-0
First Meeting:
1919, Maryland, 13-0
Last Terrapin Win at Maryland:
1991 (17-6)
Last Terrapin Win at Virginia:
1990 (35-30)
Last Cavalier Win at Maryland:
1997 (45-0)
Last Cavalier Win at Virginia:
1996 (21-3)
Current Series Streak:
Virginia has won 5
Maryland,s Largest Victory Margin:
43 (55-12, 1959)
Virginia,s Largest Victory Margin:
45 (45-0, 1997)
TERPS IN NCAA & ACC RANKINGS
NCAA / Turnover Margin-Team
2nd +3.0 margin per game
NCAA / Total Defense-Team
26th 263.0 YPG
NCAA / Scoring Defense-Team
38th 15.0 PPG
NCAA / Rushing Defense-Team
41st 109.0 YPG
NCAA / Interceptions-Individual
T1st Lynde Washington, 2.0 IPG
NCAA / Field Goals-Individual
T3rd Brian Kopka, 3.0 FGPG
NCAA / Pass Efficiency-Individual
47th Ken Mastrole, 125.8 points
NCAA / Punt Returns-Individual
T49th Tony Jackson, 6.0 YPR
ACC / Turnover Margin-Team
1st +3.0 margin per game
ACC / Kickoff Returns-Team
3rd 17.5 YPR
ACC / Rushing Defense-Team
4th 109.0 YPG
ACC / Interceptions-Individual
T1st Lynde Washington, 2.0 IPG
ACC / Scoring-Individual
T2nd Brian Kopka, 11.0 PPG
ACC / Field Goals-Individual
T2nd Brian Kopka, 3.0 FGPG
ACC / Receptions-Individual
T3rd Jermaine Arrington, 5.0 RPG
T3rd Moises Cruz, 5.0 RPG
ACC / Receiving Yards-Individual
3rd Jermaine Arrington, 78.0 YPG
ACC / Punt Returns-Individual
5th Tony Jackson, 6.0 YPR
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
Maryland nominated the following players for ACC Player of the Week honors following the Terps, 23-15 victory over James Madison:
Defensive Back -- Junior CB Lynde Washington (Largo, Md.) intercepted two passes and returned the second for a 32-yard TD Saturday to post the Terps to a 23-0 lead. The interceptions were the first of Washington,s career, and totaled 37 yards. He also was credited with two tackles.
Defensive Line -- Sophomore DT Kris Jenkins (Ypsilanti, Mich.) helped secure a spot on the Terps defensive line Saturday with six solo tackles including three in the Dukes, backfield. Jenkins had three tackles for loss, for 16 yards, including one QB sack for six yards. He made back-to-back plays in the JMU backfield in the first quarter to set up Lynde Washington,s first interception on 3rd-and-19 inside Duke territory.
Specialist -- Sophomore K Brian Kopka (Hollywood, Fla.) matched a personal best with three field goals in the JMU win. Kopka connected on field goals of 21, 27 and 26 yards -- all in the second quarter -- to lift Maryland to a 9-0 lead. He missed a 46-yard attempt late in the first quarter which was the second longest attempt of his career.
Rookie -- Redshirt freshman Aaron Thompson (Baltimore, Md.) recorded double-digit tackles from his outside linebacker position, in his first college game. Thompson was the Terps, second-leading tackler against JMU, collecting 11 stops overall, including nine solos. Thompson had one sack for 11 yards, and two TFL totaling 14 yards. He also forced a fumble.
CROWD COUNT
The 36,547 fans on hand for the Terps, season-opening win over James Madison this past Saturday marked the largest home crowd for Maryland since the final home game of the 1995 season.
YOUNGEST IN THE NATION?
The Terps open 1998 gridiron wars with perhaps the youngest I-A team in the country. Of the 52 players who saw action for Maryland against JMU, 15 were freshmen (true or redshirt) and 27 were either freshmen or sophomores. For the second straight week, coach Ron Vanderlinden employs at least 20 freshmen and sophomores on the current two-deep.
