Football Game Notes -- Terps Host Eastern Michigan
9/16/2002 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Terps vs. EMU Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Game
- The University of Maryland football team looks to get back on track as it plays host to its second Mid-American Conference foe in the last three weeks in the form of Eastern Michigan University. Saturday's contest at Byrd Stadium will kick off at 6:08 p.m. and will be televised locally on a pay-per-view basis by Comcast SportsNet while being broadcast on the Terrapin Radio Network (radio pre-game starts at 5:30 p.m.).
- The Terrapins lost their first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the young season last week, falling 37-10 to the fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles in front of 51,758 fans, the sixth-largest crowd in Byrd Stadium history.
- The loss moved the Terps to 1-2 overall (0-1 ACC) while ending an eight-game home winning streak, the team's longest since 1974-75.
- Eastern Michigan heads to College Park with a 1-2 record (0-1 MAC) after defeating SE Missoiri State, 35-32, last weekend.
- This week's game is the third installment of a four-game home stand for the Terrapins. The four-game stretch marks the first time since 1983 -- and just the third time since 1915 -- that Maryland will have played that many consecutive games at Byrd Stadium. The five games to open the season without a true road date (four home games plus the neutral game vs. Notre Dame) is unprecedented in school history.
Series Notes
- This weekend's contest marks the second meeting between the Terrapins and Eagles. The two schools first met last season in week two.
- Maryland put together a complete performance in last season's game, showing off a potent offense and stifling defense in a 50-3 victory.
- On offense, the Terrapins rushed for 280 yards, put up 476 all together and posted 41 points before EMU got on the board. Bruce Perry rushed for 133 yards on 16 carries while scoring touchdowns in each of the first three quarters.
- The defense limited Eastern Michigan to just 124 yards in offense - fewest by a Maryland opponent since 1980 - in helping Ralph Friedgen become the first coach since Jim Tatum in 1947 to win his first two games at Maryland.
Big Play E.J.
- Senior All-American and 2001 Butkus Award finalist E.J. Henderson burst onto the national scene last season and -- despite an offseason of worries about his back -- has not missed a beat at the start of his final season in College Park.
- Three games into this season, Henderson 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. Henderson had 11 tackles (nine solo) against Florida State, the second time in three games this year he has been in double digits for tackles.
- 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 led the way with 109 tackles despite missing a game-and-a-half due to injury before posting a spectacular ACC-leading 150 tackles last season. This year, Henderson tops the Terps' charts with 32 tackles.
- Henderson has led Maryland in tackling in all but three games the last two years.
- Three games into the season, Henderson has posted 330 career tackles. He needs 18 tackles to move into the Maryland career top 10 and currently stands tied for 12th.
- With 28 TFLs last season, Henderson posted the best single season in modern Maryland history. His four tackles behind the line against Clemson broke the record of 24 set by the legendary Randy White in 1974, the first season the stat began being kept at Maryland.
- With one more tackle behind the line of scrimmage, Henderson will surpass the Maryland career TFL record of 45 set by Aaron Thompson (1998-2001). He tied Thompson's mark with his tackle for loss against Akron.
- Henderson has averaged 13.2 tackles per game (237 total) in his last 18 games dating back to the 2000 season.
- In his two-plus years as the starter at Maryland, Henderson has notched double-digits in tackles 18 times (11 times in the last 14 games).
- Dating back to his sophomore season, Henderson has finished with double-digit tackle performances in 15 of the last 18 games. On five occasions he had 17 tackles or more.
- Henderson's single-game high in tackles (20) came in the ACC-clinching win at NC State last year.
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.
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 this year's staff.
Perry A Possibility
- Less than 10 days before their opener against Notre Dame, the Terps learned that they would be without their top returning offensive player from a year ago, junior tailback and 2001 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Bruce Perry. Perry has missed the season's first three games, but is a possibility to return to action this week against Eastern Michigan.
