Football Game Notes -- Terps at Wake

Nov. 24, 2003

Toyota Gator Bowl Ticket Application

The Game

The University of Maryland football team hits the road for the final game of its 2003 regular seasonin an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup against Wake Forest University. Kickoff from Winston-Salem is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST with the game being televised nationally by ESPN and broadcast locally on the Terrapin Radio Network. Radio pregame on WMAL (630 AM in D.C.) and WBAL (1090 AM in Baltimore) starts at 3:00 p.m.

Unlike a year ago, when the Terps went into its game against Wake Forest with its bowl fate still undecided, Maryland will head into this weekend's action with the knowledge that it is the first invitee to this year's Toyota Gator Bowl. The Terrapins learned of the decision by the Jacksonville-based bowl on Monday and now awaits word on the identity of its Big East opponent.

In their last outing, the Terrapins (8-3, 5-2 ACC) took sole possession of second place in the ACC in their best win of the year and arguably the most exciting victory of Ralph Friedgen's tenure. Maryland rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter on Senior Night in Raleigh, handing NC State a 26-24 defeat on an emotional night that saw the school retire Philip Rivers' jersey.

Wake Forest was idle last week after falling to upstart Connecticut, 51-17 the week before. After starting the season 3-1 with wins over Boston College and NC State, the Demon Deacons have now lost five of their last seven games.

The Terrapins' win last weekend had an effect on the voters in the national polls, but with the majority of teams at the bottom of the polls winning, Maryland was still unable to make its way back into the Top 25. Maryland received 80 votes in the latest Associated Press poll while it picked up 61 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, unofficially ranking 28th in both polls.

Insta-Gators

Maryland's thrilling come-from-behind win over NC State last weekend helped propel the team to a season in which it would finish no worse than tied for second in the conference and, ultimately, insured it of a berth in this year's Toyota Gator Bowl.

This year's trip to Jacksonville will be the fourth in school history for Maryland and its first since 1975. The Terrapins are 2-0-1 in three previous trips to the bowl with wins over Missouri (20-7 in 1950) and Florida (13-0 in 1975) and a 20-20 tie with Georgia (1948).

The Gator Bowl served as the site of the school's first- and second-ever bowl appearances. The first was the 20-20 tie with Georgia on Jan. 1, 1948 and the second was the 20-7 win over Mizzou on Jan. 2, 1950.

On the heels of last year's Peach Bowl win, Maryland will head into this year's bowl game with an all-time postseason record of 7-10-2.

Series Notes -- Terps & Demon Deacons

Saturday's game marks the 52nd meeting between the Terrapins and Demon Deacons. Maryland leads the all-time series -- which began in 1917 -- by a 37-13-1 margin.

Maryland and Wake Forest have met every year since 1971. That '71 season marked what can be considered the end of a good run in the series for Wake. At the end of the '71 season, the ledger between the two schools was 12-7-1 in Maryland's favor. Since that time, the Terps own a 25-6 record against the Demon Deacons and have won nine of the last 12 meetings.

With a win this year, the Terrapins would run their current win streak in the series to five games, their longest since running off six straight between 1980 and 1985.

Last season's contest saw Maryland looking to secure its 10th win of the season and in search of its second-straight bowl appearance. At the end of the eventual 32-14 win, a victory sealed by a 24-point second quarter, the Terrapins were offered and accepted an invitation to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in front of the home crowd at Byrd Stadium.

In their last trip to Winston-Salem, Maryland won a nailbiter, 27-20. In the win, Bruce Perry had touchdown runs of 80 and 50 yards en route to 276 yards, the best rushing performance ever posted against the Demon Deacons and the second-best in Maryland history.

In 17 of the last 23 meetings between the two schools, the winner has scored at least 26 points and averaged 29.5 points.

The date of this year's game -- November 29th -- is the second-latest meeting between the two schools in the 86-year history of the series. Last year's November 30th matchup was the latest.

Quick Hits

With tailback T.A. McLendon's one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of last week's game, NC State became the first team this season to light the scoreboard first against Maryland. The Terps had been the first team to score in each of the previous 10 games of 2003.