-- Of the 22 players who earned starting assignments vs. James Madison, seven were either redshirt freshmen or sophomores: C Melvin Fowler (Wheatly Heights, N.Y.), FB Matt Kalapinski (Marshfield, Mass.), WR Moises Cruz (Germantown, Md.), DT Kris Jenkins, LB Aaron Thompson, and FS Tony Jackson (Ellicott City, Md.). In addition, sophomore Brian Kopka handled the Terps, field goal and PAT chores against the Dukes.
-- In the pregame two-deep for JMU, the Terps, 21 freshmen and sophomores included 10 redshirt freshmen and five true freshmen.
-- The quarterback position has a pair of true freshmen and another pair of redshirt freshmen trailing junior starter Ken Mastrole (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). The Terps lost junior Trey Evans (Austin, Texas) for the season with a torn ACL, leaving Randall Jones (Frederick, Md.), Calvin McCall (Orlando, Fla.), Gil Harris (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Erik Lipton (Crofton, Md.). Jones took his first college snap on Saturday.
-- Surrounding the Terps, honor roll linebackers are four redshirt freshmen. Reggie Lewis (Chicago, Ill.) and Monte Graves (Annapolis, Md.) are backups to Ogle and Barton, respectively, and Aaron Thompson (Baltimore, Md.) and Ryan Swift (Hinsdale, Ill.) are listed 1-2 at outside linebacker.
-- Redshirt freshman Melvin Fowler (Wheatly Heights, N.Y.), recently switched from the defensive line, is tabbed the starting center. Fowler is one of four freshmen among 10 two-deep spots on the interior line.
-- Secondary backups Tony Okanlawon (Forestville, Md.), Daryl Whitmer (Waldorf, Md.) and Rod Littles (Gainesville, Fla.) all are true freshmen. Whitmer, in fact, is a walk-on two-sport athlete who expects to play baseball for the Terrapins in the spring. He started fall camp as a wide receiver, and has earned a regular role in the Terp secondary.
HONORS CANDIDATES
Maryland,s senior linebacking tandem of Eric Barton (Alexandria, Va.) and Kendall Ogle (Hillside, N.J.) highlight the list of Terrapins in line for postseason honors in 1998:
-- Barton has been named to preseason All-America teams and numerous All-ACC lists. NFL draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. tabbed Barton as the third college linebacker to be chosen in next season,s NFL draft, in a recent issue of The Sporting News. He is one of 68 linebackers nationally on the Butkus Award watch list.
Barton had nine tackles and a sack against JMU, and returned a fumble 16 yards in the second quarter.
-- Ogle teamed with Barton last season to finish 2-3 in the ACC in tackles. Ogle topped the Terps, tackling charts with 138 overall, and was second only to Clemson,s Anthony Simmons.
Ogle was Maryland,s leading tackler against JMU with 12 stops overall and eight solos. He contributed on one sack for a three-yard loss.
-- Sophomore RB LaMont Jordan (Forestville, Md.) was the fifth-leading rusher in the ACC last season and was tops among freshmen. He was second in balloting for ACC Rookie-of-the-Year to Florida State,s Travis Minor.
Jordan did not play against JMU as he continues to nurse a twisted foot suffered during fall camp. He is probable for the Virginia game.
-- Senior OT John Feugill (Methuen, Mass.) is a third-year starter at right tackle and anchors a line that opens holes for Jordan. Feugill, at 6-foot-7 and 299 lbs., starts his 24th consecutive game for Maryland on Saturday. He was a preseason All-ACC recipient by several preview magazines.
MORE BARTON & OGLE
Barton and Ogle both posted double-digit tackles in nine of 11 games last season. Barton,s established a career high with 17 tackles last year vs. North Carolina. Ogle,s career high of 17 came vs. Clemson last season.
Ogle continued his string of double-digit performances on Saturday. Ogle has recorded 10 or more tackles in 10 of his last 12 outings. He has double-digit tackles in five straight games and eight of nine.
Here is a look at their game-by-game numbers since the start of the OE97 campaign.