- On Tuesday, August 20, Perry suffered a third-degree tear of his left groin (adductor longus) muscle. The injury took place during warmups prior to a scrimmage as Perry's foot was stepped on by an offensive lineman and as he made an effort to pull his leg free, he felt a "pop."
- No surgery was necessary and the initial timetable for Perry's recovery was anticipated to be 4-8 weeks from the time of his injury. Should he return this week, he will have been out the best-case scenario of four weeks.
- Perry entered this 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.
No More Secrets
- When last year began, the Terps' lone mention on any "watch lists" for national awards was punter Brooks Barnard. By season's end, the team had Barnard as a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, E.J. Henderson as a finalist for the Butkus Award, Bruce Perry a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and Melvin Fowler a finalist for the Rimington Trophy.
- This season, those who vote are not taking any chances as Barnard is again on the Guy list, Henderson is the only returnee among Butkus finalists, Perry is the lone returnee among Doak Walker finalists and offensive lineman Todd Wike is on the watch list for the Outland and Lombardi trophies. In addition, Henderson enters the season as one of the nation's favorites for the Nagurski Award and is on the Walter Camp Player of the Year "watch list."
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.
Odds & Ends -- Florida State
- Though the 169 rushing yards allowed by Maryland to Florida State was far from record-setting, it may have been impressive nonetheless as that total was 149 yards below its average coming in. Entering the game, the Noles owned the nation's third-best rushing attack at 318 yards per game.
- Maryland had what would have been its first touchdown of the evening - a 61-yard run by senior Chris Downs early in the second quarter - called back due to a penalty (chop block). The TD would have cut the Seminole lead to seven points at 13-6.
- Chris Downs had a solid night in his second career start. He finished with a team-high 50 yards on 12 carries, caught a career-high five passes for 33 yards, added a touchdown and would have had another for 61 yards rushing had a penalty not negated it.
- Leon Joe had a solid outing in his second game of the season, recording a game-high 12 tackles (10 solo), to tie his career best set against Clemson in 2000.
- Brooks Barnard continued to show signs that he is getting over the injured ankle that plagued him early this season. Against FSU, the senior punted six times for a 47.5-yard average including four punts of over 50 yards and one which was downed inside the one-yard line.
- E.J. Henderson notched 11 tackles (nine solo), marking the 18th time in his career he has reached double figures in total stops.
- Florida State's 30-0 halftime lead was largely due to Maryland mistakes. A total of 21 Seminole points came off of Terrapin turnovers and another three points came after a blocked field goal attempt by Nick Novak.
- Saturday's attendance of 51,758 was the sixth-largest crowd in Maryland history. In Ralph Friedgen's tenure at Maryland, the Terps have seen two of the top six crowds in school history (last year's Clemson crowd of 52,462 was the fourth-largest crowd ever at Byrd) and two of Maryland's last three crowds dating back to last season have been over 50,000.
Bootin' Barnard
- Senior All-ACC punter and Ray Guy Award hopeful Brooks Barnard thought his punting was not up to snuff in 2001. So bad, it was, that Barnard ranked seventh nationally and first in the ACC with a 44.6 yard punting average. For the sake of the 2002 season, Terp fans can only hope he was right.
- 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 began to return to form and now stands first in the ACC with a 42.0 average.
- Against Florida State, Barnard had his best outing of the season, averaging 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 14 punts this year, two have been downed inside the 20 (two inside the 20 and one inside the 10) and four have been 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.
- In addition to his gross punting average, Barnard has also helped the Terps' punt cover teams excel as he had a 40.4 net punting average, fourth-best in the nation and tops in the ACC a season ago.
- 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.
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 15 of his last 18 field goal attempts with two of the misses coming from further than 50 yards and three of his successful attempts being longer than 50.
- 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).
- Novak finished the regular season 15th nationally with 1.5 field goals per game.
- The sophomore has made 37 straight PATs. His 25-yard field goal miss against Akron earlier this year broke a streak of 12 straight successful kicks under 50 yards.
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.
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 it is led past fans gathered along the street to the football complex by the Maryland band and cheerleaders.
