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University of Maryland Athletics

Downs Dominates As Terps Trample Jackets, 34-10

Football Maryland Athletics

Football Game Notes -- Terps Vs. NC State

Nov. 4, 2002

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The Game

  • The University of Maryland football team returns to College Park for its 65th homecoming celebration and a huge Atlantic Coast Conference matchup this Saturday as it will play host to the NC State Wolfpack. Kickoff is set for 12:10 p.m. (EST) for the game which will be televised on a split-national basis by ABC and can be heard locally on the Terrapin Sports Network.

  • Maryland (7-2, 3-1 ACC) is red hot and in the midst of a six-game win streak after continuing its run of impressive performances last weekend as it handed North Carolina a 59-7 defeat on its homecoming in Chapel Hill. The 52-point margin of victory was the largest by either school in the 83-year history of the series and the Terrapins' first at Chapel Hill since 1988.

  • This week, the Terps have made their way back into the national spotlight, reappearing in the national rankings for the first time since falling out following their loss in the season opener to Notre Dame. Maryland heads into this weekend's game ranked No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll while ranking an unofficial 26th in the Associated Press poll (135 votes).

  • NC State heads to College Park looking to regroup after having its perfect season ended last week in a 24-17 home loss to Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack -- ranked 13th in the coaches poll and 14th by AP -- are an impressive 9-1 on the season (4-1 ACC) and will be seeking revenge against a Terp team that has won each of the last two meetings between the two schools in dramatic fashion.

  • The Terrapins are 44-18-2 in their history on homecoming and this year's game date (Nov. 9) will be the latest that they have played a homecoming game since 1976. In addition, Maryland has squared off four times against NC State for homecoming, winning on all four occasions.

  • The NC State game is the midpoint in a string of five conference games for Maryland -- and the lone home game -- in which it will be the road team four times. After last weekend's victory, the Terrapins are 6-1 all-time on the road under Ralph Friedgen and have lost just once in 13 games at Byrd Stadium under the second-year coach.

    Series Notes

  • Saturday's game marks the 56th meeting between the Terrapins and Wolfpack. NC State narrowly leads the all-time series -- which began in 1917 -- 27-26-4.

  • NC State has won seven of the last 10 in the series, but Maryland has won the last two games and can extend its streak to three -- its longest since 1983-85 -- with a win this year.

  • The last time Maryland played a ranked NC State team was in 1992. That year, the Pack were ranked 19th and ultimately beat the Terps, 14-10, at Byrd Stadium. The last time that the two teams played with both teams ranked, however, was October 7, 1978, as the Terps were 12th in the AP poll while the Pack were 20th in an eventual 31-7 homecoming win for Maryland.

  • The series has been one of peaks and valleys as NC State was in the midst of its best run in the series, having won 11 of 14 games from 1986-1999. That run came on the heels of Maryland's best stint, a 13-3-1 run from 1971-85. During that period, the Terps ran off a series-best six straight wins from 1980-85.

  • The last two years have marked two of the most exciting games in the series, at least from Maryland's perspective. Last year, the Terps went to Raleigh with the hopes of clinching their first ACC title in 16 years but trailed 12-10 at the start of the fourth quarter and 19-14 with 3:59 left. After Rich Parson was stripped at the goal line after what looked like a long TD pass from Shaun Hill to take the lead, the Terps' hopes seemed slim. But after the defense held on the next series, Hill marched Maryland 61 yards and capped the drive with a game-winning eight-yard pass to Guilian Gary with 41 seconds left.

  • Two years ago, a win over NC State rekindled bowl hopes for the Terps, if only temporarily. In that game, a 35-28 Maryland win in two overtimes, Shaun Hill took over in the second half after the Wolfpack had staked a 21-6 halftime advantage. Hill led the Terps back to a tie and ultimately the win. His one-yard TD run in the second overtime frame was the game winner, giving the Terrapins a win in what was the first overtime game in school history.

    Friedgen Topping The Charts

  • Ralph Friedgen opened his career as a head coach by setting one Maryland coaching record after another and while this season started like many of those had prior to his arrival, the second-year mentor is once again working his magic in College Park.

  • With the Terps' win last week, Friedgen became the first coach in Maryland history to win 17 games in his first two years at the helm. With a 17-4 record, his win total bests that of 16 set by Bobby Ross in his first two years (1982-83) with the Terps. Friedgen was an assistant coach under Ross during that time at Maryland.

  • With three more wins this season, Friedgen will break the ACC record for wins by an ACC coach in his second year. With 20 wins, he will break the mark of Clemson's Ken Hatfield (1990-91) who posted a 19-4-1 record. Friedgen is currently tied for third with NC State's Lou Holtz who was 17-6-1 in his first two years (1972-73), though "the Fridge" got his 17 wins in three fewer games.

