Nov. 20, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland plays its 12th and final game of the regular season this Saturday when it plays host to Wake Forest at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium beginning at 7:45 p.m. With Boston College's loss to Miami Thursday, the winner of the contest will claim the Atlantic Division title and advance to the ACC Championship game to face Georgia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. in Jacksonville.
The Maryland-Wake Forest contest will be televised live nationally in prime time on ESPN and broadcast on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network (105.7 FM and 1300 AM Baltimore; 630 AM Washington, D.C.) with radio pregame starting at 5 p.m. The game is the Terrapins' 8th straight against Atlantic Coast Conference competition.
The Game
Maryland (8-3, 5-2) had its five-game winning streak snapped last Saturday at Boston College, losing 38-16 to the Eagles in the Terps' final road game of the regular season. Maryland committed four turnovers in the game, with three being turned directly into touchdowns with two fumble returns and an interception return for scores. With the exception of those 21 points, Maryland played the Eagles even for the most part, getting 247 yards passing from QB Sam Hollenbach and 22 first downs offensively.
Wake Forest (9-2, 5-2) also had a streak snapped last Saturday, having a four-game win string stopped by Virginia Tech, 27-6. The Demon Deacons were held to 257 yards in total offense by a resurgent Hokie defense. Tech led 7-3 at halftime and led 14-6 midway through the third quarter before finishing the game with 13 unanswered points to seal the win. WR Nate Morton caught 5 passes for 94 yards to highlight the Deacs' offense, while QB Riley Skinner went 17-for-30 for 195 yards passing.
Pending a Thanksgiving Night matchup with Boston College traveling to Miami, the Wake Forest-at-Maryland game carries much significance in the Atlantic Division race. Maryland, Wake and BC are tied atop the standings at 5-2. A Boston College victory at Miami (7:45 p.m., 11/23, ESPN) would eliminate Maryland from the fight for first place, as the Eagles would capture a two-team tie-breaker with the Terps by virtue of last Saturday's win. A Boston College victory and a Wake Forest victory vs. Maryland would give the Atlantic Division to the Demon Deacons by virtue of Wake's 21-14 win at home over BC on Nov. 4. A Miami victory Saturday would eliminate the Eagles and would mean that the Wake-Maryland game would determine the Atlantic Division champion and the berth in the Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville on Dec. 2 opposite Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech.
Maryland comes into the matchup with Wake Forest with a 6-0 record at home this season. The only time a Terrapin team has gone 7-0 at home was 2001, which was also Ralph Friedgen's first season as Maryland's head coach. Friedgen teams have gone unbeaten at home in 2001 and 2003. Wake Forest, on the other hand, is 5-0 way from Groves Stadium this year and will try to become the first ACC team in history to go 6-0 on the road.
Maryland fell just out of both major polls this week, receiving enough votes to rank 26th in both the Associated Press poll and the USA Today ranking. Wake Forest is 20th in both major polls this week, having dropped from 14th after the home loss to the Hokies last Saturday. Wake Forest is 21st in the BCS standings as of 11/19.
Series Notes -- Terps vs. Demon Deacons
Saturday's game is the 55th in the all-time football series between Maryland and Wake Forest. The Terrapins hold a 40-13-1 edge in the series that dates back to 1917. Maryland has won seven straight in the series - a string dating back to 1999. Wake Forest's last victory came in College Park in 1998 with a 20-10 triumph. Wake also won in 1997. Dating back to 1993, Maryland has won 11 of 13 in the series.
A year ago, Maryland beat Wake Forest, 22-12, in the Terrapins' fourth game of the year. Josh Wilson returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter and the Terps held a 13-0 lead late in the half. Sam Swank hit a 42-yard field goal that put Wake on the board on the final play of the first half. Keon Lattimore ran for 76 yards to lead the Terrapins and got a 3-yard touchdown that put the Terps ahead 22-10 early in the fourth quarter. Maryland held the Demon Deacons to 244 yards in total offense despite 86 yards rushing for Chris Barclay.