BARTON OGLE
1997 solo-assist-total solo-assist-total
Ohio U. 7-7-14 7-7-14
at Florida St. 8-4-12 9-4-13
UNC 11-6-17 4-5-9
at Temple 8-2-10 4-6-10
Duke 7-4-11 9-6-15
West Virginia 6-2-8 7-6-13
at Wake Forest 10-4-14 5-3-8
Clemson 8-7-15 10-7-17
Virginia 6-5-11 5-8-13
at NC State 8-5-13 5-7-12
at Ga. Tech 6-3-9 10-4-14
1998 solo-assist-total solo-assist-total
James Madison 7-2-9 8-4-12
MORE BARTON & OGLE, PART II
Barton and Ogle posted impressive stats last season as bookend linebackers, both averaging over 12 stops per contest. Barton led the ACC with 85 solo tackles and was third overall with 134. Teammate Ogle was fifth with 75 solos, and second overall with 138.
STARTING STREAKS
Terp seniors Eric Barton, John Feugill and Kendall Ogle all have started 23 consecutive games in a Maryland uniform. The trio has started every Terrapin contest since their sophomore seasons.
Other starting streaks include OL Brad Messina (Bogota, N.J.) and DL Delbert Cowsette (Cleveland, Ohio) who each have started 12 straight contests. WR Moises Cruz has started six straight games, and CB Cliff Crosby (Erie, Pa.) five.
TERP TURNOVER MARGIN
Only the Air Force Academy (+4) boasts a greater turnover margin than Maryland after the opening week of college football. Maryland, which was 20th nationally and second in the ACC a year ago with a +0.73 turnover margin, is tied with five other schools nationally who own a +3 margin after one game. Maryland leads the ACC after recovering a fumble and picking off a pair of passes.
The JMU game marked the third time in Ron Vanderlinden,s 12 games as head coach that the Terps did not turn the ball over in a game.
WASHINGTON LEADS NATION
While the Terps rank second nationally in turnover margin, Lynde Washington is tied for the nation,s lead in interceptions. Six different players claimed two interceptions in the opening week of play, but only Washington and Troy West of Oklahoma State returned picks for touchdowns. West had 41 yards in returns to Washington,s 37.
LAST INTERCEPTION FOR TD
The last time a Maryland player returned an interception for a touchdown was Oct. 28, 1989 when Mike Thomas went 26 yards for a score vs. North Carolina.
LAST SCORE FOR THE DEFENSE
The last time the Maryland defense got onto the scoreboard was two seasons ago when then-freshman Delbert Cowsette returned a fumble 49 yards for a score against Northern Illinois.
THREE-QUARTER SHUTOUT
Maryland,s defense pitched a shutout through three quarters on Saturday before allowing a pair of TDs and big plays in the final quarter. The three-period shutout marked the first time Maryland had held an opponent scoreless in three consecutive quarters since a 52-0 shutout of Wake Forest in 1996.
Until that point on Saturday, the Terrapins limited James Madison to just 94 total offensive yards. JMU had two first downs and 12 yards total offense at halftime.
POSSESSION MISCELLANY
After Maryland,s first three possessions resulted in a pair of punts and a missed field goal, the Terps responded by scoring five times in a stretch of their next six possessions. Maryland,s average field position for the game was its own 44-yard line (the 50-yard line in the first half).
KOPKA SCORING HIGH
Kicker Brian Kopka eclipsed his career scoring high on Saturday, connecting on three field goals and adding two extra points. His 11 points against JMU bested his 10-point effort vs. Duke last year as a freshman. He also had three field goals in that game (36, 47, 31) including a career-long from 47 yards. His 46-yard attempt that was wide right against JMU was the second-longest attempt of his career.
IN THE RED ZONE
The Terps were 4-for-4 inside the opponents, 20-yard line against JMU. Brian Kopka scored on three field goals during the Terps, first three trips inside the 20 late in the first half, and Matt Kalapinski (Marshfield, Mass.) bulldozed his way into the end zone to cap a 63-yard scoring drive to open the second half.