    TouchDowns

  • Senior Chris Downs began the 2002 season as a player who had earned the respect of his coaches for his hard work, but little more in terms of playing time at tailback as he entered this season with four career carries. That respect -- which was one of the main reasons noted when his mentors named him the starter in week two -- is now something shared by the opponents he has run through this season.

  • Last weekend, Downs led the Terps in rushing for the fifth time and went over the century mark for the third time this season, going for 157 yards on 19 carries against North Carolina. The senior also ran for four touchdowns, a feat accomplished only three other times in Maryland history (Bob Shemonski, 5 vs. Va. Tech (1950); LaMont Jordan, 4 vs. Clemson (1999); and Charlie Wysocki, 4 vs. UVa (1981).

  • Downs has now rushed for 13 touchdowns this year, nine more TDs than he had carries coming into this season. He has found paydirt in all but one game (Duke) in which he has carried the ball this season and his touchdown total ranks sixth on the Maryland single-season list. With three more, he will tie the school record set by LaMont Jordan in 1999.

  • Against Georgia Tech, Downs woke up a sluggish Terrapin offense in the second half by rushing 19 times for 183 yards and three TDs (26 for a career-high 212 yards, overall), boosting the Terps from a 6-3 halftime lead to an eventual 34-10 victory.

  • The 212-yard effort by Downs against Georgia Tech was the 12th-best single-game rushing performance in Maryland history.

  • With 147 yards rushing against Wofford, Downs became the first Terp tailback to go over the 100-yard mark in what was a span of 12 games.

  • On 126 rushing attempts this season, Downs is averaging 6.5 yards per carry (best among the ACC's top 10 backs) and 90.8 yards per game (third-best in the ACC). In the games he has had a carry this year (8), Downs is averaging 102.1 yards per game (he did not see time at running back in the Notre Dame game).

    Three-For-One

  • With the hiring of Ralph Friedgen and Friedgen's ensuing hires of offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe and defensive coordinator Gary Blackney prior to the 2001 season, the Terrapins got the equivalent of three head coaches atop one coaching staff. Though Friedgen is in just his second season as a head coach, Taaffe (Montreal Alouettes and The Citadel) and Blackney (Bowling Green) each bring head coaching experience to the table.

  • Taaffe and Blackney were able to maintain success virtually everywhere they had been as head coaches. While in Montreal, Taaffe guided the Alouettes to a combined 25-14 record (two seasons) and an appearance in the 2000 Grey Cup. In 1999 and 2000, he was named the CFL's Coach of the Year, making him only the second coach to earn such an honor in back-to-back seasons (Marv Levy the first in 1974) and the first ever to do so in his first two campaigns. In addition, he is the winningest coach in The Citadel's history.

  • Blackney was able to achieve in his own right as a head coach at Bowling Green. In 10 successful seasons, Blackney won 60 games (third most in school history), was the only coach in school history to win a bowl game (his Falcons won the 1991 California Raisin Bowl and the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl) and was the only coach to win more than 10 games in back-to-back seasons (11 in 1991; 10 in 1992).

  • Now in their second seasons at Maryland, the trio comprises one of the most experienced triumvirates in college football. With their 85 years of combined, full-time experience at the college and/or pro levels, Friedgen, Taaffe and Blackney are the fifth-most experienced trio in Division I-A. Below is a list of the company they keep: 
    Rk. School Yrs. Staff (Pos./Yrs. of Experience)
1 Penn St. 104 J. Paterno (HC/53), F. Ganter (OC/29), T. Bradley (DC/22)
2 Florida St. 92 B. Bowden (HC/42), J. Bowden (OC/15), M. Andrews (DC/35)
3 Mississippi St. 89 J. Sherrill (HC/32), S. Woods (OC/14), J.L. Dunn (DC/30)
4 Air Force 86 F. DeBerry (HC/34), C. Petersen (OC/14), R. Bell (DC/40)
5 Maryland 85 R. Friedgen (HC/29), C. Taaffe (OC/24), G. Blackney (DC/32)

    Note: Totals reflect years coaching prior to the 2002 season.

    A Wealth of Experience

  • The coaching experience does not end on the Terrapin coaching staff with Coach Friedgen and his coordinators. The Maryland staff overall possesses a combined total of 206 years of full-time experience at either the collegiate or pro levels.

  • That total includes five coaches (excluding Friedgen, Taaffe and Blackney) who have been at it for 18 years or more, and the 206 years means an average of almost 21 years of experience per coach on the 2002 staff.