Quick Hits -- Week 11
Maryland had a 5-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in a 38-16 loss at Boston College. The Terrapins suffered four turnovers in the game, including three that led directly to return touchdowns and 21 points.
The loss snapped the longest winning streak by Maryland since it closed 2003 with five straight wins.
QB Sam Hollenbach threw for a season-high 249 yards, completing a career-high 27 passes. It was his 3rd straight 200-yard passing day and 4th of the season. Hollenbach also moved from 6th to 5th on the career passing list at Maryland and now stands at 4,734 for his career.
TB Josh Allen made the most of his first career pass, throwing an option pass in the third quarter for a 9-yard touchdown to WR Danny Oquendo. The score brought the Terps within 35-16 with 2:02 to play in the third period.
WR Danny Oquendo, TE Joey Haynos and TB Keon Lattimore each caught 6 passes for the Terps. Oquendo posted career-highs in receptions and receiving yards (65), while Lattimore's 6 catches were also a career-best.
PK Dan Ennis extended a string of made field goals to 11 straight by going 3-for-3 against Boston College. His 46-yarder in the third quarter matched the longest of his career. Ennis moved into 3rd place on the season FG chart (18-for-22) and into 6th on the career list (35).
LB Erin Henderson led Maryland with 9 tackles, the 3rd time in the last 4 games he's topped the Terrapin tackle chart.
Of Comebacks
Maryland's 20-point comeback at Virginia created a scramble through the record books to find the following nuggets:
Head coach Ralph Friedgen was the offensive coordinator on 11/10/1984 when Maryland recovered from a 31-0 halftime deficit at Miami to score a 42-40 triumph.
The last time Maryland came from 20 points down to win a game was on 11/20/1993 at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons scored the first 23 points of the game before Maryland rallied to take a 33-32 victory.
Before the win at Virginia, Maryland had earned two 14-point comebacks during Friedgen's tenure as head coach. Maryland trailed 21-7 at Wake Forest on 11/29/2003 before winning 41-28. Also, the Terrapins trailed 21-7 against NC State on 11/9/2003 before rallying for a 24-21 victory.
Of Drama
Maryland has won five straight games by a combined total of 13 points. Each game has featured some fourth-quarter drama and have kept Terrapin fans on the edge of their seats:
After losing their ACC opener, 27-23, at Georgia Tech, Maryland trailed 20-0 at Virginia (10/14) when the teams broke for halftime. The Terrapins got a 56-yard TD by Keon Lattimore and a 45-yard interception return by Erin Henderson in a run of 28 unanswered points over a stretch of 6:11. Virginia pulled within 28-26 with a touchdown with 2:37 to play, but Josh Wilson tipped away the Cavaliers' two-point conversion attempt.
Maryland used two turnovers by NC State to earn a 20-0 lead early on 10/21, then held on for a 28-26 Homecoming win over the Wolfpack. NC State pulled within two points with a touchdown with 58 seconds left, but the Terrapins covered an onside-kick attempt to pull out the win.
Sam Hollenbach threw three TD passes en route to a 27-14 lead in the third quarter on 10/28 against Florida State. The Seminoles closed to within 27-24 with 8:49 left on a 24-yard field goal by Gary Cismesia. Lining up for a potential game-tying field goal from 46 yards out, DE Jeremy Navarre broke through the middle to block the kick and give Maryland the win.
The fourth field goal of the day by Clemson's Jad Dean gave the Tigers a 12-10 lead over the Terps with 2:25 left on 11/4. But Sam Hollenbach went 5-for-5 on a game-winning drive that set up a 31-yard field goal by Dan Ennis as time ran out, giving the Terrapins a 13-12 road victory.
Maryland took an early 14-0 lead against Miami (11/11), but held on for a 14-13 win. Trey Covington had an interception at the Maryland 32 with 3:08 to play and Isaiah Gardner forced a fumble on a Miami punt-return attempt with 1:14 remaining to preserve the win.