CARDINAL GIBBONS BACKFIELD
Turn back the clock to 1994 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The same starting backfield then, at Cardinal Gibbons High School, re-appeared on Saturday at Byrd Stadium with Ken Mastrole calling signals and Harold Westley (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) starting behind him at tailback. Mastrole, then a senior at Cardinal Gibbons, came to Maryland in 1995 and redshirted his first campaign. Westley, a year behind Mastrole at Cardinal Gibbons, came to College Park in 1996.
Saturday,s game was actually the third in which they,ve started together. Coincidentally, the two games that Westley started as a true freshman in 1996 were the same that Mastrole first started as a redshirt freshman -- vs. West Virginia and NC State. Those games established Mastrole as the first redshirt freshman in Maryland history to start at QB.
WESTLEY GAINS 68 YARDS
Junior tailback Harold Westley made his third career start last Saturday, and recorded 68 rushing yards on 20 carries.
MASTROLE CAREER HIGHS
Ken Mastrole,s 15 completions against JMU matches his previous best, vs. NC State in 1986. His 181 passing yards bested his previous high of 140 from the same NC State game.
MASTROLE IS NO. 1
After starting three games as a redshirt freshman in 1996, Ken Mastrole enters his first season billed as the Terps, top QB. The backup last season to CFL-bound Brian Cummings, Mastrole has logged action in 15 games over the past three seasons. He made history in 1996 while starting the West Virginia game, becoming the first freshman QB to start a game in Terp history. Mastrole, game-by-game:
1996 Comp Att Yds TD Int.
Northern Illinois 0 0 0 0 0
Virginia 9 15 66 0 2
West Virginia-s 5 17 32 0 0
NC State-s 15 28 140 0 1
North Carolina 0 1 0 0 0
Wake Forest 2 11 10 0 0
Duke-s 5 17 106 0 0
1997 Comp Att Yds TD Int.
Florida State 1 1 9 0 0
North Carolina 1 2 2 0 0
Duke 0 1 0 0 0
Wake Forest 2 3 25 0 0
Virginia 3 11 47 0 0
NC State 0 1 0 0 1
Georgia Tech 0 0 0 0 0
1998 Comp Att Yds TD Int.
James Madison 15 28 181 0 0
SEEKING FIRST TD PASS
At Duke, in what was his third start of the 1996 season as then a redshirt freshman -- and his last start prior to last Saturday -- Ken Mastrole was in the midst of his best game of the season when he fractured his right clavicle and was lost for the final three games of the season. Mastrole had led the Terps to 16 unanswered points in the second quarter before giving way to third-string QB Keon Russell (Brooklyn, N.Y. -- now a Terp WR) early in the second half. The Terps posted 16 points on three of their final four possessions of the first half. Mastrole finished the day passing for 106 yards, completing five passes on 17 attempts. He connected with Kendrick Walton (Dallas, Texas) from seven yards with 3:06 remaining in the half to record what still is his only career TD pass.
LOCAL TERPS
Several local athletes fared particularly well in the Terps, opener on Saturday.
Wide receivers Jermaine Arrington (Landover, Md.) and Moises Cruz both caught five passes and rank among ACC receptions leaders after one week. Arrington, a transfer from Memphis where he attended on a track scholarship, logged 78 receiving yards in his first college game. His diving, 42-yard catch in the second quarter was the Terps, longest play
>from scrimmage. Cruz, last season,s leading receiver, recorded 62 yards
with a long of 21.
Baltimore product Aaron Thompson was nominated for ACC Rookie of the Week accolades after totaling 11 tackles including two for loss and a sack.
Freshman QB Randall Jones made a brief college debut against JMU, brought on for a pair of plays late in the first half. He ran two option plays and netted no gain. He kept the ball for three yards on his first play, and lost three yards on his second.