    One For The Record Books

  • Steve Suter's 77-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter of the North Carolina game was his fourth of the season, tying the NCAA record. He ties the single-season mark shared by eight other players:

    2002 -- Derek Abney (Kentucky)
    2000 -- Santana Moss (Miami, Fla.)
    1998 -- David Allen (Kansas State)
    1997 -- Quinton Spotwood (Syracuse)
    1997 -- Pinker Keck (Cincinnati)
    1987 -- James Henry (Southern Mississippi)
    1971 -- Cliff Branch (Colorado)
    1971 -- Golden Richards (Brigham Young)

    For more on Suter and his efforts at UNC, see pg. 7 of this release.

    Turtle Whacks -- UNC

  • Maryland's 59-7 win over North Carolina was its first in Chapel Hill since 1988. The Terps had lost seven in a row at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

  • It was also the first time Maryland had won back-to-back games in the series since winning two in a row in 1988 and 1989.

  • The 59 points for Maryland was the most the Terps had ever scored against the Tar Heels, besting the 45 they scored in a 45-7 win in 1999.

  • The 42-point margin of victory was the most lopsided win by either team in the history of the series, which began in 1920.

  • With its first-quarter touchdown, UNC became the first team to score on Maryland in the first quarter in six games as well as the first to take a lead on the Terps.

  • In the last two years, it has seemingly been a mistake for the Tar Heels to take a lead against the Terrapins. In 2001, UNC scored a TD on the game's first play only to have Maryland score the final 23 points. This year, the Heels scored on their opening drive only to see the Terps rattle off 59 unanswered points.

  • In the last two years, Maryland has outscored North Carolina, 82-14.

  • Senior Scooter Monroe had three catches for a career-high 167 receiving yards, marking the third consecutive week the Terps had a 100-yard receiver. That comes on the heels of the team going 57 consecutive games without a 100-yard receiver (prior to the Georgia Tech game) dating back to Jason Hatala's 129 yards versus Duke on Oct. 3, 1997.

  • The Terps' 588 yards of offense were an ACC season high, besting their own previous total set against Eastern Michigan earlier this year (567).

  • Maryland's six rushing touchdowns in the game tied the highest total in the ACC this season, matching the mark set by NC State against Texas Tech.

  • Maryland's 24-point second quarter and 21-point third quarter were its fifth and sixth quarter with 20 or more points this season. The Terps had only four quarters of 20 or more points last season.

    The Bottom Line

  • Though the Terrapins' yardage numbers on offense and defense continue to improve each week, none of their averages or national rankings would qualify as eye-popping. Where the team does impress, however, is where it matters most -- in scoring.

  • On offense, Maryland is averaging a robust 35.8 points per game, a total that ranks second in the ACC and 11th nationally.

  • The Terps have posted 322 points this season, the program's seventh most in a season and a total that comes with four games still remaining on the slate. The school record is 390 in a season, set last season.

  • On defense, the Terrapins are allowing just 14.4 points per game. That figure is tops in the conference (by almost four points) and eighth best nationally.

  • Only Oklahoma, the nation's No. 1 team, can claim an offense and defense that both rank in the nation's top 11 in scoring.

    Terps Tough On Average

  • In its win over West Virginia earlier this year, the Maryland defense held the nation's No. 1 rushing offense 159 yards below its season average of 345.5 yards per outing. Though the effort was impressive, it should have come as no surprise as it is a trend the Terps have maintained nearly all year.

  • In all but one game this year (Akron), the Terrapin defense has held its opposition at or below its season average. As a group, Terp opponents are averaging 66.8 yards less than their average coming into the game. (Note: Notre Dame was not included because it was the season's first game, however, the 130 yards Maryland held the Irish to is 29 yards shy of their current per-game average).

  • Last weekend, the Terps held UNC to 79 rushing yards, 23 below its season average.

  • The Terps' impressive work has not come against weak competition, either, as two of its most impressive outings have occurred against two of the nation's top rushing teams.

  • West Virginia averaged 345.5 rushing yards per game coming into its game against the Terps, had the nation's leading rusher in Avon Cobourne and was coming in on the heels of a game which saw it run for 536 yards. Maryland held WVU 159 yards below its average and Cobourne 36 yards below his average even with him carrying the ball 30 times and having a 43-yard run mixed in.

  • Florida State was the nation's No. 3 rushing offense coming into the Maryland game, averaging 318 yards per game largely behind Greg Jones, who was then the nation's eighth-leading rusher at 143 yards per game. The Terrapins held the 'Noles to 169 yards (149 below their average) and Jones to 106 (37 below his average), with Jones gaining most of his yardage late in the game (54 yards on 16 carries heading into the fourth quarter).

