Terps vs. Navy - Game Day Central - University of Maryland Athletics

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Aug. 29, 2005

Maryland-Navy Game Notes

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland opens its 113th season of college football and Year Five under Ralph Friedgen with a familiar opponent from years' past, the U.S. Naval Academy. The game will be played at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium on September 3rd and will be considered a home game for the Midshipmen. Kickoff is set for 6:06 p.m., with the game being televised nationally by College Sports Television and broadcast on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network (radio pregame starts at 4:30 p.m.) and Westwood One.

The Terrapins open the season with an independent on neutral turf for the second time in the last four years (Notre Dame, 2002) but for just the third time since 1922. Maryland finished last season 5-6 (3-5 ACC) on the heels of three straight bowl appearances and Top 25 finishes and will look to improve on their 36-14 mark under Friedgen.

Navy is coming off of a season that saw it post the second 10-win season in school history and its fifth bowl win after beating New Mexico, 34-19, in the Emerald Bowl to finish 10-2. Head coach Paul Johnson was named Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year -- a distinction Friedgen earned in 2001 -- in just his third season leading the Mids.

Maryland is 67-43-2 (.607) all-time in season openers. The Terps have played 47 games in their history in Baltimore and have an all-time record of 24-16-7 in the city, with the first contest being in 1897 against Baltimore Medical at Electric Park. They have played 10 games in the modern era (since 1950) there, posting a 3-5-2 mark with a 1-2 record against Navy in that time (1-3 against Navy all-time in Baltimore).

Neither team enters the game nationally-ranked. The Terrapins received two votes in the initial USA Today Coaches poll.

Series Notes -- Terps & Midshipmen

Saturday's game marks the 20th meeting between Maryland and Navy. The Midshipmen lead the all-time series -- which began in 1905 -- by a 14-5 margin.

When the series began, what is currently the University of Maryland at College Park was known as Maryland Agricultural College. The "Farmers" as they were dubbed by local press in the first four games (and Aggies after) lost each of their five games before dropping two more as Maryland State. The first game played by the University of Maryland as it is presently known took place in 1930.

The two schools, despite being a mere 30 miles apart, have not met since 1965. Until that point, the two Mid-Atlantic foes had met eight times between 1950 and `65.

From 1931-1965, the series was competitive with Maryland taking five of 11 games. The all-time series record, however, is somewhat lopsided with the Terrapins having lost each of the first eight games of the series (from 1905-1930).

The last time Maryland and Navy met, Ralph Friedgen was on the Terp freshman team and for the 1964 game, he was in attendance as a Maryland recruit.

The series has been played four times in Baltimore (1931, `32, `51, `59) with Navy winning three of those four contests. The Terps' lone win in Charm City came in 1951, a 40-21 victory in a campaign that saw the Terrapins go a perfect 10-0 en route to blasting No. 1 and heavily-favored Tennessee, 28-13, in the Sugar Bowl.

This year's matchup is a one-time affair for the two teams. Though there have been talks about another contest, none is scheduled to occur in the next four years.

ACC's New Look

For the first time, the Atlantic Coast Conference will be a 12-team league in 2005 and feature a conference championship game. The league is split in two divisions with divisional champions meeting in the inaugural ACC Championship game on December 3rd in Jacksonville, Florida's Alltel Stadium.

Maryland is in the ACC's Atlantic Division along with first-year member Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, NC State and Wake Forest. The Coastal Division features Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech, last year's league champion.

Military Men

Though the Terrapin coaching staff has no ties with the U.S. Naval Academy, half of the staff have worked in a coaching setting at some institution with military ties.

Ralph Friedgen was an assistant coach at The Citadel from 1973-79.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe was an assistant at Army from 1981-86 and the head coach at The Citadel from 1987-96.

First-year wide receivers coach Bryan Bossard was an assistant at Army in 1999.

Outside linebackers coach Al Seamonson was at Army in `85-86 as an assistant before spending the next 12 years (1987-99) at The Citadel.

Defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo played at The Citadel from 1973-76 and coached at the Charleston, S.C., school from 1989-98.