IMPRESSIVE DEBUT FOR FOWLER
Converted center Melvin Fowler, another of the Terps young contributors, made a successful switch from defensive tackle against JMU. The redshirt freshman earned the Terps, starting nod last week after making the switch late in fall camp. Offensive centers/guards coach Elliot Uzelac has been high on Fowler,s potential since last spring, and coach Ron Vanderlinden was impressed after his debut, commenting that his performance was nearly error-free.
TIPPING THE SCALES
Maryland,s offensive line (including TE) tips the scales at an average of 280.2 lbs., compared to 289.2 lbs. for the Virginia line. Defensively, Maryland,s front four weighs in at an average of 259 lbs. compared to 276.3 for the Cavaliers.
CONTROL THE CLOCK
Maryland hopes to establish an improved running game in 1998 as a foundation to its reconstruction efforts. In doing so, the Terps hope to control the ball as it was successful in doing last season. The Terps controlled time of possession vs. JMU the same as it did in seven of 11 games last season.
NO OFF-SEASON FOR TERPS
It,s a statistic that goes unnoticed to the casual fan, but not to Terps, head coach Ron Vanderlinden or strength and conditioning coordinator Dwight Galt. In total, 61 of the Terps, 74 returnees the most in recent memory remained in College Park over the summer months to continue voluntary workouts in preparation for the OE98 campaign.
TERP BIRTHDAYS:
FB Matt Kalapinski turns 19 on Sept. 8 ... Reserve QBs Gil Harris and Erik Lipton both turn 20 on Sept. 10 ... WR Jason Hatala turns 20 on Sept. 14 ...
SEVENEEN TERPS ON NFL ROSTERS
As the NFL begins its 1998 season, 17 former Terrapins find themselves on active NFL rosters. Rookies making NFL squads for the first time are Aaron Henne, OG (Pittsburgh), Eric Ogbogu, DT (NY Jets) and Ratcliff Thomas, LB (Indianapolis).
MARYLAND IN SEARS DIRECTOR,S CUP STANDINGS
In final standings released by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Terrapins, athletic program was ranked tied for 19th out of 306 Division I schools last year. It is the highest finish for the Terps since rankings began five years ago, and Maryland,s 38-position jump from the No. 57 spot in 1994-95 is the greatest in that time by a school not previously ranked in the Top 25.
Maryland,s Progression Under Debbie Yow
1994-95 57th -----
1996-97 32nd +4
1995-96 36th +21
1997-98 19th +13
HOW THE OPPONENTS FARED AND WHO THEY PLAY NEXT:
Nine of 11 Maryland opponents are active this week. West Virginia and North Carolina are idle. Current rankings are listed in order of AP / ESPN/USAToday.
Date Opponent (Record) Ranking
S5 JAMES MADISON (0-1)
Last Week: lost to Maryland, 23-15
This Week: vs. Hofstra
S12 VIRGINIA (1-0, 0-0 ACC) #12 / #12
Last Week: defeated Auburn, 19-0
This Week: vs. Maryland
S19 WEST VIRGINIA (0-1) #20 / #20
Last Week: lost to Ohio State, 34-17
This Week: idle
S26 TEMPLE (0-1)
Last Week: lost to Toledo, 24-12
This Week: vs. Akron
O3 FLORIDA STATE (1-0, 0-0 ACC) #2 / #2
Last Week: defeated Texas A & M, 23-14
This Week: at NC State
O10 CLEMSON (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Last Week: defeated Furman, 33-0
This Week: vs. Virginia Tech
O17 WAKE FOREST (0-1, 0-0 ACC)
Last Week: lost to Air Force, 42-0
This Week: vs. Navy (Sept. 10)
O31 GEORGIA TECH (0-1, 0-0 ACC)
Last Week: lost to Boston College, 41-31
This Week: vs. New Mexico State
N7 NO. CAROLINA (0-1, 0-0 ACC) NR / #24
Last Week: lost to Miami (Ohio), 13-10
This Week: idle
N14 DUKE (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Last Week: defeated Western Carolina, 24-10
This Week: at Northwestern
N21 NC STATE (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Last Week: defeated Ohio, 34-31
This Week: vs. Florida State
BARTON & OGLE JOIN ESPN PLAYERS
Eric Barton and Kendall Ogle are among 28 national stars that appear weekly to answer pertinent questions relating to football, college athletics, rivalries and traditions. Log on to www.espn.com, click on college football and check out the Terps among this weekly college football feature.
