Saturday, Oct. 6

Maryland (3-2, 0-1 ACC)

vs.

Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2 ACC)

Kickoff: Noon ET
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium

TV: Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports - Steve Martin (play-by-play), Doc Walker (color analyst) and Mike Hogewood (sideline reporter) will call the action.

Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Jonathan Claiborne (color) and Tim Strachan (sidelines) have the call. XM Satellite Radio Channel 191. Pregame with Gary Stein and Scott McBrien begins at 10:30 a.m. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network (10 affiliates): LIVE 105.7 FM (WHFS) - Baltimore (Flagship); ESPN Radio 1300 AM (WJFK) - Baltimore (Flagship); WJFK 106.7 FM - Washington D.C.; WTBO AM 1450 - Cumberland; WFMD AM 930 - Frederick; WARK AM 1490 - Hagerstown; WMSG AM 1050 - Oakland; WQMR FM 101.1 - Ocean City; WMED 1460 AM - Easton; WPTX 1690 AM - Lexington Park, Md.

In the Red Zone...
• Coming off one of its biggest non-league wins in recent years, the University of Maryland returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action this weekend when the Terrapins play host to Georgia Tech. The Terps and Yellow Jackets are set to kick off at noon ET Saturday at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The Terps, who play four of their next five at Byrd, downed No. 10 Rutgers, 34-24, Saturday in Piscataway, N.J., and now set their sights on evening their conference record in their ACC home opener. Both Maryland and Georgia Tech snapped two-game losing skids last weekend with wins over ranked teams. The Yellow Jackets downed No. 13 Clemson, 13-3, in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets have defeated the Terps in their last three meetings. Saturday's game will be televised to a regional audience on the Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports network. Locally the game can be seen on WJZ (CBS 13) in Baltimore and WDCA (Channel 20) in Washington, D.C. The game is also available on ESPN Gameplan. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network will handle the broadcast of the matchup with pregame starting at 10:30 a.m. The game will be replayed at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
• Maryland, which defeated a top 10 team for the first time in three years with the win over Rutgers, is led by the 35th ranked defense in the nation. The Terps allow 317.4 yards per contest. Rutgers had 392 yards of total offense Saturday, but that was nearly 140 yards below its season average (525.0). The Scarlet Knights came into the game with the third-ranked offense in the nation. Junior linebacker Erin Henderson is the Terps' top playmaker. He is among the top tacklers in the league for the second straight year, ranking second in stops and tied for 16th in the country (11.0 pg). He has led the team in tackles each game this season. He ranked second in the ACC and 31st nationally in tackles (8.8 per game) in 2006. The junior is a preseason All-American and on the watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy, and Bednarik and Butkus Awards. Junior LB Dave Philistin, a first-year starter, is second on the squad in tackles (35). Senior tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano lead the rush defense which is allowing 141.2 yards per game and held Heisman candidate Ray Rice to 97 yards. Junior cornerback Kevin Barnes, in his first season as a starter, is tied for first in the league in interceptions (0.60 pg). He has three of the team's seven picks.
• The Terps offense is led by a solid ground game, which features senior backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore. Lattimore ranks second in the ACC and 28th nationally in rushing (106.6 ypg), and has tallied a league-high eight rushing TDs. Maryland's 176.8 rushing yards per game ranks second in the ACC, behind only Georgia Tech (204.2). Lattimore and Ball combined for over 200 yards vs. Rutgers. Sophomore WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, a member of the 2007 Biletnikoff Award watch list, leads the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (258). Senior guard Andrew Crummey, a preseason All-American and candidate for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, headlines the offensive line which has three new starters. Junior quarterback Jordan Steffy is in his first year as a starter after taking over for two-year starter Sam Hollenbach. Steffy ranks sixth in the ACC in passing efficiency (123.2 rating) and second in completion percentage (68.0). Steffy was knocked out of the Rutgers game at the end of the first half. Sophomore Chris Turner came on and engineered four second-half scoring drives in the win.
• The Terps special teams has distinguished itself well after five games despite three new starters. True freshman Travis Baltz took over for Adam Podlesh at punter and junior Obi Egekeze replaced Dan Ennis as the place-kicker. Baltz ranks ninth in the ACC in punting average (39.2). He averaged a career-best 44.7 yards per punt vs. Wake Forest. Egekeze has hit 5 of 9 field goals, with two of the misses coming from beyond 50 yards. Redshirt freshman Da'Rel Scott, a backup running back, has served as the kickoff return specialist the last two games, averaging 21.3 yards on six attempts. Junior Danny Oquendo is the lone returning specialist. He ranks eighth in the ACC in punt return average (8.5 ypr).

