Nov. 9, 2002

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* The University of Maryland football team improved to 8-2 overall and 4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with this afternoon's 24-21 win over NC State. The Wolfpack fall to 9-2 (4-2 ACC). Maryland has now won seven straight games.

* With the win, the Terps claimed their third straight victory in the series (their longest streak since 1983-85) and evened the all-time series at 27-27-4.

* Today's win over #13 NC State marks Maryland's victory over the highest-ranked opponent since a 35-30 win at No. 8 Virginia, Nov. 17, 1990, a span of 132 games.

* Nick Novak's game-winning field goal of 26 yards with 34 seconds remaining in the game to propel the Terps to victory marks the first time they have had a game decided by three points or less since last season's Georgia Tech contest when Novak also made a 26-yarder to lift the Terps to a 20-17 win in overtime. This season, Novak is now 15-for-18 (83.3 percent) on field goal attempts.

* The Terps trailed by as many as 14 points before coming back to claim victory today. It marked the first time since Nov. 4, 2000 against NC State that the Terps came back from a deficit of 14 points or larger. The Terps trailed 21-6 at halftime before coming back to win 35-28 in double overtime on a Shaun Hill one-yard run.

* Steve Suter's 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter was the first rushing TD of his career and Maryland's 12th touchdown this season of 60 yards or longer and the sixth by Suter alone.

* TB Bruce Perry scored his first touchdown of the season with 2:47 left in the third quarter. The nine-yard run was actually his first TD since Nov. 3, 2001, and marked the first time this season that the 2001 ACC Offensive Player of the Year has been able to contribute (injuries had limited the junior to one carry for 19 yards coming into today's game).

* The 21 points allowed was the most for the Terps since Florida State scored 37 in their 37-10 win on Sept. 14, 2002. It is the most points allowed by the Terps in a win since Virginia scored 21 points last season in Maryland's 41-21 victory at Byrd on Oct. 6, 2001 The Terps had allowed an average of 14.4 points per game coming into today's contest, eighth-best in the NCAA.

* Ray Custis's interception to seal the Terps' victory was the first of his career. Andrew Smith has recorded two sacks in the last two games after not tallying one in his first three seasons.

* Today's attendance was 52,915, the fourth-largest in Byrd Stadium history. In five home games this season, Maryland has averaged 47,450 fans per contest.