Terps Own Nation's Longest Streak
In special teams coach Ray Rychleski's six years, Maryland has had two punters (Brooks Barnard and Adam Podlesh), two long snappers (Jon Condo and Andrew Schmitt) and zero blocked punts.
The Terrapins' streak without a blocked punt goes back 84 games, now the longest streak in college football.
The Terps have not had one blocked since Nov. 13, 1999 (Florida State). That amount of time became the longest in NCAA football recently when Georgia, which last had one blocked earlier in the 1999 season, had a punt blocked by Ole Miss.
Turning The Tables
While the Terrapins are not yielding blocked punts, they are doing their best not to return the favor to their opposition.
In the last two years, the Terps have blocked four punts. They opened this season with a Josh Wilson block against William & Mary.
Select Company
Ralph Friedgen's 41 wins in his first five years as a head coach ranked tied for second in Atlantic Coast Conference history among coaches in their first five years. Friedgen is working his way up the charts for sixth-year ACC coaches.
Though he was the top second-, third- and fourth-year coach in ACC history by wins, Friedgen's win total after last season fell short of the mark of 44 wins set by Clemson's Danny Ford from 1979-83. That mark, however, tied him for second with former Terrapin great Jerry Claiborne (1972-76) on the list of fifth-year mentors.
Friedgen (49-22) will need two more wins this season to match the six-year ACC mark of Ford (51-15-2).
The win over Miami moved Friedgen into a tie for 2nd place on the list of career victories in a coaches' 6th year at an ACC school. Dick Crum was 48-20-1 at North Carolina from 1978-82, and Friedgen is now tied with Claiborne, who was 49-20-2 at Maryland from 1972-77.
New Old Faces
The loss of two experienced coordinators this past season left what would seem to have been a gap in experience on the Terrapin coaching staff. With Friedgen taking over at offensive coordinator and Chris Cosh on the defensive side, Maryland is far from green, however.
The Maryland staff (head coach and full-time assistants), overall, possesses a combined total of 202 years of full-time experience at either the collegiate or pro levels.
That total includes seven coaches (Friedgen, Cosh, Brattan, Rychleski, Seamonson, Sollazzo and Zacharias) who have been at it for 20 years or more, and the 202 years means an average of over 20 years of experience per coach on the 2006 staff.
Only quarterbacks coach John Donovan (four years) has less than 10 years as a full-time assistant coach. Donovan's time around football is not quite so brief, however, as he spent four years at Georgia Tech as Friedgen's graduate assistant and four years with the Terps as an assistant recruiting coordinator.
Back in the Saddle
This season will be Ralph Friedgen's first coordinating the Maryland offense while also serving as head coach. Prior to this year, Friedgen had not called offensive plays since leaving Georgia Tech in 2000.
In his last stint in college as a coordinator (1998-2000), Friedgen guided a Georgia Tech offense unit that averaged 36.7 points and 444 yards of total offense per game. During that span, the Yellow Jackets posted a record of 27-8 (.771)
This run is Friedgen's second coordinating the Maryland offense as he served in the same role under head coach Bobby Ross from 1982-86. In his time with Ross at Maryland, Friedgen helped lead the Terps to three ACC Championships and was instrumental in the development of quarterbacks Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich and Stan Gelbaugh.
Tough Road
The Terrapins road back to a bowl game has been a challenging one, as their schedule is one of the toughest in the nation this season. An initial look shows that the Terps play (or have played) five teams ranked in this week's Top 25.
Maryland has eight 2005 bowl teams on the its `06 slate.
Now finished with their non-conference slate, the Terps are in the midst of eight straight games against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
The NCAA maintains weekly an updated list of toughest schedules in the nation based on opponents' won-lost records. Currently, Maryland's dozen opponents for 2006 are 60-42 (.588), ranking 11th on that list. Cincinnati owns the nation's toughest schedule, with opponents winning at a .637pace (65-37). The next-highest ACC team is NC State (21st, .571, 60-45).