New questions and responses appear every Thursday.
Last Week,s ESPN ,The Players0/00 Topic:
ESPN: Do you think that student-athletes should be required to maintain a minimum grade-point average for eligibility standards? If so, what do you think of the current 2.0 minimum GPA, or would you suggest another minimum?
Barton: ,It should be determined by the school and it shouldn,t be the same for every school. Some schools obviously have more difficult academic standards. The minimum GPA should be according to university standards at each school.0/00
Ogle: "People, and students, have to keep in mind that we,re student-athletes. We are students first, and athletes second. It,s hard being a student-athlete to come to college and play football as well as do your studies. Most student-athletes are aware of how hard it is to balance both, but (going to school) is what we,re here for because we,re not guaranteed a sports career after college. I think a 2.0 is very average, very adequate. It is fine as a minimum."
ESPN ,The Players0/00 Roster -- 1998
Bob Adamov, LB, Wisconsin
Jeremy Aldrich, K, Colorado
Eric Barton, LB, Maryland
Michael Bishop, QB, Kansas State
Dre, Bly, DB, North Carolina
Kris Brown, K, Nebraska
Rosevelt Colvin, DL, Purdue
Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky
Oscar Davenport, North Carolina
Kevin Feterik, QB, BYU
Rufus French, TE, Mississippi
Steve Gleason, LB, Washington State
Donnie Hart, WR, Texas Tech
Brock Huard, QB, Washington
Sedrick Irvin, WR, Michigan State
Graham Leigh, QB, New Mexico
Chris McAlister, DB, Arizona
Jason McKinley, QB, Houston
Cade McNown, QB, UCLA
Mark Mill, WR, Navy
Kendall Ogle, LB, Maryland
Jason Poles, DB, Syracuse
Montae Reagor, DL, Texas Tech
Kirby Smart, DB, Georgia
Marquis Smith, DB, California
Quinton Spotwood, WR, Syracuse
Michael Stinchcomb, OL, Georgia
Amos Zereoue, RB, West Virginia
TERRAPIN HISTORY AND FACTS
HEAD COACH
Ron Vanderlinden (1997-present)
Alma Mater: Albion College, OE78)
Coaching Resume: Bowling Green (1978), Michigan (1979-80), Ball State (1981-82), Colorado (1983-91), Northwestern (1992-96)
Vanderlinden has appeared in 9 major bowl games. The Maryland coaching staff boasts experience in 35 major college bowls and three Super Bowls.
TEAM HISTORY
105 seasons (1892-94, 1896-present)
527-463-42 record (.531)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
1953
ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1984, 1985
FINAL RANKINGS (AP; AP/Coaches)
1949 (14), 1951 (3), 1952 (13), 1953 (1), 1954 (8), 1955 (3), 1973 (20), 1974 (13), 1975 (13), 1976 (8), 1978 (20), 1982 (20/18), 1983 (NR/24), 1984 (12/9), 1985 (18/17)
BOWL GAMES (6-9-2)
1948 Gator Bowl, 1950 Gator Bowl, 1952 Sugar Bowl, 1954 Orange Bowl, 1956 Orange Bowl, 1973 Peach Bowl, 1974 Liberty Bowl, 1975 Gator Bowl, 1977 Cotton Bowl, 1977 Hall of Fame Bowl, 1978 Sun Bowl, 1980 Tangerine Bowl, 1982 Aloha Bowl, 1983 Citrus Bowl, 1984 Sun Bowl, 1985 Cherry Bowl, 1990 Independence Bowl
TERPS IN THE NFL (current as of Sept. 7)
J.B. Brown, DB (Arizona)
Kevin Glover, C (Seattle)
Aaron Henne, OG (Pittsburgh)
Steve Ingram, OT (Tampa Bay)
Clarence Jones, OT (New Orleans)
Mike Kiselak, OG (Dallas)
Jermaine Lewis, WR (Baltimore)
Scott Milanovich, QB (Tampa Bay)
Neil O,Donnell, QB (Cincinnati)
Eric Ogbogu, DE (NY Jets)
Frank Reich, QB (Detroit)
Chad Scott, DB (Pittsburgh)
Ratcliff Thomas, LB (Indianapolis)
Al Wallace, DE (Philadelphia)
Larry Webster, DT (Baltimore)
Frank Wycheck, TE (Tennessee)
Scott Zolak, QB (New England)
QUOTING COACH VANDERLINDEN
