Nov. 15, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Terps at Va Tech Notes (PDF)
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The University of Maryland football team hits the road for its first Thursday night game of 2004 and the first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference meeting with the Virginia Tech Hokies as it travels to Blacksburg this Thursday. Kickoff from Lane Stadium is set for 7:45 p.m., with the game being televised nationally by ESPN and broadcast on the Terrapin Radio Network (radio pregame starts at 7:15 p.m.) and Westwood One.
The Terrapins (4-5, 2-4 ACC) head to Blacksburg with the intent of keeping their bowl hopes alive following a loss in their last outing, a 16-0 defeat at the hands of rival Virginia on Nov. 6. The Terps had their chances against UVa, but failed to light the scoreboard for the first time in 35 games and now will need to win their final two games to become bowl eligible. For more on the game, see Quick Hits, Week Nine.
Virginia Tech enters the contest having won five-straight including a 27-24 nailbiter over North Carolina on Nov. 6. After holding a 14-point second-half lead, the Hokies (7-2, 4-1 ACC) found themselves fighting to keep UNC out of the end zone after it had taken the ball from its own 19 to the Tech 24 with over a minute left. A Jim Davis sack, however, pushed the Tar Heels back and freshman Connor Barth missed a 54-yard attempt that would have tied the game and making the Hokies -- who have a 12-game schedule -- bowl eligible.
The Terrapins are unranked this week. Virginia Tech is ranked 15th in both the Associated Press (tied with Tennessee) and ESPN/USA Today polls.
The game marks the third-straight for Maryland against an opponent ranked in the nation's Top 25. The last time The Terrapins played ranked opponents in three consecutive weeks was the end of the 1991 season and 1980 was the last time they played three-straight against teams all ranked as high as 15th.
Thursday's game is the last in a stretch of four tough Atlantic Coast Conference games for the Terps, three of which have been against ranked opponents. Three of the contests in the four-game stretch have also taken place on the road.
Series Notes -- Terps & Hokies
Thursday's game will mark the 27th meeting between the Terrapins and Hokies and the first since 1993.
Maryland leads the all-time series -- which began in 1919 -- by a 15-11 margin. The two schools have only played twice since 1950. Up until that time, they had met every year from 1919-36 and then every year again from 1946-50.
Though this is the first year the teams will square off as members of the ACC, it is not the first time they will play as members of the same conference as both were members of the Southern Conference from 1921-51 (Maryland moved to the ACC in 1953 and Tech remained in the SoCon until 1965).
The last meeting between the two schools was a contrast in styles -- the pass-happy Terps vs. the run-first Hokies. The result -- the largest margin of victory for Virginia Tech in the series history in the form of a 55-28 win. The Terps passed for 498 yards, a total which is still a school record, but Tech rumbled for 385 yards and still got four touchdown passes from Maurice DeShazo en route to 641 yards of total offense.
In the `93 shootout, Maryland and Virginia Tech combined for 1,290 yards of total offense.
There have been more games played (14) at neutral sites in the series' history than there have been at either school's home site. Four games have been played at Washington D.C.'s Griffith Stadium, one at D.C.'s Central High School, seven in Norfolk, Va., one in Baltimore and one in Roanoke, Va.
Though Maryland has won nine of the last 11 meetings, that fact is relatively insignificant considering the two schools have met just twice (1990 and 1993) since 1950.
Quick Hits, Week Nine
In the Terps' loss to Virginia, Maryland failed to score for the first time this season. The last time the Terps were shut out in a game was the Kickoff Classic against Notre Dame, game one of the 2002 season.
Since taking the helm at their respective alma maters, Ralph Friedgen and Al Groh are even at 2-2 in head-to-head matchups with each coach "holding serve" at his respective home stadium.
H-back Vernon Davis was one of the few bright spots on offense in defeat. The true sophomore finished with five receptions for 104 yards with two of his catches giving the Terps their best opportunities at paydirt. The five receptions tied a career high for Davis (set earlier this year at Duke) and the 104 yards was a career high.
Defensively, the Terps had several strong individual efforts. Among them was the play of senior SS Chris Kelley, who finished the day with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and his first career interception, which he returned 11 yards into Virginia territory.