Quick Hitters...
• The Terps have not started their conference schedule 0-2 under Ralph Friedgen. Maryland last lost its first two ACC games in 2000. The Terps opened league play 0-3 that season.
• Maryland is 193-158-4 (.546) all-time in ACC contests, including a 30-19 (.612) mark under Friedgen. The Terps are 4-4 vs. Georgia Tech at home.
• The Terps will celebrate the 50th anniversary of `The Queen's Game' this weekend. On Oct. 19, 1957, England's Queen Elizabeth - during a 10-day visit to Canada and the United States - came to College Park to see an American college football game. The Terps played host to No. 14 North Carolina that day and downed the Tar Heels, 21-7. The University of Maryland Archives is commemorating the visit with a special exhibit (see note below). There will be a special recognition ceremony prior to the Georgia Tech game. The 1957 team will also be honored prior to the game.
• This weekend the M Club and the Maryland Gridiron Network will serve as hosts to the inaugural Terrapin football "Decades Reunion." All members of teams which ended in year `7' will be honored at a reception Friday evening at the Gossett Team House. Members of those teams will be honored at halftime of the Georgia Tech game.
• Lance Ball needs 20 yards to become the ninth back in school history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards. He also needs just 23 yards to move into the all-time top 10 in rushing yards.
• Three true freshmen - P Travis Baltz, OL Bruce Campbell and DB Dominique Herald - have seen action so far this season.

Terps Upend a Top 10 Team...
Maryland's win over No. 10 Rutgers Saturday was its first over a top 10 team since 2004 (20-17 vs. No. 5 Florida State, Oct. 30). The Terps also downed a ranked team on the road for the second time in three opportunities. They lost to No. 20 Boston College, 38-16 on Nov. 18, 2006, but defeated No. 19 Clemson, 13-12, Nov. 4 of last year. It also marked the first time Maryland defeated a top 10 team on the road since Nov. 17, 1990 when they upended No. 8 Virginia, 35-30, in Charlottesville. That win came in the regular season finale and clinched a berth in the Independence Bowl for the Terps. In addition, Maryland defeated a top 10 non-conference team on the road for the first time since 1984. Frank Reich engineered a 31-point comeback in the Terps' 42-40 win at No. 6 Miami on Nov. 10, 1984. Until Saturday the Terps had lost seven in-a-row to top 10 non-conference foes on the road.

Stretching the Field...
Sophomore Chris Turner helped spark the offense to the win over Rutgers, but the Maryland wide receiving corps aided the inexperienced signal-caller by making a number of big plays down the field. Over the first three games of the season, the Terps had only eight plays of 20 or more yards, but over the last two contests they have posted eight, including five in pass game. In the Rutgers game, the top four wideouts (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Danny Oquendo, Isaiah Williams and LaQuan Williams) accounted for 13 receptions for 199 yards (15.3 yards per catch). None of the receptions may have been bigger, however, than the LaQuan Williams' 27-yard catch on third-and-12 midway in the fourth quarter which enabled the Terps to extend their slim 20-17 lead. Williams laid out to corral Turner's pass at the 2-yard line, and Keon Lattimore scored one play later for a 27-17 lead, one Maryland did not relinquish.