    More on the "D"

  • As mentioned previous, Gary Blackney's unit has allowed just 14.4 points per game this season, eighth-best nationally and tops in the ACC. In the last six games, the Terp defense has been particularly good, yielding just 9.5 points per outing.

  • In allowing an average of 338.9 yards per game, the Maryland defense now ranks second in the ACC in total defense.

  • The Terps have been toughest to score on this year at the start of each half, yielding just 23 and 20 points in the first and third quarters, respectively. That is an average of under three points per quarter.

  • In the last six games, Maryland has allowed just seven touchdowns. In fact, the Terrapins' 59 points against North Carolina were two more than what the defense has allowed in the last six outings -- combined.

  • The Terrapins have allowed the fewest first downs (157) of any team in the ACC.

    In The Zone

  • As a team, Maryland is the best in the ACC at getting it done in the red zone. On offense, the Terps rank second in the league in red zone efficiency while they rank first on the defensive side of the ball, a composite claim that no team in the league can claim to be better than.

  • On offense, the Terrapins have scored 89.7 percent of the time they have crossed the opponent's 20-yard line, an average which ranks behind only Georgia Tech's 92 percent.

  • On defense, Maryland has allowed its opposition points just 65.4 percent of the time once it enters the red zone, an average that ranks only behind NC State's 64 percent.

    Big Play E.J.

  • Senior All-American and 2002 Butkus Award semifinalist E.J. Henderson burst onto the national scene last season and -- despite an offseason of worries about his back -- has returned to the form that had him rated by many publications as the nation's best defensive player in 2002.

  • With four regular season games remaining, Henderson has come on and looks like the E.J. of old, a relief to the Terps considering he had back surgery on April 8 and missed all of spring practice.

  • With his sack against Wofford (9/28), Henderson set the Maryland career record for tackles for loss with his 46th. That total broke the mark of 45 set by former teammate Aaron Thompson (1998-2001). He now has 49.5 for his career.

  • The 2001 ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Henderson has led the Terrapins in tackles in each of the past two seasons and leads the Terps again in '02. In 2000, he notched 109 tackles despite missing a game-and-a-half due to injury before posting an ACC-leading 150 tackles last season. This year, Henderson tops the Terps' charts and is fourth in the ACC with 97 tackles.

  • Henderson has led Maryland in tackling in all but four games the last two years (17 of 21 games).

  • Nine games into the season, the '01 Butkus finalist has posted 395 career tackles. He currently stands sixth on the Maryland career charts and now needs 20 to move into the top five.

  • Henderson has averaged 12.6 tackles per game (302 total) in his last 24 games dating back to the 2000 season.

  • In his two-plus years as the starter at Maryland, Henderson has notched double-digits in tackles 22 times. Dating back to his sophomore season, Henderson has finished with double-digit tackle performances in 19 of the last 24 games. On five occasions he has had 17 tackles or more.

    Hard Luck For Perry

  • After missing each of the first seven games of this season recovering from a torn groin muscle suffered on August 20, 2001 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Bruce Perry returned to the starting lineup against Duke. Unfortunately, his return did not last long.

  • On the game's opening play, Perry burst through the line for 19 yards and was stopped by Duke's safety, the last line of defense from a 57-yard TD on the Terps' first offensive play. On the tackle, however, Perry was driven into the turf, suffering a sprain of the "SC" joint in his left shoulder. He did not return to the game.

  • After missing the North Carolina game, Perry's status for the NC State game remains undetermined as of November 4.

  • Perry entered the '02 season as the lone returning finalist from last year's Doak Walker Award. He ran for 1,242 yards as a sophomore last year, his first as the Terps' starter. In addition, he finished ninth in the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 156.2 yards per outing.

    Lean On Seniority

  • Despite the fact that this year will be the last for several big names on the Terrapin roster, the team is one that will not need to do a significant amount of replacing next year.

  • Though people will ask at season's end how the Terps will replace players like E.J. Henderson, Todd Wike and Brooks Barnard, a closer look shows that there will not be a lot of turnover between this season and next. Amazingly, this year's team features a total of only 11 seniors, with just seven figuring as starters on the latest depth chart.

  • The lack of seniority will be particularly helpful on defense next year when only three players who see significant playing time -- Henderson, Durrand Roundtree and Ty Stewart -- will be lost to graduation, leaving nine returning starters from opening day 2002.

    McBrien Heating Up

  • Junior signal caller Scott McBrien has come on the last six games and has had the Terrapin offense improving as his comfort level with the system continues.

  • Last week against UNC, McBrien did what he had to -- played efficient, mistake-free football. For the game, he finished 6-of-11 for 190 yards and a TD in three quarters of work while rushing twice for 16 yards.

