Game Notes (updated 11-10), Terps vs. UVa (PDF Format)
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Quotes from Coach Friedgen's Tuesday Press Conference
Nov. 6, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland football team closes its 2003 home slate this Thursday, when it takes on its chief rival, the University of Virginia Cavaliers, in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. Kickoff from College Park is slated for 7:45 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 7:15 p.m.
The Terrapins' close the season with three crucial ACC games and after an amazing series of results during Maryland's bye week, the team seemingly controls its own fate when it comes to where it will finish in the ACC standings. With the regular season winding down, Maryland and NC State both have two conference losses while Florida State suffered its first last weekend, falling at Clemson. Should the Terps win out, they would be guaranteed no worse than second place in the league.
In their last outing, the Terrapins (6-3, 3-2 ACC) bounced back in a big way from their disappointing loss at Georgia Tech. Maryland racked up a season-high 612 yards of offense and 59 points against North Carolina for the second consecutive year in a 59-21 rout.
Like Maryland, Virginia had a bye last week. Unlike the Terrapins, however, the Cavaliers will enter the game on the heels of a loss as NC State handed them a 51-37 defeat at Raleigh. In the loss, QB Matt Schaub completed 41-of-55 passes for 393 yards and four TDs.
After working their way back to the fringe of the Top 25 during their five-game win streak, the Terps stumble at Georgia Tech took its toll at the polls. This week, Maryland did not receive any votes in the Associated Press poll while it picked up seven votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches'poll.
Series Notes -- Terps & 'Hoos
Next Thursday's game will mark the 68th meeting between the Terrapins and Cavaliers, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps' 109-year history. The two schools have met every season since 1957.
Maryland leads the all-time series -- which began in 1919 -- by a 38-27-2 margin. The series has only been recently made close by Virginia. Prior to 1988, the Terrapins held a 35-15-2 advantage.
Since 1969, play between the two schools has been basically feast or famine for one team or the other. From 1969-87, the Terrapins held an 18-1 advantage in the series and at one point ran off 16 wins in a row, the longest streak in the series. From 1988 to the present, the series has gone almost exclusively to the Cavs as they are 12-3 in that span.
The Terrapins' last win over the 'Hoos was in their last meeting at College Park. In that game, Maryland broke a string of nine straight losses to Virginia with a 41-21 win, a victory that moved Maryland to 5-0 on the season and what was then its best start in 23 years. In the win, the Terps allowed a 24-7 lead to be cut to three in the third quarter before scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth to win going away. Bruce Perry was the offensive star, rushing for 143 yards and a TD while catching a career-high eight passes for 51 yards.
Last year's 48-13 Virginia win in Charlottesville was a heartbreaker for the Terps. Maryland looked listless after a tiring trip to Clemson the week before and though it took the early lead, it could not stop the Cavaliers' short passing game. The loss snapped an eight-game Maryland win streak and dashed the Terps' hopes for a second consecutive ACC title, an aspiration that was made possible earlier in the day with FSU's loss at NC State.
The Maryland offensive line has held Virginia to just two sacks in its last four meetings with Virginia.
Quick Hits
The Terrapins' 39 second quarter points against UNC set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record. The previous mark of 35 was set four times, most recently by North Carolina (versus Duke, 11-18-00).
In the last two meetings with North Carolina, Maryland has posted 118 points.
Senior Latrez Harrison finished the North Carolina game with four receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first Maryland receiver to catch two touchdowns in a game since Guilian Gary scored three against Georgia Tech (11-18-00) in the last game of the 2000 season, breaking a drought that spanned 35 games.
Carolina scored on its opening drive of the game against Maryland. It marked the first time this season that a Terp opponent had scored on its opening possession.
The Terrapins have held six of nine opponents off of the scoreboard in the first quarter this season.
Including a 55-yard reception against the Tar Heels, sophomore Derrick Fenner owns four of the five longest receptions by a Terp this season. For the year, Fenner has caught 10 passes for 298 yards - an average of 29.8 yards per catch. Sophomore Jo Jo Walker's second quarter 67-yard touchdown reception against North Carolina is the only catch among Maryland's top 5 longest plays this season that does not belong to Fenner.
The Terrapins have scored first in each of their nine games this season. The UNC game marked the first time in 2003 that the Terps trailed at the end of the first quarter.
In Ralph Friedgen's two-plus seasons, Maryland is 24-0 when leading at halftime. The Georgia Tech game marked the first time in Friedgen's career as a head coach that his team went into the locker room tied.
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.
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 moves along, 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. Eight games into the 2003 regular season, Friedgen has positioned himself at the top of the list of third-year coaches in the conference.
With the Terps' win against UNC, Friedgen -- now 27-8 -- 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).
No other coach in Maryland history had won more than 17 games in his first two seasons (Friedgen posted 21). 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.