Turner in the Clutch...
Chris Turner was efficient with his 14-for-20, 149-yard performance vs. Rutgers. He did not throw a TD pass, but also did not turn the ball over. Most importantly he was key on third down where Maryland was 9-for-21 (43 percent) for the game, including 6 of 12 in the second half. Turner went 7-for-8 for 57 yards on third down. Four of those completions lead to first downs. Turner had seen action in just a few series in the season opener vs. Villanova (Sept. 1) and had one play vs. Wake Forest (Sept. 22).

Defense Clamps Down...
Heading into the final drive in regulation vs. Wake Forest (Sept. 22) in the ACC opener and clinging to a 24-17 lead, the Terps had surrendered just 292 yards of total offense to the Demon Deacons. However, WFU was able to put an 80-yard, eight-play scoring drive together which knotted the game, sending it into overtime where Wake scored the game-winning TD on its first possession, a three-play, 25-yard march. Fast forward to the fourth quarter of Saturday's Rutgers game where Maryland was holding onto a 27-24 lead with less than three minutes to go. The No. 10-ranked Scarlet Knights got the ball at their own 35, but this time the Terps defense stiffened. Three incomplete passes by Mike Teel, two of which were broken up, one by DL Mack Frost and one by CB Kevin Barnes, left Rutgers with a fourth-and-10. Junior DL Jeremy Navarre ended any hopes of a comeback with a sack of Teel, the second one of the game. In fact, the Terps sacked Teel twice after the junior had only been sacked eight times since the beginning of the 2006 season (16 games).

Rushing Attack...
Senior RB Keon Lattimore set the tone vs. Rutgers with 25 rushing yards on the Terps' opening drive of the game and went on to post a career-best 124 yards on the ground (career-high 34 carries) vs. Rutgers. Lattimore, who is No. 2 in the ACC in rushing (106.6 ypg), went over 100 yards for the fourth time this season, which ranks seventh on the school's single-season list. Redshirt freshman Da'Rel Scott made his first career appearance at running back and had three rushes for 29 yards. In addition, Lance Ball, a member of the Doak Walker watch list, also chipped in a season-high 90 yards on 12 carries. In all the Terps tallied a season-high 239 yards on the ground, their highest total since posting 250 vs. Virginia in 2005.

Georgia Tech at-A-Glance...
• Like Maryland, Georgia Tech enters Saturday's game after scoring a big upset last week. Tech upended No. 13 Clemson 13-3 to improve to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. Georgia Tech won primarily due to its efforts on special teams. The Yellow Jackets blocked a punt and recovered a fumble on a kickoff to set up two scores. Clemson also missed four field goals in the game.
• The Georgia Tech special teams have indeed been special this season. Senior Durant Brooks ranks second in the NCAA with a punting average of 47.13, and kicker Travis Bell is second in the country with 2.4 field goals per game. Bell leads the ACC in scoring at 10.2 points per game, a figure that puts him 19th in the nation in scoring.
• In addition, the Yellow Jackets have been impressive on kickoffs. Tech is allowing only 15.9 yards per kick return, the lowest in the country, and is averaging 28.14 yards per return on the other side of the ball, seventh best in the NCAA.
• Georgia Tech has been winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. The Yellow Jackets run defense currently ranks sixth in the nation, allowing only 64.6 yards per game.
• The Jackets rank third in the country in sacks (4.2 pg) and 11th in sacks allowed (0.8 pg). They also rank third in the country with 10.4 tackles for loss per game.
• Georgia Tech has lost only four turnovers on the season. The Jackets rank ninth in the country in turnover margin at +1.40 per game.
• Senior Tashard Choice ranks third in the ACC in rushing yards, just behind Maryland's Keon Lattimore. Choice is averaging 100.2 yards per contest.
• Georgia Tech ranks 118th out of 119 NCAA bowl subdivision schools in third-down efficiency. The Yellow Jackets are converting only 23.5 percent of their third down attempts.