  • Against Duke, McBrien had one of his best games as a collegian, completing 16-of-21 attempts for 264 yards with two TDs and one interception. McBrien posted career highs for completions (16), yardage (264) and completion percentage (.762) in the win while rushing for his third touchdown on the ground of the season.

  • Against his former school, West Virginia, McBrien led four scoring drives in the first quarter alone, the first of which he capped with a 21-yard option keeper that fooled the entire Mountaineer defense. All told, he finished the quarter 4-of-5 for 95 yards and one TD through the air while rushing three times for 21 yards and a TD on the ground.

  • In the last six weeks, McBrien has completed 66-of-107 passes (62 percent) for 1,242 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception.

  • McBrien's quarterback rating for the past six games has been 181.99. For the season, he has a 148.56 rating, 10th-best in the NCAA.

    Bootin' Barnard

  • Senior All-ACC punter and All-American hopeful Brooks Barnard thought his punting was not up to snuff in 2001. Despite those feelings, Barnard ranked seventh nationally and first in the ACC with a 44.6-yard punting average. As the 2002 season progresses, it appears that he may have been right as he has only gotten better and better.

  • Barnard opened the 2002 season kicking off of a bad left ankle (his plant foot) after one of his teammates was pushed into him at practice two days before the Notre Dame game. He has since begun to return to form and now ranks first in the ACC and 12th nationally with a 43.2-yard average.

  • Against UNC, Barnard averaged 34.7 yards per kick on three attempts but did exactly what the Terps needed. Of his three punts, two were inside the 20 (one inside the 10) and another traveled 51 yards.

  • On a wet turf in the Georgia Tech game, Barnard posted one of his best efforts of the season as he punted four times for a 49.5-yard average, including three punts over 50 yards and one which was downed inside the 10. Another punt was placed perfectly to be downed inside the five, but one of his teammates was unable to avoid sliding into the end zone after covering the loose ball.

  • Barnard kicked twice for a 56.5-yard average against Wofford with one kick sailing 60 yards and one landing inside the 20.

  • Against Florida State, Barnard averaged 47.5 yards on six punts with four kicks traveling over 50 yards and one going out of bounds inside the one-yard line.

  • Of Barnard's 33 punts this year, seven have been downed inside the 20 (three inside the 10) and 11 have traveled 50 yards or further.

  • Barnard has finished each of the last two seasons ranked in the top 10 in the nation. Last year, he finished seventh with a 44.6-yard average while the year before, he finished fourth with a school-record 44.7-yard average. After starting slow this season, he now ranks 12th in the NCAA.

  • As impressive as any of Barnard's punting stats may be the numbers he has posted in the weight room. In offseason testing, he benched 400 pounds, cleaned 286 and was timed at 4.65 in the 40-yard dash.

    Josh The Frosh

  • This season began with the likelihood of true freshman Josh Allen redshirting, but with an improved grasp of the offense showing in practice, Allen's talent made his playing in 2002 inevitable.

  • In last weekend's win over North Carolina, Allen showed his big-play ability again as he rushed six times for 91 yards (a 15.2-yards per carry average) and two touchdowns including a 60-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.

  • At West Virginia, Allen had the first 100-yard rushing day of his career, gaining 116 yards on 16 carries and adding a pair of touchdowns. He became the first Terp true freshman to rush for over 100 yards since QB Randall Jones ran for 115 against Duke on November 14, 1998. In five games of work, Allen has rushed 48 times for 286 yards, second-best on the team.

  • Allen is averaging 7.0 yards per carry this season and has scored eight TDs in the six games he has played.

    Living In Allen/Downs

  • In the past six games, Maryland has gotten a shot in the arm from the running of senior Chris Downs and freshman Josh Allen.

  • The duo has gotten better each week and has been outstanding since the Florida State game. Following the game with the Seminoles, Maryland averaged 94.0 yards per game, a total that ranked 100th nationally and last in the ACC. This week, the Terps average 194.0 yards per game which moves them to 30th nationally and third in the conference.

  • Since the Florida State game, the Terps have averaged 242 rushing yards per game and have had a back go over 100 yards four times.

    Nick the Kick

  • Nick Novak came on midway through last season to help shore up the Terrapins' kicking game and help Maryland -- with the aid of punter Brooks Barnard -- stake a claim to having one of the best kicking tandems in the country.

  • Starting with his game-tying kick at Georgia Tech a year ago, Novak has made 25 of his last 29 field goal attempts, with three of the misses coming from further than 50 yards.

  • In the West Virginia game, Novak showed a powerful leg, successfully hitting from 37 and 46 yards while driving 5-of-9 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

  • Novak has made five of eight for his career from 50 yards or further (and 4-of-5 this season).

  • Novak set the school record for PATs in a season in 2001 with his 41st at NC State and fell just one field goal shy of tying that single-season record (17 - Dan Plocki ('88), Jess Atkinson ('84).