Nick Novak's 43-yard game-winning field goal at NC State was notable in many ways. First, it gave the junior 310th point of his career, a total that makes him the all-time leading scorer in Maryland history, surpassing the 308 career points by fellow kicker Jess Atkinson (1981-84). In addition, it made him perfect on game-winning kicks for his career overall (3-of-3) and against NC State (2-of-2).

The Terrapins have held six of 10 opponents off of the scoreboard in the first quarter this season.

In Ralph Friedgen's two-plus seasons, Maryland is 26-0 when leading at halftime. With the win over the Wolfpack, he also moved to 3-7 all-time in games when his team has gone into the half trailing with all three wins coming against NC State.

With six receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown, sophomore Jo Jo Walker not only set a career-high for receptions, but he also -- surprisingly -- set the Terrapin single-game season high for receptions.

The Terrapins became the first team this season to hold standout quarterback Philip Rivers without a touchdown pass. In addition, Maryland -- in Rivers' final home game and on a night the school retired his jersey -- held the senior to his lowest completion total (16) and completion percentage (.533) this season.

Maryland is the only Atlantic Coast Conference school that Rivers never beat in his collegiate career.

Maryland's home attendance average this season was 51,236. Though the Terps' attendance this season ranks just 40th nationally in terms of raw numbers, but as a percentage of capacity, Byrd Stadium has been the third-best in the nation as it has exceeded its seating capacity (106.6 percent filled this year).

Tenured at the Top

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 third season as a head coach, Taaffe (Montreal Alouettes and The Citadel) and Blackney (Bowling Green) each bring significant head coaching experience to the table.

Taaffe and Blackney were able to maintain success virtually everywhere they went 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 was 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 (55-47-1).

Blackney was able to achieve success in his own right as a head coach at Bowling Green. In 10 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 third seasons at Maryland, the three coaches comprise one of the most experienced triumvirates in college football. With their 88 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.

Friedgen's ACCeptional Start

Ralph Friedgen has opened his career as a head coach by setting one coaching record after another and as his third season in College Park winds down, he has once again moved himself to the top of the record books.

Last year, Friedgen became the winningest second-year head coach in ACC history with his 21-5 record, surpassing Clemson's Ken Hatfield by two wins. With one game left in the 2003 regular season, Friedgen has positioned himself at the top of the list of third-year coaches in the conference.

Should the Terrapins win this weekend, Friedgen would become the only coach in ACC history to win 30 games in his first three years on the job.

With the Terps' win against UNC, Friedgen -- now 29-8 -- set a new record for wins by a third-year coach in the ACC, besting the win totals of Lou Holtz (26-8-2, NC State, 1972-74) and Danny Ford (26-9-0, Clemson, 1979-81).

With his team's win against Duke, Friedgen broke Bobby Ross' record of 25 wins from 1982-84, the Maryland standard for wins in three seasons.

A Wealth of Experience

The coaching experience on the Terrapin staff does not end with Coach Friedgen and his coordinators. The Maryland staff, overall, possesses a combined total of 187 years of full-time experience at either the collegiate or pro levels.

That total includes four coaches (excluding Friedgen, Taaffe and Blackney) who have been at it for 17 years or more, and the 187 years means an average of almost 19 years of experience per coach on the 2003 staff.

Coaching Connections

Ralph Friedgen is not the only member of the Terrapin coaching staff with previous 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).

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 school -- 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.

Friedgen was actually Sollazzo's position coach at The Citadel. In addition, the head coach at the college at the time was former Terp mentor Bobby Ross (Bulldog head coach from 1973-77; Terps from '82-86).

These are the Days

With its win over NC State, Maryland has 29 victories over its last three seasons - all since Ralph Friedgen took over in 2001. That three-year win total is the best in school history. Maryland will go for its 30th win in three years this Saturday vs. Wake Forest.

Maryland previously won 28 games in a three year span on three occasions: 1974-76 when they went 28-7-1; 1975-77 when they also went 28-7-1 and 1976-78 when they posted a 28-8 mark.

With a win over Wake Forest on Saturday, Maryland would secure its 12th nine-win season in school history, dating to 1892. It would also give the Terps nine wins or more in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.

Maryland equaled a school record set in 1976 with 11 wins last season. It posted 10 wins in 1951, 53, 55 and Friedgen's first year in 2001. Nine-win seasons have come in 1949, 75, 78, 84 and 85.