Maryland-Georgia Tech Series History...
• Georgia Tech owns a 13-5 advantage in the all-time series, and has taken the last three from Maryland.
• Georgia Tech edged Maryland 27-23 last season in a thriller in Atlanta. The Terps had the ball at the Yellow Jacket 7-yard line with only seconds remaining, but were stopped shy of the winning score.
• Maryland's Lance Ball and Tech's Tashard Choice had 116 and 138 rushing yards, respectively, in that game, as the two dueled it out on the ground. The Yellow Jackets' Calvin Johnson had 133 yards receiving and Terrapin wide out Darrius Heyward-Bey had 111 to provide Maryland's yards through the air. All but Johnson return this season for the rematch.
• Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen is of course familiar with both schools, having coached at Georgia Tech for several years when he was not manning the Maryland sidelines. Friedgen left College Park in 1986 for Atlanta following four seasons as the Maryland offensive coordinator. He held that same post with Georgia Tech from 1987-91 and again from 1997-2000, before returning to Maryland as the head coach for the 2001 season.

Offensive Notes...
• Maryland has done an excellent job holding the ball and keeping it away from their opponents. The Terps sit atop the NCAA in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 34:48 minutes per game.
• In the first quarters of games this season, Maryland is outscoring its opponents 36-13.
• The Terps posted a season-high 458 yards of total offense vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29) and had over 200 rushing and passing yards for the second time this season (also Villanova).
• One of the foremost offensive minds in the collegiate or pro game, head coach Ralph Friedgen is in his second season as the Terps' offensive coordinator.
• With eight touchdowns on the season, running back Keon Lattimore has now more than doubled his season total from each of the last two seasons (three).
• In his last seven games, stretching back to last season, Lattimore has rushed for 737 yards (119 vs. Wake Forest, 85 vs. Purdue, 106 vs. Villanova, 111 vs. FIU, 80 vs. WVU, 112 vs. WFU, and 124 vs. Rutgers.).
• At 9.60 points per game, Lattimore is currently the second leading scorer in the ACC, and is tied for 30th in the NCAA. His 106.6 rushing yards per game rank second in the conference and 28th in the country.
• Lattimore has rushed for over 100 yards in four out of Maryland's five games this season, a number which is even more impressive considering he is splitting time with Lance Ball. Saturday against Georgia Tech, Lattimore will attempt to become the first Maryland player to go over the century mark in three straight games since Ball did it in 2005 (at Florida State at North Carolina, vs. Boston College.).
• Only six players in school history have more than 100-yard rushing games in a season than Lattimore, who currently stands at four. Steve Atkins (1978) and Charlie Wysocki (1980) jointly hold the record with eight in one year.
• Lattimore now has six career 100-yard rushing games (119 vs. Wake Forest and 114 vs. Virginia in 2006; 106 vs. Villanova, 111 vs. FIU, 112 vs. WFU, and 124 vs. RU in 2007). That puts him in a tie for fifth on Maryland's career list.
• When Lattimore finished with 111 yards on 12 carries against Florida International in week two, he became the first Terrapin back to open the season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Bruce Perry opened with five straight 100-yard games in Maryland's ACC Championship season in 2001.