Select Company

Ralph Friedgen's 36 wins in his first four years ranks tied for 10th in NCAA Division I-A history for fourth-year coaches. His company on that list is noteworthy.

Nestled between Nebraska's Tom Osborne (9th) and Boston College's Frank Leahy (12th) stand Friedgen and a coach who Terp fans may recognize -- current defensive coordinator Gary Blackney. Blackney posted a 36-8-2 record at Bowling Green from 1991-94.

A Wealth of Experience

Atop the Maryland coaching staff are a head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator who combined, have as much experience as nearly any threesome in Division I-A football. Between Ralph Friedgen, Charlie Taaffe and Gary Blackney, there is a combined 97 years of full-time coaching experience at either the pro or collegiate levels.

Only two other programs can boast more experience at the top of their coaching staff than Maryland's near century of experience. Penn State leads the way with Joe Paterno (HC), Galen Hall (OC) and Tom Bradley (DC) accounting for 117 years of experience, while Florida State is second with Bobby Bowden (HC), Jeff Bowden (OC) and Mickey Andrews (DC) accounting for 101.

The coaching experience on the Terrapin staff does not end with Friedgen and his coordinators. The Maryland staff of position coaches, overall, possesses a combined total of 212 years of full-time experience at either the collegiate or pro levels.

That total includes five coaches (excluding Friedgen, Taaffe and Blackney) who have been at it for 15 years or more, and the 212 years means an average of over 21 years of experience per coach on the 2005 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.

As stated previous, 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 season-ending win over Wake, Maryland has 36 victories over its last four seasons -- all since Ralph Friedgen took over in 2001.

The Terps' total of 36 wins from 2001-04 is the second-highest four-year win total in school history. Maryland's top effort was 37 wins under Jerry Claiborne from 1975-78.

Last season marked the first time in Friedgen's tenure that the team failed to win 10 games. In the 108 years of football prior to Friedgen's arrival, Maryland had never put together three straight nine-win seasons much less 10 like the Terps' did from 2001-03.

Since 1892, Maryland has had seven 10-win seasons, three of which have come in Friedgen's five years.

2001 Redux?

There are a number of similarities between this year and the Terrapins' 2001 campaign, Ralph Friedgen's first at Maryland.

The Terps are unproven at quarterback, but enter the season with a player in Sam Hollenbach (like Shaun Hill, also #14) who has shown in the preseason a confidence and understanding in the offense. He has also spent more time in the system than first time opening-day starters Hill, Scott McBrien and Joel Statham.

The team enters the season with no clear-cut starter at tailback. Josh Allen's knee injury at the end of 2004 means that whichever back starts the Navy game -- between Mario Merrills, Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball -- will be making his first start. Bruce Perry ended up the starter as a sophomore in 2001, but shared time during the season with Marc Riley.

Pundits are not expecting much from the Terrapins. Few have picked the team to finish higher than fifth in the Atlantic Division's first season.

The team lost its best defensive lineman the year previous (Kris Jenkins in 2000; Shawne Merriman in 2004) and is unproven up front.

Both seasons had a standout middle linebacker in the fold (E.J. Henderson in 2001 and D'Qwell Jackson in 2005) and unproven talent in the secondary.

Green Shells

Last year's Maryland team was a young bunch, but this season, the Terrapins are even more green than last.

Friedgen likes to throw out a note about the number of players on the roster with three or more years eligibility remaining, but his number (58) has been based on a look at scholarshipped student-athletes.

A look at the entire roster is astounding. A total of 72 Maryland players are sophomore or younger with 47 of those Terps being freshmen (redshirt or true).

Tough Losses

Two weeks into August, the 2005 season had not yet begun, and already the team suffered a number of significant losses due to injury.

Prior to spring ball, it was announced that TB Josh Allen would miss 2005 recovering from a knee injury suffered in the last game of 2004. Allen will enter 2006 sixth on the team's all-time rushing touchdown list (21) and 11th on the career yardage list (1,860).

Just a week into fall camp, the team lost its top offensive lineman, as left tackle Stephon Heyer tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Heyer entered 2005 with 24 straight starts under his belt, most on the offense.