In his online column in the preseason, ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman ranked the Terps schedule as the 10th-toughest in college football this season.
Sam I Am
For just the second time in the last six years, Maryland has started a season with a returning starter at the quarterback position. And though the success Sam Hollenbach (pronounced HALL-en-bock) had a year ago is not that of Scott McBrien (the last QB to return as starter) in 2003, his experience and knowledge of Friedgen's offense suggests that he he is the man to lead the Terp offense this season.
Through 11 games this season, Hollenbach has yet to have a breakout performance but has cut down on the mistakes that plagued him a year ago. In 2006, he is 174-for-278 (62.6 completion percentage) for 1,966 yards with 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. In his last five games (since NC State), Hollenbach has thrown 7 touchdowns and has just 3 interceptions.
Hollenbach's career completion percentage heading into this week's game is 61.7 percent (388-for-629). Now with 4,734 yards passing in his career, Hollenbach is 5th on the all-time list at Maryland, having just passed Dan Henning (4,560, 1985-87). Next on the list is Neil O'Donnell, who threw for 4,989 yards from 1987-89.
On career lists, he also ranks 5th with 629 attempts (641, Dan Henning, 1985-87), 3rd in completions with 388 (461, Boomer Esiason, 1981-83) and 5th with 25 passing touchdowns (26, Neil O'Donnell, 1987-89).
Hollenbach is the only returning ACC quarterback to rank in the top five in pass efficiency, total offense and passing yardage last year. The lone QB who achieved that feat along with him was the now-departed Charlie Whitehurst of Clemson. This week, Hollenbach ranked 3rd in the ACC in total offense, pass efficiency rating and passing yards per game.
Entering this week, Hollenbach is 14-8 in his career as a starter.
Terple Threat
Heading into last season, Maryland was -- for the first time since 2001 -- in search of a tailback. Mario Merrills, Lance Ball, Keon Lattimore and J.P. Humber were all vying for the job and midway through last season, no single back had been named the every day starter. A year later, the Terrapins are as deep and talented at tailback as any team in the ACC and the only issue at hand is splitting up the carries.
This year, the team has made regular use of Ball, and Lattimore while also mixing in veteran Josh Allen.
11 games into the season, the trio has rushed exactly 300 times for 1,290 yards (4.3 average) and 9 touchdowns.
Still only a junior, Ball established himself as one of the league's top backs a year ago, rushing for 903 yards despite starting only four games. He rushed over 100 yards four times in the team's last seven games in 2005 and was ultimately named second team All-ACC.
Ball currently leads the team in rushing with 653 yards on 150 carries (4.4 per carry). He is 9th in the ACC in rushing and rushed for the fifth 100-yard game of his career at Georgia Tech (23 carries, 116 yards).
Junior Keon Lattimore missed spring recovering from a shoulder injury, but has returned and looks like a different player this season. He is second on the team in rushing (117 carries, 539 yards) and his 4.6 yards per carry leads the team. Lattimore had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career at Virginia.
Now completely healed from an injury suffered in the final game of 2004, Josh Allen returns to give the Terps yet another threat. Allen enters this week tied for 6th on the school's all-time list for rushing touchdowns and moved into the career top 10 for rushing yards with 1,958. He is now 9th on that list, passing Billy Lovett (1966-68) against NC State.
Receivers Coming Along
In Vernon Davis, Danny Melendez, Jo Jo Walker and Derrick Fenner, Maryland lost 76 percent (160 of 210) of its receptions due to graduation or the NFL draft. It is not a mystery that players will have to step up in their absence.
The Maryland two-deep returned just one senior (Drew Weatherly) and no other players with the exception of special teams guru Greg Powell with any more experienced than a sophomore. What the team does have that it did not have even last year in its talented trio of wideouts is an abundance of physical talent.