Maryland had allowed just one back -- West Virginia's Kay-Jay Harris -- to go over the 100-yard mark this season and had held five of six teams under 100 yards going into the Virginia game. The Cavaliers had two backs -- Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy -- go over 100 yards, the first time a Terp opponent had two in one game since Sept. 10, 1994, when FSU's Zach Crockett and Warrick Dunn each went over the century mark.
Friedgen's ACCeptional Start
Ralph Friedgen has opened his career as a head coach by setting one coaching record after another and as his fourth season in College Park nears an end, he has once again placed his name in several record books for coaching wins.
In his three-plus years at Maryland, Friedgen has -- season-by-season -- established himself as one of the top coaches in ACC history. His first season featured an ACC championship and 10 wins, his second had him at the top of the record books for second-year mentors with a 21-5 record, and his third year had him atop the record books of third-year ACC coaches with a 31-8 record. His 31 wins were five more than the list's number-two coaches, Lou Holtz (NC State, 1972-74) and Danny Ford (Clemson, 1979-81).
With 31 wins in those first three years, Friedgen ranks seventh on the NCAA's all-time list for third-year head coaches. Along with Miami's Larry Coker (2nd), he is one of two active coaches on the list that features legendary names like Walter Camp (1st), Barry Switzer (4th) and John Robinson (6th).
Now with 35 wins, Friedgen ranks tied for first on the ACC list of fourth-year head coaches. With the win over Florida State, he moved into a tie for first with CU's Ford who was 35-10-1 in his four years.
Notably, Friedgen now stands just nine wins from tying Ford for the most wins by an ACC coach in his fifth year. Despite only being in game 10 of his fourth season, Friedgen already ranks seventh on that list. He will tie long-time friend George O'Leary for sixth with his next victory.
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 197 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 18 years or more, and the 197 years means an average of almost 20 years of experience per coach on the 2004 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 and current Army coach Bobby Ross (Bulldog head coach from 1973-77; Terps from `82-86).
Raising the Bar
With its win over FSU two games ago, Maryland has 35 victories over its last four seasons -- all since Ralph Friedgen took over in 2001.
The Terps' total of 31 wins from 2001-03 is the highest three-year win total in school history.
Prior to 2003, Maryland's best three-year win total was 28 (accomplished three times). With wins in its last two games this season, the team will match the best four-year total in school history, 37 wins (1975-78).
With their loss to NC State, the Terps lost any hope of winning 10 games this season, the first time in Friedgen's tenure that the team will have failed to do so. In the previous 110 years of football, Maryland had never put together three straight nine-win seasons, but Friedgen's teams strung together three-straight 10-win campaigns from 2001-03.
Since 1892, Maryland has had seven 10-win seasons, three of which have come in the previous three years.
RBs Becoming Terp Tradition
Historically, Maryland has had a reputation for producing some top-notch quarterbacks. Names like Esiason, Scarbath, O'Donnell and Reich have done nothing to discourage that. In recent years, however, the schools reputation of producing QBs is rivaled only by its production at tailback.
Following the departure of LaMont Jordan in 2000, the big question was "who would carry the load?" The answer has come in waves -- Bruce Perry, Marc Riley, Chris Downs, and now Josh Allen and Sammy Maldonado.
Now in his third year, Allen has rushed for 1,789 yards and 20 TDs (22 TDs total, rush and rec.). An eight-game starter in 2003, his 257 yards against Virginia last season marked the 11th-best day in ACC history and the seventh-best in Division I-A in `03. He currently ranks 12th on the Terp career yardage list.
Allen's one-yard touchdown run against Clemson moved him into seventh all-time on the Maryland career rushing TD list.
Allen has posted four career 100-yard games and one in 2004.
Maldonado rushed for 84 yards in the opener and then followed it up with his first career 100-yard game, a 106-yard, two-touchdown effort against Temple.
Defense The Backbone
When he was hired to come to Maryland, the talk about the mark Ralph Friedgen would make in College Park was all about offense. What has been unquestionably the team's most consistent force in four seasons, however, has been its defense and it is once again proving to be a force in 2004.
Defensive coordinator Gary Blackney's defense has been a unit characterized by stopping the run and making teams score by moving the ball through the air. With a scoring average of 17.5 points allowed per game since 2001, that feat has obviously been a tall order for Terrapin foes.
Maryland's ranking in scoring defense the previous three years got progressively better with each season, as the Terps ranked 18th in 2001, seventh in 2002 and sixth a year ago.