On the win over JMU: ,We made a lot of first-game mistakes, all those technical mistakes. You say to yourself, OEWe,ve worked against this, we,ve talked about it, we,ve practiced these scenarios., It really hurt us. Clipping after a 10-yard gain...holding on third and five. We had plenty of opportunities in James Madison,s territory. James Madison, I have to give them credit. They played lights out like I knew they would. They had nothing to lose. They packed it on in there, and we were a little bit stubborn to get our running game going. We were running into some heavy defenses and didn,t execute as well as we could have. But, we also made some mistakes by taking too many sacks. If it,s not there we just have to learn to throw the ball away and not eat that yardage up. So we made some of those first-time mistakes. But overall, this young football team needed a win, and we came and we got a win. I told our team coming out, expect this to go right down to the wire...You gain more from these types of wins. It was good for us to take it down to the wire.0/00
On the Terps, defense: ,I thought our defense the first three quarters was sensational. Nothing short of sensational. Our defense dominated the line of scrimmage play after play. And then we messed up a coverage when we didn,t rotate a safety back into the middle and they popped one up the gut on us, and that takes them right down to the goal line.0/00
On the team,s overall youth: ,When we get beneath our starters on both sides of the ball, we,re playing a lot of inexperienced, not-ready-for-prime-time players. And that took its toll on us. We have to continue to develop that depth and keep bringing these young guys along.0/00
On Lynde Washington: ,Lynde is a battler, a very competitive young man. He went through some hard times a year ago. And to come up with two interceptions, one for a score, I thought it was great for him to start out like that. He got beat on that one fade route, which is a difficult route to defend. They came back the next series and tried to do the same thing and he was right on top of it. So I was very pleased with the way Lynde played. I thought he was much better than we saw from him a year ago.0/00
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
2
Ron Vanderlinden begins his second season as head coach of the Maryland Terrapins. The Virginia game also marks just the second time that he and George Welsh have stood on opposite sidelines.
3
Former high school teammates at Cardinal Gibbons H.S. in Fort Lauderdale, QB Ken Mastrole and RB Harold Westley have shared the starting backfield three times during their Maryland careers.
5
The Terps face five opponents in 1998 who played in major bowl games last season: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, West Virginia.
11
The last time a Maryland team allowed fewer first downs than the 12 earned by JMU was at Virginia,s Scott Stadium in 1996. Ranked No. 14 in the nation in total defense, the Terps allowed only 221 total yards and just 11 first downs during their last trip to Charlottesville. UVa,s 60 yards passing in that game was then the fewest by a Cavalier team since a 1979 meeting vs. Maryland.
12
Kendall Ogle recorded eight solo tackles and four assists to lead Terp tacklers against JMU. Ogle has recorded double-digit tackles in 10 of the last 12 games.
20
Maryland lists 20 freshmen (13) and sophomores (7) on its two-deep roster, making the Terps one of the youngest teams in the nation.
42
Maryland,s 42-yard pass from Ken Mastrole to Jermaine Arrington was the Terps, longest play of their opening game,and the second-longest Terrapin pass play in two seasons. Jason Hatala caught a 76-yard TD strike from Brian Cummings last year vs. Duke.
51.9
Almost 52% (22 of 57) of the players that saw time against James Madison were either freshmen or sophomores.
181
Ken Mastrole passed for a career high 181 yards against James Madison.