A day after Heyer's injury, redshirt freshman LB Erin Henderson also tore his ACL. Henderson was a backup at two linebacker spots and was playing well in addition to working with a number of units on special teams.

Miller Time

Senior Derek Miller has been considered an intelligent, strong-blocking tight end since the duties were turned over to him by current Minnesota Viking Jeff Dugan. Out of necessity, those skills will be put to the test -- at least early in the season-- as he has made the move to left tackle.

Miller's knowledge of the system made it so he could immediately jump in for an injured Stephon Heyer when the senior went down with a knee injury in the first week of camp. Miller -- who will wear No. 74 when playing on the line -- has been a steadying force ever since on a line that features seven (of 10) players on the two-deep who are sophomore or younger.

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 unit in four seasons, however, has been its defense.

Defensive coordinator Gary Blackney's group 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 18.0 points allowed per game since 2001, that feat has obviously been a tall order for Terrapin foes.

Just one team -- Georgia -- has finished higher than the Terrapins in scoring defense each of the last four years.

The Terps finished last season allowing an average of 20 points per game, 27th-best in Division I-A.

Since 2001, 35 of Maryland's 50 opponents (70%) 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 73 quarters (18 in 2004).

Maryland has held six opponents to 100 yards or less passing since 2001.

In Blackney's tenure, Maryland has held its opposition below 100 yards rushing 13 times.

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 2003 (FSU threw for over 250 in `04, but did so with two different quarterbacks and attempting 51 passes).

Just one QB, Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall, has been able to pass for more than one touchdown against the Terrapins since Chris Rix of Florida State did so in game two of the 2003 season.

Blackney's "D" Pulling Rank

Since Gary Blackney arrived in 2001, Maryland's defense has consistently been among the national leaders in several categories. Below is a look at some of the defense's accomplishments in that time (bold denotes Top 30 national ranking):

                	2001	2002	2003	2004
Total Def.:     	30	36	15	21
Scoring Def.:   	18	7	6	27
Pass. Def.:     	82	52	12	8
Pass. Eff. Def.:	34	36	17	16

In addition to the ranking in categories listed above, it is notable that in 2001 the Terps finished ninth in the NCAA in rushing defense, seventh in turnovers gained, and ranked second nationally (behind Miami) with 24 interceptions.

Q-Jack City

Considered undersized as a prep. Playing in the shadows of a legend early in his career. Senior linebacker D'Qwell Jackson has been through just about everything and has emerged as the unquestionable leader of the Maryland defense, a major awards and All-America candidate, and one of the top defensive players at any position in the country.

Jackson has led the Terrapin defense in tackling in each of his two years as a starter (136 in 2003 and an ACC-best 123 in 2004).

The fiercest competitor on the Terp roster, Jackson has led Maryland in tackles in 13 of 24 games heading into 2005. He has also had 14 career games with double-digit tackles.

Jackson, a first team All-ACC selection who finished second in balloting for Defensive Player of the Year honors, averaged 11.2 tackles per game last year, making him the lone player in the league to average 10 or more tackles per game.

His average of 11.2 tackles per game ranked 11th-best in the NCAA for 2004.

Jackson earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times in 2004 and was one of just three ACC players (Devin Hester, specialist; and Jonathan Abbate, rookie) to have earned ACC Player of the Week more than twice.

A preseason first or second team All-American on nearly every major publication's preseason list, Jackson is on the watch lists for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Butkus Awards this year.

In the 2003 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.

Turnover Low in `06

In addition to the high number of young Terps taking the field this year, the more experienced Maryland players -- in terms of their academic eligibility -- are somewhat few and far between, leaving the team with likely much the same look next season.

Maryland has 16 seniors on its current roster, with two of those seniors -- OT Stephon Heyer and TB Josh Allen -- possibilities for return next season.

Heading into the first weekend, 10 of 22 listed starters are seniors. On defense, the Terps will lose a total of just four players from its entire two-deep to graduation following this year.