With a win over Wake and a win in the Toyota Gator Bowl, Maryland would have its seventh double-digit season win total in program history.

Just Like A Tortoise

Starting 1-2 is never ideal, especially for a team whose expectations were as high as Maryland's coming into 2003. But after winning eight of its last nine games coupled with the team's run at the end of last season, maybe it isn't such a bad way to start a campaign.

Last year, the Terps opened 1-2 and then went on to win 10 of their last 11 games, running off eight in a row at one point before dominating Tennessee, 30-3, in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

After a 1-2 start this season, Maryland is now 8-3 and headed to a third bowl game in as many years. Though interesting, it may not be irony that the team has again come back from the depths of a slow start.

Since 1980, Maryland has started a season 1-2 (or worse) 10 times. Ralph Friedgen has been a coach on four of those 10 teams (1982 & '84; 2002-03). The four teams Friedgen has been involved with have a composite record of 36-13 (.735) while the other six are a combined 17-47-1 (.269).

Idle Chatter

Maryland's second and final bye week of the '03 season came three weeks ago. Seeing an open week, however, is something the Terps have been accustomed to seeing this season -- on their opponent's schedule.

For the season, five of Maryland's 12 opponents get or have gotten their bye weeks right before taking on the Terps. This week's game at Wake Forest marks the last of the five.

McNificent

Quarterback Scott McBrien has been, at worst, a consistent force for the Terps this year, but since Maryland's win over UNC, the senior has been outstanding.

Three weeks after suffering a concussion that had him miss the second half of the Georgia Tech game as well as two practices leading into the Carolina game, McBrien's game has been at its best of late.

For the season, McBrien has a 133.9 efficiency rating, throwing for 2,093 yards on 140-of-259 passing while tossing 13 TDs to go along with six interceptions, fewest by a starter in the ACC.

Since overcoming the concussion, McBrien's numbers have been outstanding. In those three games, all wins, he was 46-of-83 (55%) for 783 yards, seven touchdowns, one interceptions and 57 yards rushing with three TDs.

The 12th-rated passer in Division I-A last year, McBrien has posted his best efforts of 2003 since game two. In the last nine games, he has completed 122-of-213 passes for 1,922 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. In that time, his QB rating has been 149.5.

McBrien is now 19-6 as a starter at Maryland.

In just two seasons of work at Maryland, McBrien will leave the school with the third-most touchdown passes in school history. With his TD passes against NC State, McBrien took sole possession of third, surpassing Neil O'Donnell (1987-89) with 26.

This year's UNC game was the finest of McBrien's career as he completed 15-of-25 passes for a career-high 349 yards, four touchdowns (also a career high) and no interceptions. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns, tying his career best. Impressively, the huge numbers came in just three quarters of work.

For the second-straight season, McBrien threw for three touchdowns against Clemson. It was the first time he had done so in 2003.

Against Eastern Michigan, McBrien threw for a season-high 252 yards and a TD on 14-of-19 passing while completing 8-of-9 passes in the second half to rally the Terps.

Mr. Versatility

After making his mark by tying the NCAA record for punt returns for a touchdown in a season last year and setting the career record for punt return yardage this year, some pundits view junior Steve Suter primarily as a returns specialist. As time has gone on, however, Suter's touches have come in returns, receiving and rushing, giving the Terps a breakaway threat from all angles.

Now in his second year as a regular at wide receiver and on special teams, Suter has brought an explosiveness unparalleled at Maryland the last few years. In that time, he has averaged 15.2 yards per touch whether it be rushing, receiving or in the returns game.

Against UNC, Suter tied for the team lead with a career-high tying four receptions for 72 yards (he had a diving grab called back that would have put him over the century mark) and nearly had his first kick return for a TD this year with a 67-yarder. He also made a diving catch to give the Terps a two-point conversion that tied the game at 14 early in the second quarter.

A year after tying the NCAA record for punt returns for a touchdown in a season (4), Suter notched his first of 2003 by breaking tackles and then bursting free for a 75-yard jaunt against The Citadel.

Suter also owns the Maryland career record for punt returns for a touchdown with five.

At Eastern Michigan, he posted a game-high four receptions for 84 yards, including a 45-yarder before halftime that set up a Nick Novak field goal.

