Jan. 9, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A nine-win campaign and a victory in the Champs Sports Bowl wasn't quite enough to place Maryland in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, but the Terrapins did receive votes in each one.

Maryland (9-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) garnered the third-most points (24) among the unranked teams, trailing only Hawaii and Nebraska in the AP poll. Just three teams (Georgia [9-4], Penn State [9-4] and Tennessee [9-4]) with less than 10 wins appeared in the final AP ranking. There were only two (Tennessee and Penn State) in the coaches poll.

The Terps, who defeated Purdue 24-7 in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 29, tallied seven points in the USA Today poll.

The win gave Maryland a school record three-straight bowl victories as its previous two triumphs came over Tennessee 30-3 (Dec. 31, 2002) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and over West Virginia 41-7 (Jan. 1, 2004) in the Toyota Gator Bowl.

Florida, which defeated Ohio State, 41-14, Monday night in the BCS Championship Game, was first in both polls, followed by the Buckeyes, LSU and USC.

The Terps were fourth among ACC schools in the AP poll, as Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Boston College were 18th, 19th and 20th, respectively. Those three teams went 17th, 18th and 20th, respectively, in the coaches poll, with Georgia Tech (19) also receiving votes.

Maryland collected at least nine wins for 13th time in 114 years of football with four of those seasons coming during Ralph Friedgen's time as head coach. The Terps were ranked among the top 25 during Friedgen's first three seasons (2001-03).

Friedgen and the Terps are scheduled to return 16 offensive and defensive starters to next season's team, but will have to replace five All-ACC performers including QB Sam Hollenbach, OT Stephon Heyer and CB Josh Wilson.

P Adam Podlesh and PK Dan Ennis, both seniors, also received all-league accolades in 2006.