• Sophomore wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey has caught a pass in each of the Terps last 17 games, the longest active streak on the team. He has led the team in receiving yards in eight of those contests (Georgia Tech -111, Florida State - 57, Miami - 175, Purdue - 81 in 2006), including four of the Terrapins' games this season (Villanova - 81, FIU - 48, WVU - 56, and RU - 61).
• Heyward-Bey is currently tied for ninth in the ACC in receptions per game (3.80) and ranks 12th in receiving yards per game (51.60).
• Quarterback Jordan Steffy has been efficient and accurate while directing the Terrapin offense. He is 68-of-100 (68.0 percent) for 674 yards on the year. His completion percentage ranks second in the ACC.
• In his first five games as a starter, Steffy owns a pass efficiency rating of 123.22 which ranks sixth in the conference and 64th in the NCAA.
• With eight touchdowns through only five games this season, Lattimore is quickly moving up Maryland's single season rushing TDs list. He currently stands tied for 17th, and needs only three more scores to move into the top 10. LaMont Jordan set the single-season record back in 1999 with 16 scores on the ground.
• Maryland's dynamic tailback duo of Lattimore and Ball combined for 1,558 yards last season, and have hit the ground running to start 2007. Through five games this year, the pair have combined for 794 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on 175 carries. Lattimore and Ball were one of just five running-back combos in the nation last season to collect over 700 rushing yards apiece.
• In his first game as a collegiate starter, Steffy completed 19 of 24 passes (79 percent) for 174 yards and one interception. The junior's debut was the most efficient effort by a Maryland quarterback starting his first career game since Brian Cummings completed 83 percent of his passes in a 1995 win over Tulane to open the year.
• Joey Haynos and Dan Gronkowski form one of the top tight end duos in the nation. Each has started at the position. In fact, even though Haynos was the second-leading receiver on the team in 2006, Gronkowski started more games in the Terps' two-tight end set. Gronkowski opened nine contests, while Haynos started six. Gronkowski, considered the better blocker, had just two catches, though he should see more opportunities in the passing game this season. Haynos is a member of the Mackey Award watch list.
• The Terps return just two starters (C Edwin Williams at center, RG Andrew Crummey) on the offensive line, but still have quite a bit of experience. LG Jaimie Thomas played in all 13 games last season, starting three, while Dane Randolph played in 11 games, mostly at right tackle. Randolph started four games there including the Champs Sports Bowl game. Starting left tackle Scott Burley has played in each of the last three seasons, including eight games as a sophomore in 2005. Junior Jack Griffin, meanwhile, who is penciled in as the No. 2 right tackle, redshirted last season, but did see action as a freshman and sophomore, though that came on the d-line. Griffin is also the primary backup at right guard, while junior Phil Costa serves as the reserve center and left guard. Friedgen considers the Terps to have seven starters along the o-line due to the skill and versatility of this group.
• Crummey has started a team-high 33 games, while Williams' 18 consecutive starts lead the offense. Williams is the only offensive returnee to start all 13 games in 2006.
• Sophomore Josh Portis, who was second on the depth chart at quarterback, was ruled ineligible for the year, just prior to the season opener. Sophomore Chris Turner, who was second on the depth chart with Portis for much of preseason camp, serves as Steffy's primary backup and has played in three games this season.