In each of the previous three seasons' final defensive rankings, Maryland has had just one team -- Georgia -- finish higher in scoring defense.
In `04, the Terps have gotten better and better and now rank 17th nationally in scoring defense, yielding an average of 17.6 points per game.
Despite its continual improvement, the Terrapins' defensive scoring average is skewed somewhat this year due to events beyond the defense's control. If one were to eliminate points scored off of turnovers, fumble or interceptions returned for touchdowns and kickoff returns for touchdowns, the Maryland defense is allowing 11.4 points per game compared to its current average of 17.6.
Since 2001, 34 of Maryland's 48 opponents (71%) have been held to 20 points or less.
Maryland has yet to see a year under Blackney's watch where opponents average more than 20 points per game.
Since 2002, Maryland has held its opposition scoreless in 69 quarters (14 thus far in 2004).
The Terrapins are currently ranked in the nation's top 25 in four defensive categories: total defense (19th), pass defense (15th), pass efficiency defense (10th) and scoring defense (17th).
Maryland has held six opponents to 100 yards or less passing since 2001.
The Terps have not had a quarterback throw for 250 yards or more since Philip Rivers of NC State did so in game 11 of last season (FSU threw for over 250, but did so with two different quarterbacks and attempting 51 passes).
Against Duke, the Terp defense held the opposition to 185 yards of total offense (83 rushing, 102 passing). Along the way, the defense held six of the Blue Devils' 12 drives to three plays or less.
Run Stuffers
Maryland's defense has gotten progressively better as this season has gone on, due in large part to the progression of a group of young defensive tackles. In the last six games, just two teams have been able to manage 100 yards rushing against the Terrapins.
Against Florida State, Maryland buckled down and held the Seminoles to 50 rushing yards. Florida State came into the game averaging 190 per game and the output was its lowest of the season.
In their loss to Clemson, the Terps held the Tigers to 36 yards rushing (0.9 yards per carry), their lowest output of 2004.
Since 2001, Maryland has held its opposition below 100 yards rushing 13 times.
Seniors Near End of Line
A total of 19 seniors are playing their final regular season road game at Lane Stadium this week against Virginia Tech. The class has been one of the most successful in Maryland history, heading into this week with a 35-13 record in the last three-plus years. The following is a list of those players (* = letters earned prior to 2004):
Name Letters Hometown
Rob Abiamiri, TE/HB * Randallstown, Md.
Quintin Beltran, SS Woodbridge, Va.
C.J. Brooks, OG *** Rex, Ga.
Jon Condo, LS *** Philipsburg, Pa.
Ray Custis, FS *** Germantown, Md.
Kevin Eli, DE ** Deptford, N.J.
Ryan Flynn, OT ** Youngstown, Ohio
Domonique Foxworth, CB *** Randallstown, Md.
Reuben Haigler, CB * New Cumberland, Pa.
Chris Kelley, SS ** Germantown, Md.
Lou Lombardo, OT *** Baltimore, Md.
Sammy Maldonado, RB * Harrison, N.Y.
Nick Novak, PK *** Charlottesville, Va.
Rich Parson, WR *** Newark, Del.
Kyle Schmitt, C *** Derry, Pa.
Henry Scott, DT * Baltimore, Md.
Maurice Smith, FB *** Waldorf, Md.
Steve Suter, WR/KR ** Manchester, Md.
Curtis Williams, WR *** Huntington Sta., N.Y.
Living Up To Their Name
After stumbling out of the blocks in their first year, Maryland's special teams have been nothing short of, well, special the last three years under coordinator Ray Rychleski.
In placekicker Nick Novak, punter Adam Podlesh and return man Steve Suter, the Terrapins have the ACC's first team all-conference kicker from 2002 and 2003, its second-team punter from 2003 (and the first Terp freshman in history to make All-ACC) and a specialist who has been first team all-league since 2002.
The Terps have drawn national attention for their unit in 2004 as they have been ranked in the preseason as one of the best units in the nation by Collegefootballnews.com (1st), Lindy's (1st), ESPN (3rd) and Phil Steele (3rd).