  • The sophomore has made 70 straight PATs and 10 straight field goals of 50 yards or less (his lone miss in his last 12 came from 57 yards).

  • With 1.56 field goals per game, Novak now ranks second in the ACC and 11th nationally.

    Homeboys

  • In his first signing day with the Terps (2001), Ralph Friedgen said that in addition to landing some of the top recruits nationally, one of his goals was to make sure that all of the best players in the state of Maryland stayed in state and became Terps.

  • Over the course of the past five years, the Maryland-D.C.-Northern Virginia recruiting area has been tapped more successfully in each ensuing year. In 1997, just 23 players on the Maryland roster hailed from either Maryland, D.C. or Northern Virginia, with six of those serving as opening-game starters. Since that time, however, numbers in both categories have risen steadily. Below is a look at the trend: 
    Md./D.C./No. Va. '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02
Players on Roster 23 34 39 46 49 54
Opening-Day Starters 6 5 7 12 10 14

    Coaching Connections

  • Ralph Friedgen is not the only member of the Terrapin coaching staff with ties to College Park, though this is his fourth stint at Maryland (player from 1965-68; graduate assistant from 1969-72; offensive coordinator/offensive line coach from 1982-86 and the present stint).

  • Inside linebackers coach Rod Sharpless played linebacker at Maryland from 1972-74, was an outside linebackers coach from 1977-80 and a wide receivers coach for the Terps in '90 and '91. Defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo was a graduate assistant for the Terrapins in 1984 and defensive line coach in '86-87.

  • Sollazzo is also one of several coaches with a connection to another institution - The Citadel. Sollazzo played for (1974-76) and helped coach (1989-98) the Bulldogs, while Friedgen coached there from 1973-79, Charlie Taaffe was a head coach there from 1987-96 and outside linebackers coach Al Seamonson served there from 1987-99.

    Tough Losses

  • Maryland's four losses in the last two years have come at the hands of the stiffest of competition.

  • FSU was ranked 19th last year and fifth this year when the Terps took it on. Florida was the fifth-ranked team in the nation when it faced Maryland in the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame -- although unranked at the start of the season -- is currently ranked in the top 10 in both polls.

    Starks Manning the Trenches

  • Sophomore defensive tackle Randy Starks has continued his improvement after a strong true freshman campaign a year ago and now is shaping up as one of the better defensive linemen in the conference.

  • Against West Virginia, the 6-4, 302-pound tackle from Waldorf had probably his best game as a Terrapin, notching 12 tackles (nine solo) and three sacks (minus 15).

  • Through nine games this year, Starks has posted some eye-popping numbers for an interior defensive lineman. He is third on the team in tackles with 59, second in TFLs (7.0) and first in sacks (5.0).

  • Starks' tackle total is tops in the ACC among defensive tackles (fifth among defensive linemen overall) and his five sacks is tied for fifth on the league charts.

    Iron Terps

  • For the second consecutive season, Maryland boasted record strength numbers and again posted its highest number of student-athletes earning "Iron Terp" status. In preseason strength and conditioning testing this year, the Terrapins again set four team strength records.

  • This year's Terps set team records for strength index, power clean, squat and bench press, improving on the previous all-time team highs that had been established since such records have been kept (started in 1983).

  • Individually, six Terrapins set 11 records in disciplines at their respective positions, but the star in the weightroom was again DE Durrand Roundtree.

  • Roundtree, a senior from Baltimore, did not break his records of a year ago, but still posted amazing numbers. Among them: an 826 strength index (700 is considered high), a 490-pound bench, a 720-pound squat and a 35-inch vertical jump.

    Super Suter

  • This season, sophomore Steve Suter has brought an excitement to the return game the likes of which have never been seen in a Maryland uniform.

  • Suter had another record-breaking day last weekend, returning four punts for 92 yards against North Carolina. In the process, he returned his fourth of the year for a touchdown (77 yards), tying the current NCAA Division I-A record for punt return TDs in a season. (Note: Heading into the game, UNC had allowed an ACC-low 3.6 yards per return.)

  • In addition, the Carroll County native has now totaled 574 yards worth of punt returns, most ever in a single-season in ACC history. Against UNC, he surpassed the record of 515 set by Georgia Tech's Kelley Rhino last year (Rhino set the record on 48 attempts; Suter did so on 39).

  • Against Duke, Suter returned six punts for 104 yards including a 63-yarder for a touchdown. His TD was his third of the year, making him the only player in the 50-year history of the ACC to return more than two for a score.

  • As a team last season, Maryland had just one play (Bruce Perry's 80-yard TD vs. Wake Forest) of 80 yards or more. This year, Suter alone has already had three plays go further.