With 42 punt return yards against West Virginia, Suter became Maryland's all-time leader in punt return yardage with 922. He enters the UVa game with 989.

Action Jackson

In his first season as a starter at middle linebacker, sophomore D'Qwell Jackson looks more like his predecessor E.J. Henderson than a first-time starter.

Jackson currently leads the team and is tied for seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference with an average of 10.5 tackles per outing (115 total).

In addition to his tackle totals, Jackson has posted 7.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, one interception (returned for a touchdown), two pass breakups, 10 QB hurries, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.

Jackson has led the Terrapins in tackles in seven of 11 games this year. He has also had eight games with double-digit tackles (nine career).

Jackson recently fell behind the pace to break the record for tackles by a sophomore at Maryland, but it is still not completely out of reach. The current record holder is Ratcliff Thomas who notched 137 in 1994.

In his first return to his home state as a collegian, Jackson was easily the Terps' player of the game against Florida State. He finished with 11 tackles (five solo) and a forced fumble, but big plays were what helped him make his mark. On FSU's first offensive play, he stepped in front of Chris Rix's intended receiver, came up with the interception and rumbled 58 yards -- running through Rix along the way -- for what would be Maryland's only touchdown of the game. Later in the quarter, he broke through the line on special teams and blocked a Xavier Beitia field goal attempt to momentarily help the Terps maintain a 10-7 lead.

In his debut as Maryland's starter against Northern Illinois, Jackson led the team with 15 tackles (eight unassisted), a TFL and three QB hurries.

Depth And Experience

This year's Maryland squad is easily the deepest and most experienced of any during Ralph Friedgen's two-plus year tenure in College Park.

The 2003 edition of the Terrapins features 22 seniors, a stark contrast to the '02 Terps, a team with just 10 seniors. Of the 10 seniors on last year's roster, just six were starters at season's end.

A look at the most recent offensive and defensive depth charts shows that 12 seniors are listed atop the chart at their respective positions.

Terps 8th In Scoring Defense

After an uncharacteristically slow start in its first two games, the Terrapin defense has spent the rest of the season looking like the same group that has been one of the top units in the country over the last three years.

This week, the Terp defense is ranked eightth in the nation in scoring defense (15.6 ppg) and 13th in the NCAA in total defense (304.0 ypg). The team ranks first in the ACC in total defense and second in scoring.

Since 2001, only one school -- Georgia -- has ranked higher nationally each season in scoring defense than Maryland.

Only three opponents this season have scored more than 20 points against the Terps.

Ranked in the nation's top 20 in scoring defense each of the three years since Gary Blackney took the reins of the defense, Maryland has yet to see a year under his watch where opponents average more than 20 points per game.

The Terps held opponents scoreless in 30 quarters in '02, second-most of any team in Division I-A football (Kansas State led the nation with 34). Through 11 games this year, the Terps have held their opposition scoreless in 22 quarters.

Maryland held Virginia, one of the conference's premier offenses, to just 186 passing yards, 108 rushing yards and 17 points. Matt Schaub completed 50 percent of his passes, over 20 percent below his average coming into the game.

The Terrapins held Clemson to 10 yards rushing and seven points while intercepting Charlie Whitehurst twice (Whitehurst came into the game with just three interceptions for the season).

Against West Virginia, the Terps held an offense that entered averaging 366 yards a game to just 156.

Nowhere To Run

Last season, all but two Maryland opponents were held at or below their rushing average heading into play against the Terps and on average, Maryland held its foes to more than 57 yards below their season averages. With one regular-season game left in 2003, the trend has continued.

Maryland has held its opponents below 100 yards in four games this season (and seven below 120) and held all but three of its opponents below their respective averages coming into the game.

Maryland's opponents are going for an average of 48.3 yards below their rushing average coming into their games with the Terps in 2003. (Note: Northern Illinois' average is based on their mark set during the 2002 season).

The Terrapins held Northern Illinois to 59 yards rushing, 141 yards below their average of the season before. In addition, the defense held Michael Turner -- the nation's leading returning ball carrier -- 69 yards below his average and held him to 51 yards and a 2.1 average in the game's first three quarters.

Since 2001, Maryland has held its opposition below 100 yards rushing eight times.