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).
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 six of its last seven games and 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 6-3 and working on its positioning for a third bowl game in three 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 34-13 (.723) while the other six are a combined 17-47-1 (.269).
Idle Chatter
This week marks Maryland's second and final bye week of the '03 season. It 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 their bye weeks right before taking on the Terps.
McNificent
Quarterback Scott McBrien has been a consistent force for the Terps this year, but it wasn't until Maryland's big game against UNC that the senior had a breakout performance.
A week 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 accounted for six TDs in Maryland's 59-21 romp over the Tar Heels.
The 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 season, McBrien has a 135.0 efficiency rating, throwing for 1,659 yards on 109-of-201 passing while throwing 10 TDs to go along with five interceptions.
The 12th-rated passer in Division I-A last year, McBrien has posted his best efforts of 2003 since game two. In the last seven games, he has completed 91-of-155 passes for 1,488 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. In that time, his QB rating has been 156.8 while he has also rushed 37 times for 146 yards and a three touchdowns.
McBrien is now 17-6 as a starter at Maryland.
In just two seasons of work at Maryland, it appears that McBrien will leave the school with the third-most touchdown passes in school history. With his four TD passes against UNC, McBrien moved into fourth, just one scoring toss behind Neil O'Donnell (1987-89) with 25.
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 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 15.6 yards per touch whether it be rushing, receiving or in the returns game.
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.
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.
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.
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 fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with an average of 11.1 tackles per outing (100 total).
In addition to his tackle totals, Jackson has posted 6.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, one interception (returned for a touchdown), 10 QB hurries, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
Jackson has led the Terrapins in tackles in six of nine games this year. He has also had seven games with double-digit tackles (eight career).
At his current pace, Jackson will break the record for tackles by a sophomore at Maryland, assuming the Terps go to a bowl game. 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.
Defense Ranked 14th
After an uncharacteristically slow start in its first two games, the Terrapin defense has come on and looks 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 14th in the NCAA in total defense (297.3 ypg) and seventh in the nation in scoring defense (14.4 ppg). The team ranks second in the ACC in both categories.
Since 2001, only one school -- Georgia -- has ranked higher nationally each season in scoring defense than Maryland.
In its last seven games, Maryland has held its opposition to a total of just 75 points, an average of 10.7 points per game.
Only two 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 nine games this year, the Terps have held their opposition scoreless in 21 quarters.
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 three regular-season games left in 2003, the trend continues.
Maryland has held its opponents below 100 yards in three of seven games this season and held all but two of its opponents below their respective averages coming into the game.
Maryland's opponents are going for an average of 56.7 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 seven 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 17th nationally and second in the ACC in pass defense, giving up an average of just 185.3 yards through the air per game.
In the last seven games, Maryland's opponents have thrown for just 1184 yards (an average of 169.1 yards 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.
Cox is currently ranked seventh in the ACC in passes defensed with nine and moved into a tie for 12th on the Maryland all-time interceptions list with his intereption against Georgia Tech, the ninth of his career.
Between them, Maryland's starting defensive backs bring 117 career starts, 25 interceptions and 88 pass breakups.
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 11 wide receivers on the Maryland roster most likely to see significant playing time in 2003, seven are 6-2 or taller. Three are 6-4 and only one player who doesn't spend time as a slot receiver (Derrick Fenner, 5-11) is under 6-0 tall.
Maryland's next opponent, Virginia, has starting cornerbacks averaging 5-91/2 and 181 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 second team All-ACC pick a year ago, 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 UNC, giving him 14.5 for his career. He now stands just a half sack from the Maryland career Top 10.
The Duke game may have been his most complete performance of this season as he 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.
Starks is currently third on the team with 52 total tackles. He is second on the team lead with 9.5 TFLs, has 4.5 sacks, two PBUs and nine QB hurries.
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 54 of his last 62 field goal attempts (87%), with four of the eight misses coming from 50 yards or further.
Recently named a semifinalist for this year's Lou Groza Award, Novak is 18-of-22 on field goal attempts this season. Just one of the four misses came from inside 40 yards.
Currently second on the all-time scoring list at Maryland, Novak now needs 16 points to move into first, with it being a strong possibility that he will do so in just three years.
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 previous by Steve Mike-Mayer (Sept. 29, 1973).
A first team All-ACC selection a year ago who ranked fifth nationally in field goals, Novak is currently sixth in the NCAA and first in the ACC with an average of 2.0 field goals per game.
Novak has hit the only two game-winning attempts of career, beating Georgia Tech in 2001 and NC State in 2002.
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. Nine games into his first season as Maryland's starting punter, however, redshirt freshman Adam Podlesh seems unphased.
Podlesh is now averaging 43.7 yards per punt, 20th-best in the NCAA and second-best in the ACC. He has also helped the Terps to the 12th-best net average in the nation at 40.3 yards per punt.