Young Guns
In three of the last four years, Maryland has been faced with opening its season with a quarterback in his first year playing in the offensive system. While this year is different in the sense that Joel Statham and the team's other quarterbacks have all come up in the Friedgen offense, this year's group has faced a new set of challenges as the least experienced the Terps have put on the field in recent years.
Maryland's group of five quarterbacks entered this season having thrown 25 career passes between them at the collegiate level (all 25 attempts were by Statham in 2003).
The Terrapins have no players at the position older than a sophomore. The group includes two sophomores (Statham, Hollenbach), two redshirt freshmen (Mitch, Moyseenko) and one true freshman (Steffy).
With his start in the opener, Statham was the least experienced to take the field in terms of passes thrown at either the college or junior college level since Latrez Harrison started as a freshman against Florida State in 1999.
Suter ACC Record-Holder
After two years as the ACC's first-team specialist and one of Maryland's top playmakers, Steve Suter is no longer flying under anybody's radar. He is more likely to be flying down the sideline.
Now in his final year of eligibility at Maryland, Suter does it all for the Terps. A starting wideout who returns punts and kicks, Suter has also been involved in the running game and is one of the team's few receivers who can play at any spot (X, Z or slot).
In the last three years, Suter has averaged 15.0 yards per touch whether it be rushing, receiving or in the returns game.
With his first return of the day against Georgia Tech this season, Suter became the ACC's all-time leader in punt return yardage, surpassing the mark of NC State's Ledel George (1,191, 1990-93). He enters game nine of his final season with 1,269 yards.
In 2002, Suter tied the NCAA record for punt returns for a touchdown in a season (4). He returned two punts last season for scores, leaving him just two shy of tying the current NCAA career record of eight (Wes Welker, Texas Tech, 2000-03; Antonio Perkins, Oklahoma, 2001-pres.).
Suter's six returns for a TD are a Maryland record.
The opposition has thus far been punting away from Suter this season, angling more than half of their punts out of his reach. The result -- an opponent net punting average of 34.0 yards per attempt.
DJ = Defensive Juggernaut
The question surrounding the 2004 Terrapins heading into the season was virtually all about the quarterback position. It was only a year ago, however, that the same "buzz" was surrounding "who would replace E.J. Henderson" at middle linebacker. Thanks to the play of D'Qwell Jackson, those questions are as good as forgotten.
Last season -- his first as a starter -- Jackson led the team in tackles with 136, one shy of the record for tackles by a sophomore at Maryland. His 10.5 tackles per game ranked him seventh in the ACC and tops among sophomores.
Maybe the fiercest competitor on the Terp roster, Jackson has led the Terrapins in tackles in 13 of 22 games the last two years. He has also had 14 career games with double-digit tackles.
Nine games into this year, Jackson is again leading the team in tackles (105). His average of 11.7 tackles per game is also tops in the ACC and he is the league's only player to have posted more than 92 tackles thus far in 2004.
Jackson has earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times this year and is one of just three ACC players (Devin Hester, specialist; and Jonathan Abbate, rookie) to have earned ACC Player of the Week more than twice.
The Largo, Fla., native was everywhere against Clemson, notching a staggering career-high 18 tackles (nine solo) to go along with 2.5 TFLs and a sack.
Jackson was one of the few bright spots against Georgia Tech, tying what was then his career-high with 16 tackles (four solo) while adding a half TFL and a PBU.
After suffering a hyperextended elbow against Temple in week two, concern was that Jackson might have trouble playing against West Virginia. On the contrary, he finished with 16 tackles, a sack, one TFL and one PBU.
In the opener, Jackson racked up nine tackles and intercepted two passes against Northern Illinois, both of which led to Terrapin scores.
Jackson vs. Butkus
Below are Jackson's statistics alongside the three finalists for this year's Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker), Virginia's Ahmad Brooks, USC's Matt Grootegoed and Texas' Derrick Johnson:
Name G TT TFL Sck Int FF
Brooks 9 74 6.0 5.5 2 1
Grootegoed 10 53 12.5 3.0 4 1
Jackson 10 105 4.5 2.5 2 1
Johnson 10 115 17.0 1.0 1 8
Lights On?
After playing through injury most of last season, DE Shawne Merriman -- a.k.a. "Lights Out" -- has unquestionably had the light go on this year.
A true junior, Merriman is in his first season as the full-time starter but is already making waves in the Terrapin record books. In 35 career games, Merriman has posted 29.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks.