The average height and weight of this year's top five receivers is 6-2, 203. In that group, the average time in the 40-yard dash in spring drills was 4.46 with Darrius Heyward-Bey and Isaiah Williams each sub-4.4.
Through 11 games, Maryland's top three wide receivers are all second-year players (Danny Oquendo, Williams and Heyward-Bey). The only non-receiver to sneak into the top four is another first-year starter, TE Joey Haynos.
Heyward-Bey had an outstanding game at Georgia Tech, often getting yards where there seemingly were none. He finished the day with five receptions for 111 yards, the first 100-yard effort of his young career and first of the season for the Terrapins.
His 175-yard game against Miami featured catches of 65 and 96 yards on which he was able to display his showcase speed. His 175 yards are the second-best game by an ACC receiver this season, behind only Jomar Wright's 10-for-176 game for Duke against Miami.
Heyward-Bey went from out of the top 10 on the ACC's receiving yards list into 3rd with his big game against the Hurricanes. He's now averaging 52.4 receiving yards per game, behind only Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson (80.5) and UNC's Hakeem Nicks (54.3).
In game three (at West Virginia), the trio of Heyward-Bey, Williams and Oquendo accounted for eight more receptions (12) than they had in their collective careers prior to this year. Heyward-Bey and Williams each posted then career highs in receptions and yards and Williams caught his first career touchdown, a 35-yarder.
Noting the Terp Defense
When he was hired to come to Maryland, the talk about the mark Ralph Friedgen would make in College Park was all about offense. For the majority of his tenure, however, the most consistent Terp unit has been the defense.
Since 2001, the Maryland defense has allowed an average of 19.1 points per game. The 2005 campaign was the team's first in that time finishing a season with a scoring average above 20.0.
Maryland's defense has been outstanding in the red zone, one of the key ingredients to the midseason winning streak. Including the Boston College game, on Maryland opponents' last 11 trips to the red zone, the Terps have allowed just 1 touchdown and 8 field goals, while blocking one FG and seeing another FG missed. The Eagles got a TD and FG in 3 trips inside the Terp 20 last Saturday.
Last year's defensive scoring average of 25.0 points per game was somewhat deceiving. The Terrapins gave up 42 points without the defense even being on the field (four interception returns, one punt return and one fumble return). Factor that in and the team averaged 21.1 points allowed per game, which would have ranked 26th-best in the nation as opposed to 55th.
Since 2001, 45 of Maryland's 72 opponents (63%) have been held to 20 points or less.
Since 2002, Maryland has held its opposition scoreless in 101 quarters (including 14 in 2006).
Prior to the first-half shutout of NC State, the last time Maryland held an opponent scoreless in the first half was 11/27/2004 when the Terps posted a zero on the scoreboard at Wake Forest. Maryland won that game 13-7.
Maryland has held nine opponents to 100 yards or less passing since 2001 (one in 2006).
Since `01, Maryland has held its opposition below 100 yards rushing 16 times. The Terps have accomplished the feat twice in `06 (William & Mary and FIU).
Just 5 times since game two of 2003 has a quarterback been able to pass for more than one touchdown against the Terrapins (Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall in 2004, Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst in 2005, Virginia's Jameel Sewell, Florida State's Xavier Lee and BC's Matt Ryan in 2006).
Turnover Low in `06 and `07
Maryland had just 15 seniors on its roster last season, with two of those seniors -- OT Stephon Heyer and TB Josh Allen -- back in uniform this year after redshirting due to injury.
Only seven of those 15 seniors from last year were listed as starters (three offense, four defense).
Just four players from the entire defensive two-deep from last year were lost to graduation.
This season's team has a total of just 13 seniors.
LB Unit Home of the Hardware
Three of the last five years, the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year has been a Maryland linebacker. This season the Terps have had to replace last year's honoree after losing eventual NFL second-round pick D'Qwell Jackson (currently the Browns' third-leading tackler), so it may come as a shock that Maryland's LB corps may be better this season.