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
- Three games into the season, one thing has become apparent in regard to Maryland's special teams -- sophomore Steve Suter is going to have a major impact this season.
- Suter has handled both kickoff and punt returns this year and has given the Terps' special teams a spark.
- Against Notre Dame, Suter tried to give Maryland a spark as he returned the first ball he touched 51 yards. Against Akron a week later, he returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown, giving the Terps a 21-7 lead at the start of the second quarter.
- The punt return for a touchdown was the first by a Terrapin since Jermaine Lewis went 66 yards versus NC State in 1995.
- Suter enters this week ranked 24th nationally in kickoff returns (25.5 ypr) and 30th in punt returns (13.5 ypr). Those totals rank him first and second, respectively, in the ACC.
Newcomer Invasion
- The Terrapins have had a significant number of newcomers contribute already this season, including several freshmen who have played significant roles.
- Three games in, a total of 18 players have seen action for the first time as Terps (three juniors, two sophomores, eight redshirt freshmen and five true freshmen).
Local Ties
- No Terrapin coaches or players call the state of Michigan home.
- Eastern Michigan does not have any players from the state of Maryland, however, there are several Maryland ties.
- Offensive line coach Jim Bridge coached under Gary Blackney at Bowling Green State, while serving one year under Charlie Taaffe and four years alongside Al Seamonson at The Citadel.
- Running backs coach Al Lavan spent four years in the same capacity with the Baltimore Ravens while director of football operations Bruce Gregory graduated from Western Maryland College and was a wide receivers coach under Blackney at Bowling Green.
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. As everyone knows at this point, the basketball Terrapins went on to claim the national title while the football Terps were ACC champs.
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 them on. Florida was the fifth-ranked team in the nation when they faced Maryland in the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame -- although unranked at the start of the season -- is now undefeated and ranked 12th in both polls.
Scouting The Eagles
- Eastern Michigan enters this weekend's contest with a 1-2 record (0-1 MAC), after earning its first win of the season last week in a 35-32 triumph over SE Missouri State at home.
- The Eagles got their first win of the season with a last-minute touchdown against SEMO. EMU marched 89 yards and scored on a 16-yard pass from Troy Edwards to Kevin Walter to seal the win with :55 remaining.
- For the season, the Eagles have had their difficulties on both sides of the ball. Three games in, EMU has been outscored by an average of 51-18, allowing an average of 537 yards per game while gaining 336.
- One of the bright spots for Eastern Michigan has been wideout Kevin Walter. Walter -- who caught the game winner against SEMO -- has posted an impressive 28 receptions for 245 yards while his efforts last weekend gave him 146 receptions for his career, most in school history.
- Defensively, the Eagles have been led this year by junior linebacker David Lusky who has posted 29 tackles and three TFLs in three games. Overall, the defense has forced one turnover and posted two sacks this season.
Coach Jeff Woodruff
- Jeff Woodruff is in his third year as the head coach at Eastern Michigan. In this, his first head coaching job at the collegiate level, Woodruff has posted an overall record of 6-19.
- Woodruff came to Ypsilanti after spending two seasons as the running backs coach at Arizona, but that is not where he gained his most notoriety. From 1984-94, Woodruff coached at the University of Washington where he went from a QB coach ('84-91) to offensive coordinator ('92-94).
- While a coordinator in Seattle, Woodruff helped lead Don James' Huskies to the 1992 Rose Bowl and was part of the 1991 team that won in Pasadena and was ultimately crowned national champions.
- A native of Ravenna, Ohio, the 45-year old Woodruff is a 1979 graduate of Kent State where he was named his football team's top scholar-athlete as a senior.
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.
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.
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 EMU game, the Terrapins are 163-100-1 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.
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 them on. Florida was the fifth-ranked team in the nation when they faced Maryland in the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame -- although unranked at the start of the season -- is now undefeated and ranked 12th in both polls.
The Graduates
- Maryland has three 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 getting bachelor's in criminology and criminal justice while Wike earned his degree in philosophy.
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 a season.
- 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.