  • In the WVU game, Suter put the capper on a 28-point opening quarter for Maryland with an 80-yard punt return for a TD, his second of the year.

  • Suter has also shown that the spark he gives the Terps will not be limited to returns this year. Against Wofford, he caught his second touchdown of the season, a 10-yarder from Scott McBrien. In the second quarter of the Eastern Michigan game, Suter scored on a 91-yard strike from McBrien. The effort was the second-longest passing touchdown in Maryland history (longest was Ed Bolton (92 yards) vs. South Carolina in 1949).

  • Suter's first career TD was an 81-yard punt return which gave the Terps a 21-7 lead at the start of the second quarter against Akron. It was the first by a Terp since Lewis went 66 yards versus NC State in 1995.

  • Suter enters this week ranked 16th in the nation and tops in the ACC in punt returns (13.8 ypr).

    Newcomer Invasion

  • The Terrapins have had a significant number of newcomers contribute already this season, including several freshmen who have played significant roles.

  • Nine games in, a total of 23 players have seen action for the first time as Terps (four juniors, three sophomores, nine redshirt freshmen and eight true freshmen).

  • The eight true freshmen seeing action are three more than the Terps had play last year.

    Local Ties

  • The Terrapins have two players who call the state of North Carolina home as redshirt freshman OG Russell Bonham is from Winston-Salem (Carver HS) and true frosh William Kershaw is from Raeford (Hoke County HS).

  • Maryland offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe was a graduate assistant at NC State in 1975 and defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo coached at Guilford College in 1988. In addition, Terp inside linebackers coach Rod Sharpless is a native of Jacksonville, N.C.

  • The Wolfpack have three players who call the Old Line State home. In alphabetical order: OL Brian Archis (Bel Air), OL Antoine Colvin (Baltimore) and DE Drew Wimsatt (Damascus).

  • NC State running backs coach Dick Portee was an assistant coach at Maryland from 1982-89.

    Grid & Hardwood Harmony

  • Last year marked the first time in University of Maryland history that the school's football and basketball teams were both ranked in the nation's top six during the same week.

  • The Terrapins, ranked at No. 6 heading into the Orange Bowl, were joined by the basketball Terps who -- at the same time -- had been ranked second nationally. In the end, the basketball Terrapins went on to claim the national title while its football brethren were ACC champs.

  • This week, the football Terps are ranked 25th nationally while the Maryland hoopsters are ranked 15th in the preseason.

    Scouting The Wolfpack

  • Despite its loss last weekend, NC State is in the midst of a record-breaking season. At 9-1 (4-1 ACC), this year's team is seeking to be the first in school history to have won 10 games.

  • With a 9-0 start, the Pack improved on their previous best start in school history was 8-0 in 1967, a season in which current coach Chuck Amato was a senior linebacker.

  • NC State's nine wins have come against opponents with a combined 36-48 record.

  • NC State has the statistics to back up its strong record this season. The Wolfpack are seventh nationally in scoring offense at 38.5 points per game and second in the ACC in total offense with an average of 406.8 yards per game.

  • What may surprise some people is the success the NCSU defense has had this year. NC State leads the ACC in total defense (307.0 ypg allowed) and 19th nationally while their scoring defense ranks 18th in the NCAA at 18.7 ppg.

  • The Wolfpack have two of the most high-profile players in the ACC in QB Philip Rivers and TB T.A. McClendon. Rivers is third in the NCAA in pass efficiency and the ACC's leading active player in total offense and passing average. McClendon is a true freshman who is second in the ACC in rushing at 95.8 yards per game and the league's leading scorer with 15 TDs.

    NCSU's Chuck Amato

  • In his third season in Raleigh, Chuck Amato has NC State undefeated and seeking its first ACC title since 1979. Amato is 24-10 in his first stint as a head coach and has led the Wolfpack to bowl berths in each of his first two seasons at the helm.

  • Amato's 24 wins are already the fourth-most of any third-year coach in ACC history.

  • Amato arrived at NC State after spending 18 seasons at Florida State under Bobby Bowden. While at FSU, Amato directed the Seminole defensive line for 14 seasons before becoming the linebackers coach for four years.

  • Amato began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Easton High School in Easton, Pa. Since that time, Amato has spent time at three schools including a nine-year stint at NC State where he worked his way from being a graduate assistant from 1971-72 to eventually becoming the Pack's defensive coordinator from 1976-79. After State, Amato spent two seasons at Arizona before his 18-year tenure in Tallahassee.

  • A 1969 graduate of NC State, Amato was both football player and wrestler in college. Amato played linebacker for the Wolfpack and won two ACC titles in two different weight classes as a grappler.