The Four Corners

Once a liability at Maryland, the defensive backfield has been a strength for the Terrapins since 2001. Heading into this week's action, the Terps are ranked 25th nationally and second in the ACC in pass defense, giving up an average of just 193.9 yards through the air per game.

Described by Ralph Friedgen as four players with "great character," corners Curome Cox, Domonique Foxworth along with safeties Dennard Wilson and Madieu Williams also bring extraordinary skill to the table. All four players started a year ago and all four have spent at least some portion of their collegiate career at cornerback, giving the team one of the most versatile secondaries in the country.

Maryland was the only school in the ACC to put all four of its defensive backs on the list of all-conference performers this year as Williams and Foxworth were named to the league's second team while Cox and Wilson were honorable mention selections. No other school had more than two defensive backs on the list.

Cox is currently tied for fourth in the ACC in passes defensed with 12 and moved into a tie for seventh on the Maryland all-time interceptions list with his interception in the end zone against NC State, the 10th of his career.

Between them, Maryland's starting defensive backs bring 125 career starts, 26 interceptions and 95 pass breakups.

The Terrapins were the only school this year to hold the ACC's top passer, Philip Rivers, without a touchdown pass. They also held Rivers to season lows in completions (16) and completion percentage (.533).

Maryland has held three opponents this season below 100 yards passing.

Size-Wise

One matchup that has benefited the Terps at times this year has been that of the team's wide receivers against the opposition's defensive backs, as Maryland possesses the best size in years at wide receiver.

Of the 10 wide receivers on the Maryland roster most likely to see significant playing time, seven are 6-2 or taller. Three are 6-4 only the team's slot receivers are under 6-0 tall.

Maryland's opponent this week, Wake Forest, has starting cornerbacks averaging 5-9 and 180 pounds.

A Stark Talent

Now in his third year and second as a starter, junior Randy Starks has become a player to watch on the Terrapin defense. The object of nearly constant double teams, Starks has become the focus of opponent's blocking schemes but remains one of the Terps' top producers on defense.

In just his second year as a starter, Starks has become a force in the middle along with senior C.J. Feldheim. A first team All-ACC pick this year, Starks has caught the eye of many college football pundits heading into his second season. Most notably, ESPN.com picked him as its preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

The Waldorf, Md., native came up with a sack against NC State, giving him 16.5 for his career. He now stands 10th on the Maryland career list.

Starks is currently fourth on the team with 68 total tackles. He leads the team with 13.5 TFLs, has 6.5 sacks, two PBUs and 11 QB hurries.

The junior provided nearly all of the Terps' big plays on defense in this year's win over Virginia. He finished with eight tackles (five solo), all three of the team's TFLs and its only sack while batting down a pass at the line.

Against Duke, Starks finished with a season-high nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, three TFLs, one forced fumble and three QB hurries while batting down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

AutoMat-Nick

Placekicker Nick Novak came on midway through the 2001 season and now, just a junior, is widely considered one of the nation's premier kickers.

Starting with his game-tying kick at Georgia Tech in '01, Novak has made 58 of his last 67 field goal attempts (87%), with four of the nine misses coming from 50 yards or further and one being a block.

A semifinalist for this year's Lou Groza Award, Novak is 22-of-27 on field goal attempts this season. Just one of the five misses came from inside 40 yards.

With his game-winning 43-yard field goal at NC State, Novak became the all-time leading scorer in Maryland history, surpassing the 308 points of Jess Atkinson (1981-84).

Novak is currently fifth in ACC history with 310 points and needs just 17 to break the mark of FSU's Scott Bentley (326).

Novak tied the Maryland school record with a 54-yard field goal against Duke this year. The kick tied the mark set more than 30 years ago by Steve Mike-Mayer (Sept. 29, 1973).

A first team All-ACC in 2002 and 2003, Novak is currently fifth in the NCAA and first in the ACC with an average of 2.0 field goals per game.

Novak has hit the only three game-winning attempts of career, beating Georgia Tech in 2001 and NC State in 2002 and '03.

The Charlottesville, Va., native has made 64 percent (7-of-11) of his attempts for his career from 50 yards or further.

Off On The Right Foot

Attempting to fill the shoes of your school's all-time leading punter is a daunting task. With one regular season game left in his first season as Maryland's starting punter, however, redshirt freshman Adam Podlesh seems unphased.

