Terps Host Wake Forest for 2000 Homecoming
10/16/2000 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - -
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The University of Maryland football team returns to Byrd Stadium this week for its 2000 homecoming celebration versus Atlantic Coast Conference for Wake Forest. The Terps come home after a pair of losses on the road, the most recent being a 35-14 defeat at the hands of #5 Clemson in Death Valley. Maryland actually had one of its best showings in its last five efforts at Clemson as it scored a pair of touchdowns (breaking a 20-quarter string without one at Clemson) and played hard throughout.
The Terrapins return to Byrd with a 2-4 record (0-3, ACC), while the Demon Deacons are off to an 0-6 start (0-4, ACC), their worst since starting 0-10 in 1974.
The game will not be televised but will be broadcast locally by WTEM (980 AM) and WBAL (1090 AM).
After taking on two Top 25 teams in its last three games, Maryland will now play consecutive games against teams (Wake Forest and Duke) that have a combined record of 0-12 (0-7, ACC) through October 14th.
Despite missing a portion of a game with an injury for the second straight week, LaMont Jordan (Forestville, Md.) was still able to amass 71 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (4.7 avg.), the second-best rushing day this year against the Tigers.
With his 71-yard effort, the senior passed NC State's Joe McIntosh and moved into 11th on the ACC career rushing chart. He is now just 17 yards from cracking the conference's all-time top 10 and 927 yards from the ACC's top spot.
Coming Home
This weekend's game will mark the 63rd homecoming game for the University of Maryland. The Terps' first-ever homecoming game was played in 1920 and sporadically thereafter until it became an annual event in 1969.
All told, the Terrapins have a record of 42-18-2 in homecoming contests.
The Jordan Watch
LaMont Jordan, a unanimous preseason first team All-American in preview magazines nationwide, rushed for a school-record 1,632 yards as a junior and against West Virginia this season officially became the leading rusher in school history. He trails only TCU's Ladainian Tomlinson among active NCAA career rushing leaders.
-- After leading the country in rushing over 1999's final six games, he is 927 yards from becoming the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time rushing leader.
Terp Coach Ron Vanderlinden
Terrapin head coach Ron Vanderlinden (Albion College `78) is in his fourth season at Maryland, guiding the re-shaping efforts from a run-and-shoot offense to a power run game and more balanced, physical attack. After helping rebuild struggling programs at Colorado (1983-91) and Northwestern (1992-96), Vanderlinden is 12-27 as a college head coach. He was named the Terps' field boss in December of 1996.
Vanderlinden, 44, arrived in College Park after a five-year stint as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under Gary Barnett at Northwestern where the Wildcats won a pair of Big Ten championships and made a 1996 Rose Bowl appearance. As defensive line coach in nine seasons under Bill McCartney at CU, the Buffaloes won the 1990 national championship, three Big Eight titles, and six bowl games.
Counting two years at Michigan, Vanderlinden has coaching experience in 10 major bowl games.
Vanderlinden's teams at Maryland have been characterized by vast improvements made to the rushing game and the overall defense. In 1998, Maryland was the sixth-most improved rushing team in America, and among the top 15 most improved teams in the country in total, scoring and pass defense. Last season, the Terps completed a "worst-to-first" ascent among ACC rushing leaders, climbing to a league-best 231.4 yards per game after ranking ninth in 1997.
Wake Coach Jim Caldwell
Wake Forest head coach Jim Caldwell (Iowa, `77) is in his eighth year at the helm of the Demon Deacon football program. In his tenure which began in 1993, Wake Forest has compiled a 24-60 record.
Although the Demon Deacons have not had the same success in 2000, they are coming off of one of their best years in recent history as they finished 7-5 and went to a postseason bowl game for the first time since 1992. With their wins over #25 NC State and #14 Georgia Tech, Wake Forest beat two ranked teams in a season a year ago for the first time since 1979.
Prior to coming to Wake, Caldwell was an assistant coach for 14 years with the final 11 being served under some impressive names. In 1981, Caldwell served under Dennis Green at Northwestern, from 1982-84 he was an assistant to Bill McCartney at Colorado (where he and Ron Vanderlinden coached together for two years), in 1985 he coached under Howard Schnellenberger at Louisville before moving on to Penn State where he worked under Joe Paterno from 1986-92.
Next Games
The Terrapins head back on the road next week as it will take on Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Wake Forest's next game is also against the Blue Devils of Duke, but that will come November 4 as the Demon Deacons head into their open week after playing the Terps.
Gameday at Byrd / Promotions
This weekend's Wake Forest game is Homecoming for Maryland. There are numerous activities slated for the weekend which also marks the Terps' annual Letterwinners' Day as past athletes from all sports are welcomed into the stadium and onto the field.
Against NC State on November 4, the University of Maryland campus community hosts Family Weekend with the Terps' football game scheduled as its centerpiece.
Byrd Turns 50!
Byrd Stadium celebrates its 50th birthday as home of the Maryland Terrapins in 2000. Constructed in 1950 at a cost of $1 million, Byrd Stadium first opened on Sept. 30, 1950 when Maryland defeated in-state rival Navy 35-21 in the dedication game before a school-record crowd of 43,386 fans.
Byrd has since undergone a series of major facelifts, three of which occurred in the 1990s and resulted in its present form.
Situated at the foot of the campus' North Hill, the stadium is named for Dr. H.C. "Curley" Byrd, a multi-sport athlete as an undergraduate who later became head football coach and eventually served as university president. Beginning its 51st season, Maryland has posted an all-time record of 154-98-1 (.609) in games at Byrd Stadium.
Ticket Information
Individual game tickets for home games may be purchased locally at any Ticketmaster outlet or by visiting the Maryland ticket office at Cole Field House. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com.
Call 800-462-TERP for questions, or to order by phone.