On 39 punts this year, Podlesh has dropped over 43 percent (17) inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Should he maintain his current average, Podlesh will post the fourth-best average in school history and best by a freshman.
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.
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 seven players who call the state of Virginia home. The list: DE Rob Armstrong (Arlington/Washington-Lee HS); WR Tom Augustyn (Fairfax/Robinson HS); CB Curome Cox (Arlington/Gonzaga College HS); WR Derrick Fenner (Hampton/Hampton HS); QB Ryan Mitch (McLean/DeMatha HS); PK Nick Novak (Charlottesville/Albemarle HS); and DE Patrick Powell (Richmond/L.C. Bird HS).
On the Maryland coaching staff, offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe was an assistant coach at Virginia in various capacities from 1976-80 and offensive line coach Tom Brattan coached at a pair of Virginia high schools (Highland Springs and L.C. Bird) before entering the college ranks.
A trio of Virginia players are natives of the Old Line State as G Ron Darden (Pasadena/Glen Burnie HS), TE/DE Nick Price (Ijamsville/Urbana HS) and WR Deyon Williams (Upper Marlboro/Suitland HS) are all from Maryland.
Several Virginia coaches have ties to the Maryland area. Among them: Kevin Ross (son of Bobby Ross; Navy assistant, 1998; Bowie HS assistant, 1996); Mike Groh (Baltimore Ravens assistant, 1996); Anthony Poindexter (Ravens' DB, 1999-2000); Bob Price (Baltimore Stallions (CFL) assistant, 1994-95); and Danny Rocco (Maryland offensive line coach, 1998-99).
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 26-8 in that span with a 16-1 record at home and 8-5 mark on the road.
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 Cavaliers
Virginia heads into the Maryland game with a 5-4 record (3-3 ACC). The 'Hoos opened the season 4-1 but have lost three of thier last four including a 51-37 loss to NC State in their most recent outing (Nov. 1).
The Cavaliers have been nearly feast or famine on both sides of the ball this year with their primary strength coming in the short passing game.
On offense, Virginia averages 28.9 points per game, fourth-best in the ACC. They are third in the league in pass efficiency as a team while senior Matt Schaub is second in the league with a 142.9 rating.
Tailback Alvin Pearman has been one of the team's primary offensive threats along with Schaub. The junior is currently sixth in the league in rushing (53.8 avg.) and seventh in receptions (5.0 avg.).
The bulk of Virginia's troubles this season have come on the defensive side of the ball as they have the sixth-rated unit in the league, giving up an average of 388.9 yards per game. They have, however, posted two shutouts which has helped drop their points allowed average to 20.4 ppg.
DB Jermaine Hardy leads the team in tackles with 75 (54 solo), but linebackers Ahmad Brooks (70 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Darryl Blackstock (59 tackles, 4 sacks, 11 TFLs) are the players to watch on the UVa defense.
Virginia's Al Groh
Al Groh is in his third year as head coach at the University of Virginia and heads into this weekend's game with a 19-16 record in his tenure (45-56 overall). Groh, a 1967 graduate of the school, came to Charlottesville from the New York Jets where he served as head coach in 2000.
Groh took over the helm of the Cavalier program after long-time head coach George Welsh stepped down. Welsh is the winningest coach in the history of the program, compiling a 189-131-4 record.
Prior to his appointment at Virginia, Groh had served 12 consecutive years as a coach in the NFL with stops coming in New York (Giants, 1989-91; Jets 1997-2000), Cleveland (1992) and New England (1993-96). In his lone season at the pro level as a head coach, he helped lead the Jets to a 9-7 record.
Groh was named head coach of the Jets after the retirement of Bill Parcells at the end of the 1999 season.
After getting his collegiate coaching start at Virginia, Groh ended up with his first head job at another ACC school, Wake Forest, where he served from 1981-86.
A native of Mineola, N.Y., Groh is a '67 graduate of Virginia and earned letters in football and lacrosse.
Byrd Stadium
Now in its 54th year of operation, Byrd Stadium continues to serve as the home of the Terps. Opened on Sept. 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.
Nine games into 2003, the Terrapins are 179-101-1 within the friendly confines of Byrd.
With temporary bleachers installed this season, Byrd Stadium can hold up to 51,500.
In two seasons under Ralph Friedgen, the Terrapins are 18-1 in games played at Byrd Stadium.
Terp Alley
In an effort to restore some tradition on gameday in College Park, the football staff created Terp Alley in 2001, a tradition that has become a part of the gameday experience outside 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.
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 take the field at Byrd Stadium this year, changes will still be 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.
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.
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 has had four home games this year with attendance going over the 50,000 mark in each of the four games. It is the first time in school history that that has happened in any one season.