Focus this year has been on junior Wesley Jefferson as he is filling the spot where E.J. Henderson (2001 and 2002) and Jackson (2005) earned their hardware while also garnering national award attention at season's end. Jefferson -- who is currently 3rd in the ACC in tackles with 8.9 per game -- has a deeper and possibly more talented surrounding cast than either All-American was afforded. LB Erin Henderson, for example, is just ahead of his teammate in 2nd place in the league (9.0 per game) and the Terp duo trails only Virginia Tech LB Vince Hall (9.4 per game) on that list.
In game one of 2006, the Terps got eight players in at their four linebacker positions with four of the team's top five tacklers being linebackers. Between Jefferson, Dave Philistin, Erin Henderson and Trey Covington, 28 tackles, three TFLs and two sacks were accounted for.
LBs have led the Terps in tackles in 10 of the 11 games (CB Isaiah Gardner had a team-high 8 vs. Middle Tennessee). Jefferson has led the Terps 5 times in games (W&M, FIU, UVa, NC State, Miami), while senior David Holloway topped the tackle chart against West Virginia and Georgia Tech. Henderson topped the tackle chart for the first time this season against FSU, finishing with 13, then surpassed that total with 18 at Clemson.
Jefferson had a career-high 13 against NC State. Jefferson had 14 at Miami and Henderson finished with a 4-9-13 chart against the `Canes.
Jefferson (W&M, UVa, NC State, Miami), Holloway (GT) and Henderson (UVa, FSU, Clem, Miami) have posted games in double figures this season.
Turtles in Name Only
The last two years, Maryland has seen an increased level of speed and athleticism among its players as the players on this years team have shown in offseason testing. (Last season was the first year that there were no remaining players from the previous regime'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).
Four of the 11 wide receivers who tested in the spring ran 4.44 or faster and six defensive backs ran under a 4.5.
Some notable times from players other than wideouts and corners who ran well include linebacker Dave Philistin (4.55), quarterback Josh Portis (4.53) and punter Adam Podlesh (4.44).
One other notable time, though it has as much to do with weight as it does speed, was the 4.83 time of 312-pound defensive tackle Dre Moore.
Podlesh Moving Up the Charts
Adam Podlesh is rated by NFL scouts as one of the top senior punting prospects this season. He has earned that distinction with as complete a resume as a punter can possess -- gross average, net average, directional punting and consistency -- and he has done it throughout his career at Maryland.
In 11 games this season, Podlesh is averaging 43.6 yards per punt on 50 attempts with 20 balls inside the 20-yard line and 15 fair catches.
Podlesh is ranked 13th nationally in gross punt average this week.
On 210 career punts, Podlesh has dropped 38 percent (80) inside the opponents' 20-yard line and 16 percent (34) inside the opposition's 10.
Podlesh has earned second-team All-ACC honors in each of his three years at Maryland. In each of those seasons, he was ranked just behind last year's Ray Guy Award winner Ryan Plackemeier of Wake Forest.
In being named the second team All-ACC punter in 2003, Podlesh became the first freshman in school history to be recognized by the league.
Heading into 2006, Podlesh's career average was ninth-best in ACC history and just a half-yard shy of Brooks Barnard's school record of 43.7. Podlesh currently carries a 43.3 career average.
Iron Terps
Maryland's strength numbers over the course of the last six years have been off the charts. This season, 22 players earned "Iron Terp" status, an honor that is based on a player's strength index (determined by a strength/weight formula).
Team averages (in categories used to measure index) this season include an average bench press of 338 pounds; an average squat of 489 pounds; an average clean of 294 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 78 percent of the players on this year's team elevated their personal bests in strength index.
Nine different all-time records were set for players at their given position. Among those records were the 40-yard dash time of punter Adam Podlesh (4.44), the vertical jump of linebacker Rick Costa (42 inches) and the bench press of quarterback Jordan Steffy (355).
Arguably the most amazing record set was by offensive tackle Jared Gaither. At 6-9 and 350 pounds, Gaither posted a 36-inch vertical jump.