Podlesh is averaging 42.9 yards per punt, 28th-best in the NCAA and second-best in the ACC. He has also helped the Terps to the 23rd-best net average in the nation at 38.4 yards per punt.

On 47 punts this year, Podlesh has dropped 43 percent (20) inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Should he maintain his current average, Podlesh will post the fifth-best average in school history and best by a freshman.

In being named a second team All-ACC selection at punter, Podlesh became the first freshman in school history to be recognized by the league.

Podlesh was a big part of the Terps' win at NC State, averaging 46.0 yards on five kicks with a long of 57 and two being placed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Punting into the wind on five of seven attempts against Clemson, Podlesh averaged 41 yards per kick with three going out inside the 15 and one going out at the Tiger one-yard line. He earned ACC Specialist of the Week honors for his performance.

In front of the fourth-largest crowd in Florida State history, Podlesh averaged 43.7 yards per punt on seven kicks with a long of 52 and three downed inside the Seminole's 20-yard line.

On eight punts against Northern Illinois, Podlesh averaged 45.4 yards per kick, leaving four punts inside the 20 and one inside the 10. He also had a booming 63-yard effort, the longest by a Terrapin in more than two years.

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 six years, the Maryland-D.C.-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 Virginia, with six of those serving as opening-game starters. Since that time, however, numbers in both categories have risen steadily.

Iron Terps

For the third-straight 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 vertical jump, improving on the previous all-time team highs that had been established since such records have been kept (started in 1983).

Not only were new records set, but the team as a whole improved dramatically, as 84 percent of the players on this year's team elevated their personal bests in strength index -- which encompasses all of the tests into one number -- from the year previous.

The player who set the most records at his position this year was the versatile Steve Suter. The standout wide receiver and return man posted records for strength index (768), squat (580 pounds), power clean (352 pounds) and vertical jump (42 inches).

Local Ties

The Terrapins have two players who call the state of North Carolina home as sophomore OG Russell Bonham -- who injured his knee last week and will not suit up -- is from Winston-Salem (Carver HS) as is fellow sophomore William Kershaw who is from Raeford (Hoke County HS).

Terps' special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Ray Rychleski was an assistant at Wake Forest from 1993-2000.

The Demon Deacons have five players who call the Old Line State home. In alphabetical order: DE John Finklea (Wheaton/DeMatha HS); CB Eric King (Woodstock/McDonough HS); DE Jerome Nichols (Glenn Dale/Sidwell Friends); OG Joe Salsich (Annapolis/Severn School); and RB Napolean Sykes (Woodstock/Gilman School).

Terps Among Nation's Elite

Over the course of the past two-plus years, the Maryland football program has been among the best in the nation. The Terrapins are 29-8 in that span with a 18-1 record at home.

Maryland was one of just five Division I-A programs to win at least 10 games in 2001 and 2002. The four others are Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas and Marshall.

The Terrapins are joined by just three other schools since 2001 to finish each of those two seasons ranked in the nation's top 15 in both major polls while also residing in the top 15 of both preseason polls for 2003 (Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma and Texas are the others).

Trimming the field even further, the Terps are accompanied only by Miami (Fla.) and Texas as the only three teams in the nation to finish in the NCAA's top 25 in both scoring offense and scoring defense in '01 and '02. Maryland ranked 21st in scoring offense (32.2 ppg) and seventh in scoring defense (16.3 ppg) a year ago while ranking 12th (35.4) and 18th (19.1), respectively, in 2001.

Scouting The 'Deacs

Wake Forest heads into its final game of 2003 looking to get back on the right track while also shooting bowl eligibility. With a win, the 'Deacs can finish the regular season at .500 on their overall (6-6) and conference (4-4) slate.

The Demon Deacons started this season looking like a contender in the ACC as they knocked off Boston College on the road before handing then-No. 14 NC State its first loss. After a 3-1 start, WFU has since lost five of seven including its last two.

On offense, it is not hard to figure out what Wake prefers to do -- run. The Demon Deacons are first in the league in rushing, averaging 193.0 yards per game on the ground. Coincidentally, they also rank last in the ACC in passing with an average of 155.5 yards through the air per outing.

Running back Chris Barclay is third in the ACC in rushing, averaging 86.3 yards per game with nine touchdowns. WFU's top receiving threat this year has been Jason Anderson, who averages 66.7 yards per game (6th in the ACC) and has found the end zone six times.