    Byrd Stadium

  • Now in its 53rd year of operation, Byrd Stadium continues to serve as the home of the Terps. Opened on September 30, 1950, and constructed for a sum of $1 million, Byrd was named after Dr. H.C. "Curley" Byrd, a multi-sport star at Maryland who later became the school's head football coach and ultimately its president.

  • Heading into the Georgia Tech game, the Terrapins are 166-100-1 within the friendly confines of Byrd (normal capacity 48,055).

  • With temporary bleachers installed for the remainder of this season, Byrd Stadium can hold up to 50,861.

  • Last season, Maryland went 7-0 at Byrd, notching the best record at home in any season in school history.

    Terp Alley

  • In an effort to restore some tradition on gameday in College Park, the football staff created Terp Alley last year, a tradition that has become a part of the gameday experience outside of Byrd Stadium.

  • For every football home game, the entire football team makes its first appearance of the day at "Terp Alley." The team is dropped off at the circle at the top of Field House Drive (between the football press box and Ludwig Field) approximately two hours before kickoff and is led past fans gathered along the street to the football complex by the Maryland band and cheerleaders.

    New-Look Terps ... Again

  • The Terrapins of 2001 had a new head coach, a new look to their uniform and helmet and in the end, a whole new way of playing football compared to recent years. Though the hope is that the brand of football will remain the same under the coach who is back for year two, the Terrapins' uniforms are seeing a change -- again.

  • This year, the Terps' helmets remain the same as a year ago but the uniforms are a new look designed for Maryland by Nike. The uniforms were created with the past in mind even though the look is modern; the stripes on the shoulders are reminiscent of Terp uniforms of the '50s and '60s.

    The Graduates

  • Maryland has four players who earned their bachelor's degree before they even set foot on the field this season.

  • Linebacker E.J. Henderson and offensive linemen Todd Wike and Matt Crawford all earned their degrees and are working toward additional degrees. All three earned their degrees this past spring, with Henderson and Crawford receiving bachelor's in criminology and criminal justice while Wike earned his degree in philosophy.

  • Finally, after applying to graduate next spring and not knowing he already had enough credits, offensive lineman Ed Tyler learned last week that he has earned his degree in economics -- after just three years at Maryland.

  • From the membership has its benefits file: Ralph Friedgen lets players line up to eat by grade point average and after questioning Henderson for heading up to the front of the line last week, that line is now led by Terrapin graduates. (Henderson had responded that he thought graduation was the pinnacle anyway so "shouldn't (he) be allowed to go first?").

    Building For The Future

  • When the Terrapins take the field at Byrd Stadium this year, there will be many changes to the stadium that has been home to the Terps since 1950. Some will be apparent as soon as one sets foot in the stadium and others would only be noticeable to the men who wear the Maryland colors on game day.

  • The most glaring change at Byrd Stadium rests above Gossett Team House in the form of a brand new, state-of-the-art video scoreboard. The new board features a high-resolution screen that is 21-feet tall by 28-feet wide and is capable of displaying in excess of 281 trillion colors.

  • In addition to the bright visible new video board, it may go overlooked by some that expansion has taken place on the building below it, the Gossett Football Team House. Thus far, the coaches' offices have been refurbished as have meeting rooms and the equipment room.

  • Other phases that await completion will include the addition of a new academics support and career development unit; a new multi-purpose room that will feature a kitchen and dining facilities; a new team meeting auditorium; and an expanded entrance and lobby area.

    Ticket Information

  • Individual game tickets for Terp home games may be purchased locally at any Ticketmaster outlet or by visiting the Maryland ticket office at Comcast Center. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.

  • For additional info or to order by phone, call (800) 462-TERP.

    2001: A Look Back

  • The 2001 season was an amazing one for the Maryland football team. It was a season that saw the Terps catch the eye of the ACC before drawing the attention of the nation. The following are some of the more notable accomplishments of the 2001 team and their efforts to return Maryland to national prominence.

  • The '01 Terrapins gave the school its first Atlantic Coast Conference title since 1985. The team won 10 games, marking the first time since 1976 that a Terp squad had hit that mark.

  • Maryland's' seven ACC wins were the most in school history. The seven wins matched the combined total of the previous four Maryland teams and bettered the mark of four other teams (1974, 1983, 1984, 1985) that won six ACC games.

  • In securing sole possession of the league title, Maryland became the first team other than Florida State to win the ACC outright since the Seminoles joined the conference in 1992 (the Seminoles had either owned or shared the crown every year from 1992-2000).

  • Last year's team was the first in school history to win seven games at home as the Terps went a perfect 7-0 at Byrd. Under Ralph Friedgen, Maryland is now 11-1 at home.
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