ACC Football Power
Now in its second year as a 12-team conference with a championship game, the Atlantic Coast Conference is widely recognized as one of the premier conferences in the country.
Last season, eight ACC teams earned bowl bids.
The conference's schools have posted a 21-12 mark in postseason play in the last five years, best among all Division I-A conferences in that span.
With 10 of its 12 teams in the Sagarin ratings final top 45 last season, the ACC was ranked second among all conferences in the final Sagarin poll in 2005. Three of its schools were rated by Sagarin to have among the toughest 20 schedules in the country before the season (UNC, 5th; Maryland, 10th; Georgia Tech, 16th).
Scouting the Demon Deacons
For the second straight week, Maryland faces the No. 20 team in the nation, as Wake Forest replaced Boston College in that spot in both major rankings this week. The Demon Deacons opened the season with 5 straight victories, lost at home to Clemson, then recovered with a 4-game winning streak to head into Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium this Saturday with a 9-2 mark overall and a 5-2 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Demon Deacons have had similar fortunes to the Terrapins this season, having won some close games en route to a strong record. The Deacs beat Duke by one point, NC State by two, and handled North Carolina and BC by a touchdown before comfortably and impressively winning 30-0 at Florida State.
Wake Forest is attempting to become the first team in ACC history to go 6-0 on the road. Wake Forest has won at Connecticut, Ole Miss, NC State, North Carolina and Florida State so far this season.
Redshirt freshman QB Riley Skinner is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. He is completing 66.7 percent of his passes and has been picked off only 3 times in 189 passes this year. He ranks 1st in the league in pass efficiency rating.
Kevin Harris leads Wake in rushing with 351 yards this season, but is listed as questionable this week after being injured against Virginia Tech. He is averaging 5.4 yards per carry this season.
A trio of receivers have been equally sharing the load for the Deacons. Senior Nate Morton leads the team in catches (28), receiving yards (504) and TD catches (3), while running back Kenneth Moore has 26 catches out of the backfield and Willie Idlette has 24 catches for 283 yards.
The Wake defense, which has 17 interceptions this season, is led by junior MLB Jon Abbate, who has 81 tackles this year. Nine different Demon Deacon defenders have picked off at least one pass this season.
Senior DE Jyles Tucker has a team-high 6 sacks this year.
A Look Back
Maryland has 49 wins in its six seasons under Ralph Friedgen (in Friedgen's first 5 seasons, the team averaged 8.2 wins per year).
The Terps' total of 36 wins from 2001-04 was the second-highest four-year win total in school history. Maryland's top effort was 37 wins under Jerry Claiborne from 1975-78.
In the 108 years of football prior to Friedgen's arrival, Maryland had never put together three straight nine-win seasons. The Terrapins won 10 games in each of Friedgen's first three seasons (2001, 2002 and 2003).
Since 1892, Maryland has had eight 10-win seasons, four of which have come in Friedgen's six years.
Protecting the House
Despite a sub-.500 record in 2005, the Terrapins are 30-7 at Byrd Stadium under Ralph Friedgen. The Terps are 6-0 at home this season.
The Terps finished the 2003 season with a perfect 6-0 record at home, marking the second time in three years the team finished its home slate unblemished.
In 113 previous 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 (1976, 2001, 2003).
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 7-game home slate.
More on Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium
Now in its 57th year of operation, Chevy Chase Bank Field at 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.
The Terrapins are 185-104-1 within the friendly confines of Byrd.
With temporary bleachers installed again this season, Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium can hold up to 51,500.
Ticket Information
For additional info or to order by phone, call (800) 462-TERP.
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.
Dinner with the Turtles
Most Maryland football games are replayed on Comcast SportsNet every Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. Fans can also tune in at 7:00 p.m. Sundays and catch the Ralph Friedgen Show.
Fans can also see game highlights by tuning in to FridgeTV on the UMTerps.com website every week.