36,547
In the Terps, opener, UM drew its largest crowd since the final home game of 1995.
Terp Media Services
MARYLAND NEWS & NOTES BY E-MAIL
Weekly football releases from the Maryland athletic media relations office may be obtained automatically every Monday morning by contacting Kevin Messenger at kmess@wam.umd.edu. List TERP NEWS in the subject heading, and include the name of your media outlet and phone number in your message.
MARYLAND SPORTS ON THE INTERNET
All the latest in Terp sports news is at your computer fingertips by accessing www.umterps.com.
ACC WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE
ACC coaches are featured in a weekly teleconference each Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning Sept. 2 and concluding Nov. 18. Each coach will have 10 minutes to make an opening statement and answer questions. Access the teleconference by dialing 913-981-5507. A replay is available for 24 hours beginning Wednesday afternoon by dialing 402-220-4214 and using ACC# as the password.
1998 ACC Coaches Teleconference
Jim Caldwell, Wake Forest 11:00 a.m.
George Welsh, Virginia 11:10 a.m.
Mike O,Cain, NC State 11:20 a.m.
Carl Torbush, North Carolina 11:30 a.m.
RON VANDERLINDEN, MARYLAND 11:40 a.m.
George O,Leary, Georgia Tech 11:50 a.m.
Bobby Bowden, Florida State 12:00 p.m.
Fred Goldsmith, Duke 12:10 p.m.
Tommy West, Clemson 12:20 p.m.
ACC FAXBACK SERVICE
ACC and Maryland news releases are available 24 hours-a-day on the ACC Faxback System. Please contact the Maryland media relations office for the faxback phone number. Use the following codes: Release (Maryland-51050, ACC-5050), Notes Only (Maryland-51051, ACC-5051), Stats Only (Maryland-51052, ACC-5052), Box Score (Maryland-51053), Schedule/Roster (Maryland-51054, ACC-5054), NCAA Statistics (ACC-5055).
WEEKLY MEDIA LUNCHEON
Head coach Ron Vanderlinden meets the media every Monday at noon on the second floor of the Tyser Tower Press Box. This week,s luncheon is held on TUESDAY due to the Labor Day Holiday.
MARYLAND FOOTBALL RADIO NETWORK
Johnny Holliday, in his 20th season as Voice of the Terps, calls the play-by-play alongside color analyst Ken Broo. WBAL (1090-AM in Baltimore) and WTEM (980-AM in Washington, D.C.) serve as the network,s flagship stations. The Maryland Football Network: Aberdeen (WAMD, 970-AM), Baltimore (WKDB, 1570-AM), Cumberland (WTBO, 1450-AM), Elkton (WSER, 1550-AM), Frederick (WFMD, 930-AM), Hagerstown (WARK, 1490-AM), Oakland/Mountain Lake Park (WMSG, 1050-AM), Pocomoke City (WKHW, 106.5-FM), Rockville (WINX, 1600-AM), Salisbury (WTGM, 960-AM), Westminster (WTTR, 1470-AM).
RON VANDERLINDEN TV SHOW.
The Ron Vanderlinden TV Coach,s Show airs weekly during the football season, and can be viewed in the following East Coast media markets: Washington, D.C./Baltimore on Home Team Sports (HTS) every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.; Washington, D.C./Baltimore on WPXW-TV (check local cable listings) at 9:30 a.m. every Saturday; Buffalo, N.Y. on the Empire Sports Network every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.; Philadelphia on Comcast Cablevision every Saturday at 11:30 a.m.; Atlanta on FOX Sports South every Friday at 2 p.m.; Florida on the Sunshine Network every Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
TERP GAMES ON TEAMLINE
Terp fans can hear live play-by-play of all 11 UM games from any phone in the world on TEAMLINE. Dial 800-846-4700 and enter the Terps, team code 5517 to access the games with a Visa or MasterCard.
TERRAPIN FANPHONE
Information on Maryland athletics, including actualities with head coach Ron Vanderlinden, can be obtained by calling the Terrapin Fanphone at 301-314-TERP.
