Oct. 1, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland fell 49-31 to No. 9 Georgia Tech on Thursday night, but not before compiling its best offensive showing against a ranked opponent since 1993.

Maryland (3-1, 0-1 ACC) returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action next Saturday at noon at Wake Forest. The Wake Forest game will be televised live on JP Sports and be a part of the ESPN Game Plan pay-per-view package. It will air locally on WUSA-TV (channel 9) in Washington, D.C., and on WUTB-TV (channel 24) in Baltimore.

Terrapin Notebook
-- Not since 1993 have the Terps scored more points against a ranked opponent. It was then that No. 14 North Carolina downed unranked Maryland 59-42 in Chapel Hill.

-- Maryland's 399 yards total offense reflected the Terps' most yards against a ranked opponent since totaling 426 yards at No. 6 Florida State in 1995.

-- Maryland's 115 points in its last three games is the Terps' best three-game scoring streak overall since 1994 (125).

-- Maryland's 1,710 yards of total offense is its best four-game stretch to open a season since amassing 1,925 yards with its run-and-shoot offense of 1992.

-- Maryland recorded its first 300-yard passing game in three seasons. It was the Terps' best since a 314-yard passing effort vs. Wake Forest in 1997.

-- The Terps scored more points than any previous Maryland team at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium.

-- Maryland had four takeaways at Georgia Tech while allowing just two for the Yellow Jackets. On the year, the Terps have 14 takeaways vs. five giveaways --- a +2.25 turnover margin. Maryland led the country with a +2.3 margin leading into this week's games.

-- Lewis Sanders had two of Maryland's four takeaways, with an interception and fumble recovery. In four games, Sanders has registered seven of the team's 14 takeaways.

-- Sanders picked off Joe Hamilton in the first quarter to end the Heisman Trophy candidate's streak of 94 straight passes without an interception.

-- For Sanders, it was his fourth theft in as many games. He is tied for the nation's lead in interceptions (4).

-- The nation's leading kickoff return specialist, Sanders returned two kickoffs against Georgia Tech for 39 yards to raise his career total to 681 yards on 27 returns. Sanders moved to eighth among Terrapin career KOR leaders. His 25.2-yard career average is currently third in Maryland history.

-- Just four games into his junior season, Sanders' is quickly advancing among Maryland career leaders. He is one of seven players with exactly eight. Five former Terps recorded nine interceptions. He is two thefts shy advancing into the top 10, and nine shy of the all-time record of 17 by Tom Brown (1960-62).

-- Maryland led the nation as a team in kickoff return average going in to the Georgia Tech contest, and the Terrapins did nothing to lower their ranking. Sanders returned a pair of kickoffs for 39 yards and freshman Scooter Monroe returned his first kick for 19 yards. Key for the Terps, though, was an 84-yard return by sophomore Guilian Gary which fell five yards shy of a first quarter touchdown. Maryland averages 40 yards per return after four games.

-- Redshirt freshman Calvin McCall threw the first interception of his career, ending an impressive streak of three complete games and 82 straight pass attempts without an interception.

-- McCall had his best outing statistically, compiling career-bests in yards (221), completions (15) and attempts (30).

-- Kudos to the Maryland offensive line --- the Terps were without a sack for the third time in four games. Calvin McCall has been sacked just once this season.

-- LaMont Jordan recorded career-highs of 27 carries and 61 receiving yards. In addition, he ran for 79 yards and threw a 60- yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Arrington.

-- Jordan ran for two TDs and passed for another against the Yellow Jackets. His two rushing TDs raised his season total to six. He has 15 in his career which is 10th in Maryland history. His passing TD, in fact, was a replay of last year's halfback pass to Arrington for a 68-yard score against Wake Forest. He has passed or run for 17 career touchdowns.

-- Jordan's 79 rushing yards moved him over the 2,000-yard plateau to become the second-fastest in Terrapin history to reach the mark. Jordan reached the milestone in 25 games, compared to Steve Atkins' 24 games between 1975 and 1978.

-- Jordan is the second junior and seventh Maryland player overall to reach the 2,000-yard plateau. He is the 62nd player in the history of the ACC to reach 2,000.

-- Only four games into the season, Jordan is nearly halfway (442) to becoming only the fourth 1,000-yard rusher in Maryland history.

-- Jordan goes head-to-head this week with ACC rushing star Morgan Kane of Wake Forest. Pending the Wake Forest game vs. Rutgers, Kane averages 141.0 yards per game to rank second in the ACC and ninth nationally. Jordan, averaging 110.5 following the Georgia Tech game, ranked third in the ACC and 17th nationally going in to this week's games.

-- Jordan is a not just a runner but a multi-purpose threat to run, catch and throw. On paper, he leads the Terps in rushing (88- 442) and receiving (10-103), and owns a 934.0 pass efficiency rating after his 60-yard passing TD against Georgia Tech. In three seasons, Jordan is 3 for 4 passing, with no interceptions, 143 yards and two touchdowns.

-- Jermaine Arrington posted a career-high 94 receiving yards against Georgia Tech, and each of his three receptions came out of a different arm. His 60-yard TD was from halfback LaMont Jordan. A near touchdown of 29 yards was from fellow wideout Doug Patterson after a backward lateral. His first reception was a five-yard catch from Calvin McCall.

-- Placekicker Brian Kopka registered touchbacks on four of his six kickoffs at Georgia Tech, running his season total to 13 touchbacks in 24 kickoffs.

-- Georgia Tech's quick-strike offense was typified by its four first half touchdowns. Tech's four first half scoring drives totaled just 11 plays and 2:28 elapsed time while scoring on big plays of 48, 80, 29 and 30 yards. Excluding those four quick scoring drives, Maryland limited the Yellow Jackets' six other first half drives to 21 plays, 94 yards and three turnovers.