On the defensive side of the ball, Wake has struggled this year. The Demon Deacons rank eighth in the ACC in total defense, allowing an average of 446.6 yards per game while giving up an average of 27.8 points per game.

CB Eric King is one of the team's defensive leaders. The junior leads the ACC in passes defensed with 17 (14 pass breakups and three interceptions).

Wake Forest's Jim Grobe

Jim Grobe is in his third season at Wake Forest, a school he has turned into a threat on any Saturday in the ACC. As his third year nears its close, Grobe has led Wake to a 18-17 record in his tenure.

Grobe came to Winston-Salem by way of Ohio University where he took the Bobcats from a winless season the year before his arrival to a .500 record (33-33-1) in his six-year tenure.

Despite losing his only two meetings against Maryland as a coach at Wake Forest, Grobe is not winless against the Terps as he led Ohio to a 21-14 win at Byrd Stadium in 1997.

Prior to working in Athens, Grobe served as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy for 11 years under long-time Falcon coach Fisher DeBerry. While Grobe was in Colorado Springs, USAFA produced a record of 84-50 and played in seven bowl games.

Other coaching stints for Grobe included time at Marshall and Emory & Henry.

A 1975 graduate of Virginia who earned All-ACC academic honors, Grobe is a native West Virginian who also earned his master's degree at UVa.

Byrd-fection

With Maryland's win over Virginia on Nov. 13, the Terps finished the 2003 season with a perfect 6-0 record at home, marking the second time in Ralph Friedgen's three-year tenure that the team has finished its home slate unblemished.

In 111 seasons of football, Maryland has finished undefeated at home 18 times. Just seven of those occasions, however, have come since 1950 (when Byrd Stadium opened) and just twice has it happened since 1975 ('76 and 2001).

The Terrapins' 6-0 mark is a tie for the second-best record at home in school history. The 1976 team was also 6-0, only to be trumped by the 2001 team which won all of its games on a seven-game home slate.

A Class Act

The success of the Maryland football team has not stopped on the playing field in recent years, as the team has improved its academic standing under Ralph Friedgen's watch.

A total of 23 of Maryland's 24 players who count as part of this year's senior class are on schedule to earn their degrees on time.

Five players on this year's team -- OG Ed Tyler, OG Lamar Bryant, CB Curome Cox, TE Jeff Dugan and DT Tosin Abari -- have already earned their degrees.

Tyler earned his degree in economics prior to last season, finishing his course work in just three years. He is currently pursuing a second degree (history).

From the membership has its benefits file: Friedgen lets players line up to eat by grade point average. The Terps must be hungry -- 24 players earned a 3.5 grade point average or better in the spring of 2003.

Building For The Future

When the Terrapins took the field at Byrd Stadium this year, changes were still taking place at the site 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.

After getting a state-of-the-art scoreboard and a new academics unit a year ago, the renovation has now moved on to improving other areas. Included in the changes are a remodeled weight room and a dining hall, a hall of fame area and a team meeting auditorium.

In addition to the bright visible new video board, it may go overlooked by some that expansion has already 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.

One other change noticeable at the start of fall camp and appreciated by players and coaches alike was the Terps' new practice facility, which features two state-of-the-art grass fields and a field turf, perfect for weeks when Maryland plays on an artificial surface.

A 25-Year Holliday

"Voice of the Terps" Johnny Holliday is celebrating his silver anniversary with Maryland this year, as the broadcaster is in his 25th season as the key cog in the Terp broadcast team.

With a long list of credentials that includes covering numerous summer and winter Olympics and the Masters, the Terps' director of broadcasting may be best known to some fans from his days as a disc jockey in Cleveland, work which ultimately landed him in that town's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and most recently (Oct. 5) in the Radio & Television Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.

Season Ticket Sales Climbing

In the last two years, season ticket sales for Terp football games have moved dramatically higher.

Prior to the start of the season, the total sold was 28,350, an improvement of almost 10,000 tickets from Ralph Friedgen's first season in College Park and more than 12,000 more sold than in 1999.

Maryland had six home games this year with attendance going over the 50,000 mark in each of the six games. It is the first time in school history that that has happened in any one season.

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