After his sack against Clemson, Merriman now stands just five sacks from owning the school's career record (Mike Corvino, `79-82, currently holds the mark with 24).
With his TFL against Virginia, Merriman now stands ninth on the Terp career list in that category and currently has 29.5.
With two games remaining, Merriman leads all ACC defensive linemen with 69 total tackles.
Merriman leads the Terrapins and is sixth in the ACC in sacks (six total/0.67 avg.), is third in the league in TFLs (14 total/1.50 avg.) and leads the league in fumbles forced with three.
Midway through the season, Merriman was added to the list of this year's nominees for the Ted Hendricks Award, an honor given to the player considered the nation's top defensive lineman.
At Clemson, Merriman made big play after big play, registering seven tackles, three TFLs, one sack and one forced fumble.
The Upper Marlboro native posted a career-high 16 tackles from his defensive end position against NC State.
Youth is Served
With 22 seniors (12 of whom were starters), last year's Maryland squad was the most experienced in the last four years. One year later, the 2004 edition of the Terps has just three less seniors but it is easily the least experienced of Ralph Friedgen's tenure.
This year's team has the largest group of true freshmen in recent memory (30). All told, there were 49 Terrapins on this year's roster with four years or more of eligibility remaining at the beginning of the season.
In the Terrapins' first eight games of 2004, a total of 35 sophomores and freshmen have seen action including eight true freshmen, two more than all of last year.
Upon Further Review
In addition to the high number of youthful Terps taking the field this year, the more experienced Terps in terms of their academic eligibility are not what one would consider long in the tooth when it comes to playing time.
A year after opening the season with 15 senior starters, Maryland now has eight seniors in its starting lineup. Four of those players, however, are in their first season as starters.
Of the 22 offensive and defensive players listed as starters on the two-deep heading into the Virginia Tech game, 14 are in their first year as starters.
Notably, Maryland lost 12 players a year ago made their way to in NFL camps in the fall.
Turtles in Name Only
It has been documented that this year's team is the youngest of the Friedgen Era. Notably, it may also be the fastest.
The Terrapins had 17 players run in the 4.5-or-better range in the 40-yard dash in spring testing (note that all but four true freshmen did not participate).
Six of the nine wide receivers who tested in the spring ran 4.51 or better, two tailbacks ran under a 4.5 (Allen and Merrills) and three defensive backs ran a 4.4 or better (Custis, McPhearson, Wilson).
Two notable times -- CB Gerrick McPhearson ran a team-best 4.29; P Adam Podlesh ran the best time ever for a punter at Maryland with a 4.46.
Novak Scaling NCAA List
It seems like ages since placekicker Nick Novak hit a pair of memorable kicks at Georgia Tech that got the ball rolling for him and the Terrapins in 2001. Now a senior, Novak has gone from the focal point of a position of concern on the Terp roster to one of the premier players at his position in the country.
Starting with his game-tying kick at Georgia Tech in `01, Novak has made 72 of his last 88 field goal attempts (82%), with five of the 17 misses coming from 50 yards or further (and one being a block).
A semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award the last two years, Novak is 44 points from breaking the mark of current NCAA record-holder for scoring, Houston's Roman Anderson (423, 1988-91). Novak enters this weekend's game with 380 career points, a total which ranks seventh on the NCAA list.
Novak needs nine points to move into sixth and ahead of Nebraska's Kris Brown (388, 1995-98).
Novak's first field goal of this season, a 43-yarder against Northern Illinois, set a new ACC scoring record, breaking the mark of FSU's Scott Bentley (326).
With his game-winning 43-yard field goal in last year's NC State game, Novak became the all-time leading scorer in Maryland history, surpassing the 308 points of Jess Atkinson (1981-84).
The Charlottesville, Va., native has made 54 percent (7-of-13) of his attempts for his career from 50 yards or further. He owns the school record with a 54-yard kick against Duke in 2003.
Podlesh A RaY Guy Semifinalist
Sophomore Adam Podlesh had a tall order a year ago in filling the shoes of Maryland's all-time leading punter, Brooks Barnard. Now in his second season, Podlesh is playing like Barnard's record-setting career will barely have a chance for the ink to dry in the team's media guide before being moved aside.