The Duke

One of the most physically-gifted players in the history of Maryland football, TE Vernon "Duke" Davis seems poised for a breakout junior season after an impressive sophomore campaign.

Davis led the team in receiving yards last year from his H-back position, posting 441 yards (on 27 receptions) in what could best be described as a down year for Maryland's pass offense.

This year, the Washington, D.C., native will return to more of a traditional tight end role, a move that will improve his comfort level in the position and likely make him a bigger part of the offense.

Named to the John Mackey Award watch list for this season after being named the national tight end of the week for his play against Duke last year, Davis' strength numbers are unparalleled in Terp history by a tight end. His spring 2005 testing numbers included a 460-pound bench, 685-pound squat, 40-inch vertical jump and a time of 4.41 in the 40-yard dash.

Turtles in Name Only

Though this year's Maryland team is again a young one, it is also notable that team speed and athleticism have improved as the current coaching staff's recruits are fully integrated into the system (2005 will be the first year there will have been no holdovers from the previous staff's recruiting efforts).

The Terrapins had 14 players run in the 4.5-or-better range in the 40-yard dash in spring testing (note that all times are an average of six stopwatches on the same sprint).

Five of the 12 wide receivers who tested in the spring ran 4.54 or better, two tailbacks ran 4.5 or better (Lattimore and Merrills) and five defensive backs ran under a 4.5 (Barnes, McPhearson, Taylor, Wilson and Gardner).

Two receivers who did not test -- newcomers Darrius Heyward-Bey (10.54 100m) and Danny Oquendo (7.46 55mH) -- were among the top prep sprinters in the nation this past track season.

Two notable times -- CB Gerrick McPhearson broke Renaldo Nehemiah's school record with a 4.21; Vernon Davis, at 250 pounds, ran a 4.41.

Podlesh One of Nation's Finest

Junior Adam Podlesh settled into his career at Maryland before the ink had dried in the record books on his predecessor Brooks Barnard's strong career. Though Podlesh has not cracked all of Barnard's records yet, Maryland finds itself with arguably the most complete and versatile punter in the nation.

Last season, Podlesh maintained a 44.8-yard average (second-best in the ACC and 10th-best in the nation) while his net average (39.4) led the ACC and was also seventh in the NCAA.

On 116 career punts, Podlesh has dropped 37 percent (43) inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Podlesh placed 21 of his 63 punts inside the 20 a year ago.

In being named a second team All-ACC selection at punter in 2003, Podlesh became the first freshman in school history to be recognized by the league. He earned the honor for the second-straight season in 2004.

Iron Terps

Maryland's strength numbers over the course of the last five years have been off the charts. This season, 30 players earned "Iron Terp" status, an honor that is based on a player's strength index (determined by a strength/weight formula). That total is the second-highest in team history.

Team averages in categories used to measure index this season include an average bench press of 337 pounds; an average squat of 516 pounds; an average clean of 295 pounds; and an average vertical jump of 33-1/2 inches.

Not only were new individual records set, but the team as a whole improved dramatically, as 89 percent of the players on this year's team elevated their personal bests in strength index. By comparison, 72 percent had bettered their numbers in 2004.

Vernon Davis' strength feats were mentioned earlier in the release, but other notable accomplishments include QB Sam Hollenbach setting team records in index (701), squat (600) and clean (320) and P Adam Podlesh posting a best-ever mark for a punter with a 315-pound clean a year after setting the record in the 40-yard dash (4.46).

By the ranking system used at Maryland, TB Mario Merrills is the team's strongest player pound-for-pound after setting a record strength index for a running back with an 814.

Local Ties

Maryland has one player with ties to the Naval Academy as Greg Powell is an Annapolis native (Annapolis HS).

As it draws from a national pool, it is not so surprising that Navy has just three players who are natives of the state of Maryland. Paul Bridgers (Gaithersburg), Ben Gabbard (Arnold) and Kyle Green (Salisbury) all call the Free State home.

Navy outside linebackers coach Keith Jones attended The Citadel at the same time as Maryland defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo.