Podlesh averaged 42.3 yards per punt a season ago, third-best in the ACC, the fifth-best in school history and best ever by a freshman. It was his net punting and, more specifically, his ability to pin an opponent that had him finish the season as a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
Thus far in 2004, Podlesh maintains a 44.5-yard average (eighth-best in the nation) and his net average (40.2) leads the ACC and is also seventh in the NCAA.
On 102 career punts, Podlesh has dropped 38 percent (39) inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Podlesh has placed 17 of his 49 punts this year inside the 20.
Podlesh was critical to the win over Florida State, averaging 45 yards per punt while dropping three inside the 20 and booting three for over 50 yards.
A week after being named ACC Specialist of the Week for his play against Georgia Tech, Podlesh followed that performance up with an 11-punt day that featured a 45.2-yard average, two punts inside the 20, no touchbacks and a career-long 70-yard effort that was downed at NCSU's five-yard line.
In being named a second team All-ACC selection at punter last year, Podlesh became the first freshman in school history to be recognized by the league.
Iron Terps
Maryland's strength numbers over the course of the last four years have been off the charts. This season, 43 players earned "Iron Terp" status, an honor that is based on a player's strength index (determined by a strength/weight formula).
Due to the team's youth, the strength numbers have fallen slightly compared to last year, but the averages are still staggering nonetheless. The team's average bench press is 341.9; its average squat 514.2; and its average power clean is 296.3 as determined in preseason testing.
Not only were new individual records set, but the team as a whole improved dramatically, as 72 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 tight end Vernon Davis. The young H-back posted records for strength index (736), bench (425 pounds), power clean (330 pounds) and vertical jump (38 inches) He also posted a 4.5 time in the 40-yard dash.
For the second-straight season, FS Ray Custis led the team in overall strength index, posting a 809, the best ever by a Maryland defensive back.
Local Ties
The Terrapins have seven players who call the state of Virginia home. The list: DE Rob Armstrong (Arlington/Washington-Lee HS); S Quintin Beltran (Woodbridge/C.D. Hylton HS); WR Derrick Fenner (Hampton/Hampton HS); QB Ryan Mitch (McLean/DeMatha HS); PK Nick Novak (Charlottesville/Albemarle HS); DE Patrick Powell (Richmond/L.C. Bird HS); and DB Richard Taylor (Centreville, Va./Centreville HS).
On the Maryland coaching staff, offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe was an assistant coach at the University of 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.
Five Virginia Tech players are natives of the Free State as FS Vincent Fuller (Baltimore/Woodlawn HS), FL Richard Johnson (Baltimore/Milford Mill Academy), OG Jason Murphy (Baltimore/Edmonson Westside HS), LB Mikal Baaqee (Columbia/DeMatha HS) and DT Jason Lallis (Mitchellville/DeMatha HS) are all from Maryland.
Several Virginia Tech coaches have ties to the Maryland area. Among them: head coach Frank Beamer (Maryland graduate assistant, 1972); associate head coach and RBs coach Billy Hite (Hyattsville native, DeMatha HS graduate); and strong safety and LBs coach Jim Cavanaugh (Maryland RBs, 1982-86; Maryland offensive coordinator/QBs, 1987).
A Milestone Win
The Terrapins' 20-17 win over Florida State on October 30 was notable in many respects. It was a landmark win for the current coaching staff and takes the program to heights not achieved in decades. The win was:
Maryland's first in 15 tries against FSU.
The team's first over a top five opponent since 1983.
The first over a top 10 team under Friedgen and for the school since 1990.
The first by Maryland over one of the "big three" in Florida since the Terps beat Miami in 1984, a game that saw them trail 31-0 at halftime.
Terps Among Nation's Elite
Over the course of the past three-plus years, the Maryland football program has been among the best in the nation. The Terrapins are 35-13 in that span with a 22-3 record at home.
Maryland was one of just five BCS programs to win at least 10 games from 2001-2003. The four others are Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas and Washington State.
The Terrapins are joined by just four other schools since 2001 to finish each of those three seasons ranked in the nation's top 20 in both major polls while also earning a spot in the top 25 of both preseason polls for 2004 (Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma and Texas and Michigan are the others).
Scouting the Hokies
Virginia Tech heads into the matchup with the Terps riding a five-game win streak and sitting at 7-2 overall (4-1 ACC). The Hokies' last loss came at the end of September in a 17-16 defeat at the hands of NC State.