Terps Among Nation's Elite

Over the course of the past four years, the Maryland football program has been among the best in the nation. The Terrapins are 36-14 in that span with a 23-3 record at home.

Maryland was one of just five BCS programs to win at least 10 games from 2001-2003. The four others were Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Texas and Washington State.

Scouting the Midshipmen

Navy enters 2005 on the heels of one of the best seasons in its history. The 2004 campaign produced the academy's second-ever 10-win season (1905 being the first) at 10-2, and a win in the Emerald Bowl over New Mexico.

Notably, this year's team will look very different from the one fielded in last year's bowl win in San Francisco. Navy returns just six starters (two offense, three defense, one punter) this season (all seniors), fewest of any Division I-A school.

One thing that will likely not change for Navy this year is their success running the football out of its spread offense. Last season, the Midshipmen ranked third nationally in rushing offense, averaging 289.5 yards per game.

Navy's leading returnees on offense are this year's starting QB, Lamar Owens (5th on the team in rushing in `04 with 115 yards), and WR Jason Tomlinson, the team's leading receiver last year (16 receptions, 273 yds., 1 TD) despite the fact he did not start.

Defensively, the Mids return three starters in LB David Mahoney, CB Jeremy McGown and DE Jeremy Chase. McGown, a safety last year, is the team's leading returning tackler with 91 (33 solo) and two pass breakups.

Navy's Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson enters his fourth year at Navy and does so with lofty credentials. Johnson has helped the Midshipmen to an improvement in each of his previous three seasons and owns a 20-17 record after starting 2-10 in his first campaign.

Navy has gone to bowl games in each of the last two years under Johnson, a feat (back-to-back bowl appearances) accomplished only one other time in the 124-year history of the school.

Johnson came to the Naval Academy from Georgia Southern, a school he led to a Southern Conference championship in each of his five seasons, compiling a 62-10 (.861) record along the way.

Entering year nine of his career as a head coach, Johnson owns a 82-27 record.

The 2004 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year, this is actually Johnson's second stop at Navy as he was offensive coordinator in Annapolis in 1995-96.

Previous coaching stops included offensive coordinator jobs at Hawai'i (1987-94), Georgia Southern (`83-86) and Lees-McRae Junior College (`81-82) in Banner Elk, N.C.

A native of Newland, N.C., Johnson received his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Western Carolina in 1979 and his master's in health and physical education from Appalachian State in 1982.

Protecting the House

Despite suffering a pair of losses at home last year for the first time since 2000, the Terrapins are 23-3 at Byrd Stadium under Ralph Friedgen.

The Terrapins finished with their first sub-.500 record under Friedgen in 2004, but for the most part maintained their strong play at home, finishing with a 4-2 mark at Byrd.

With Maryland's win over Virginia in 2003, the Terps finished the 2003 season with a perfect 6-0 record at home, marking the second time in three years that the team had finished its home slate unblemished.

In 112 seasons of football, Maryland has finished undefeated at home 19 times. Just eight of those occasions, however, have come since 1950 (when Byrd Stadium opened) and just three times has it happened since 1975 (`76, 2001 and `03).

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.

More on Byrd Stadium

Now in its 56th 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.

Heading into 2005, the Terrapins are 179-102-1 within the friendly confines of Byrd.

With temporary bleachers installed again this season, Byrd Stadium can hold up to 51,500.

Flashback to 1965
The following are a few historical facts about the year the last time Maryland and Navy met in football:

Winston Churchill dies, Jan. 24

First U.S. combat troops sent to Vietnam, Feb. 9

Watts riots in Los Angeles, Aug. 11

Castro announced resignation of Che Guevara, Oct. 3

Medicaid is founded in United States

U.S. President is Lyndon B. Johnson

Average cost of a new home is $21,500

Postage stamp costs $.05; gallon of gas, $.31

Sound of Music is top grossing movie

Bonanza top TV show

Former Terp coach "Bear" Bryant leads Alabama to national title in football

Beatles `65 is the top-selling album

Terps vs. Navy - Game Day Central

Players Mentioned

Lance Ball

Erin Henderson

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Keon Lattimore

Danny Oquendo

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