The Hokies have followed the ACC trend this year of having a very tough defense, but to go along with it, they own one of the top scoring offenses in the country. Tech ranks in the nation's top 10 in total defense (8th), scoring defense (6th), pass defense (6th) and pass efficiency defense (9th) and they are posting an average of 32.4 points per game, 20th-best in Division I-A.
On offense, Va Tech averages 189.6 yards per game and gets production from a variety of sources. RB Mike Imoh just returned to the lineup and is averaging a team-high 108.5 per outing with QB Bryan Randall second on the team with an average of 40.1 yards per outing.
Randall has started all nine games at QB for the Hokies. A strong scrambler, Randall has also thrown for 1,480 yards (114-of-214) with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His top receiver has been newcomer Eddie Royal (Herndon, Va.) who has 21 receptions for 368 yards and a pair of TDs.
Defensively, the Hokies are allowing just 277.7 yards per game, a total which ranks third in the ACC. Their pass defense is second in the league as it gives up an average of 156.2 yards per game.
Junior defensive end Darryl Tapp has led the charge defensively, notching 47 tackles (second most on the team) to go along with 12.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hurries.
Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer
A long-time friend of Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, Frank Beamer is in his 18th year at the helm of the Virginia Tech program. Like Friedgen, he has taken his alma mater and returned it to national prominence.
After going 5-17 in his first two seasons with the program (1987-88), Beamer has led Tech to an impressive 132-76-2 record in his 17-plus seasons. The Hokies have gone to a bowl game every year since 1993 and have won no less than seven games a season during that time.
Beamer and Friedgen coached together at stops that included Maryland (1972, where both were graduate assistants), The Citadel (1973-78), and Murray State (1981). Murray State was Beamer's first head coaching job and Friedgen was his assistant head coach in that first year (`81) of seven that he ultimately spent with the Racers.
The coaching stops for Beamer prior to Virginia Tech have been as follows: Maryland (graduate asst., 1972), The Citadel (asst. coach, 1973-76; defensive coordinator, 1977-78) and Murray State (head coach, 1981-86).
A native of Hillsville, Va., Beamer earned his undergraduate degree in distributive education from Virginia Tech in 1969, lettering three years in football for the Hokies along the way. He earned a master's degree from Radford in guidance in 1972.
Big Games Remembered
The 2004 season is one that stands decades from a pair of the more memorable games in the history of the Maryland program.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of the great games of all time, not just in Maryland lore, as November 10, 1984, was the date of the Terps' 42-40 come-from-behind win at Miami.
In that contest, the Terrapins trailed 31-0 at halftime, but the "King of Comebacks," Frank Reich, led his team to 42 second half points in a game that has been dubbed the greatest comeback in college football history.
Notably, Ralph Friedgen was the offensive coordinator on that 1984 team and DL coach Dave Sollazzo was a graduate assistant.
This season is also the 40th anniversary of one of the most memorable games in the history of Maryland/Navy, a rivalry from 1905-1965 that will be resumed next season.
On November 7, 1964, Maryland defeated the Midshipmen and their Heisman Trophy QB of the previous year, Roger Staubach. It did so behind a 101-yard kickoff return by Kenny Ambrusko with 2:58 remaining, leading to a 27-22 victory that was the Terrapins' first in 12 years (and four meetings) over Navy.
Protecting the House
Despite suffering a pair of losses at home for the first time since 2000, the Terrapins are 22-3 at Byrd Stadium under Ralph Friedgen.
With Maryland's win over Virginia last year, 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 in 2003 was 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.
All 19 members of this year's senior class are on schedule to earn their degrees on time.
Since Friedgen joined the Terps in 2001, 58 of 66 football players who have exhausted their eligibilty have graduated, including 30 in fewer than five years.
Two players on this year's team -- DE Kevin Eli and WR Steve Suter -- have already earned their degrees. One other, CB Domonique Foxworth, needs just one class to complete his requirements in three-and-a-half years.
Suter was one of the team's top scholar-athletes, earning a 4.0 grade point average in 2003-04.
From the membership has its benefits file: when on the road, Friedgen lets players line up to eat by grade point average. The Terps must be hungry -- 11 players earned a 3.5 GPA or better for the entire 2003-04 academic year.