Defensive Notes...
• The Terps rank seventh in the ACC and 35th in the nation in total defense (317.4 yards per game).
• In their first two games of the year, the Terps held back-to-back opponents below 200 yards of total offense for the first time since 2003. In that year, Maryland held The Citadel to 137 yards of total offense in a 61-0 win, and then limited West Virginia to 156 in a 34-7 win the following week.
• Prior to West Virginia (Septr. 13), the Terps had not allowed the opposing team to rush for 100 yards in three straight games (Purdue, 21 yards, Villanova, 12 yds, FIU, 82 yds.).
• Maryland held Rutgers to 82 yards on 23 carries Saturday, marking the third time in five games the Terps haven't allowed 100 yards rushing. Rutgers entered the game averaging 228.3 yards per game on the ground.
• Maryland's pass defense has been stout thus far, allowing only 176.2 yards per game by opponents, the 19th best figure in the nation, and second best in the ACC.
• After totaling eight interceptions all of last season, the Maryland defense has recorded seven already this season through only five games. J.J. Justice got in on the action Saturday when he picked off Mike Teel. The Terps picked off Wake Forest's Riley Skinner three times the week before. The last time Maryland had intercepted three passes in a game was Oct. 20, 2005 against Virginia Tech. Against Wake, Kevin Barnes, Isaiah Gardner, and Erin Henderson all had picks.
• For Barnes, it was his third interception of the season. The corner, who is in his first season as a full-time starter, is tied for first in the ACC in interceptions per game (0.60), and is tied for 19th in the country in that category.
• The Terps currently rank fourth in the ACC and tied for 29th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of .80. Maryland has forced 13 turnovers on the season, which is tied for 14th in the country. The Terrapins recovered two fumbles and picked off a pass in the win over Rutgers.
• Henderson, the Terps active career leader in tackles with 169, has again led Maryland in stops in each of its first five games this season. In Saturday's upset of No. 10 Rutgers, Henderson had 11 total tackles. It was his 11th career game with double-digit stops. He led the team in stops in five of the Terps 13 games a season ago. Henderson is the returning starter at weakside linebacker, where he tallied 8.8 tackles per game last season, second most in the ACC.
• Henderson is currently tied for 16th in the NCAA in tackles per game (11.00) and tied for 63rd in tackles for loss per game (1.20). He is the second-leading tackler in the ACC.
• Defensive linemen Mack Frost and Jeremy Navarre each had key fourth quarter sacks of Rutgers QB Mike Teel in Saturday's win. It was the first two sacks allowed by Rutgers on the year.
• Navarre's came on a fourth down as Rutgers, then trailing by three, was attempting to tie or take the lead. Navarre's hit forced a fumble, and Maryland took over on downs, setting up Lance Ball's second touchdown of the day on the very next play. For Frost it was his first of the season.
• The four sacks of Villanova quarterback Antwon Young in the season opener were the most by Maryland since posting the same number vs. NC State last season (Oct. 21). Senior Dre Moore had a pair of sacks for 13 yards, setting a new career high.
• One area of strength for the Terrapins in preseason camp was the defensive line, where the Terps return Moore and fellow senior Carlos Feliciano, as well as juniors Frost and Navarre. Frost consistently drew praise from Friedgen for his work in preseason practice, while the head coach has stated that Moore is playing the best football of his career.
• Six Terrapin defenders have started more than 15 career games for Maryland and three (Navarre, Trey Covington and Christian Varner) have started more than 20. Covington has started 26 of the last 27 games at LEO, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position, while Varner has started 28 of the last 29 at safety, including a team-high 27 straight. In addition, Navarre has started 27 of the last 29 contests.
• In the season opener versus Villanova, Dave Philistin got the starting nod at middle linebacker, marking the third consecutive season the Terps have opened the year with a different Mike from the year before. Wesley Jefferson, who manned the middle for the Terps a year ago after replacing D'Qwell Jackson in 2006, graduated early to pursue a career as a state trooper. Jefferson was second on the team in tackles in 2006. Chase Bullock entered the fall No. 1 on the depth chart and remained there until an injury forced him out of the lineup.
• Phillistin is second on the team in tackles (35) and has also broken up three passes on the season. He had a career-high 11 stops in Saturday's win over Rutgers, including eight solo tackles.
• Maryland has had at least one defensive player drafted into the NFL in each of the last 11 seasons, and 17 defensive players overall in that time span, including cornerback Josh Wilson last season. Of the Terps defenders selected, 11 have gone in the first three rounds, including first round picks Chad Scott (1997) and Shawne Merriman (2005).
• Varner and Gardner are the only two defensive returnees to start all 13 games last season. Jefferson was the only other defender to start each contest in 2006.
• The Terps suffered a major loss in the preseason when LB Alex Wujciak injured a knee during a practice. He had ACL surgery at the end of August and should return next season. The redshirt freshman was expected to play LEO and possibly at Mike.

Special Teams Notes...
• In punter Adam Podlesh and kicker Dan Ennis, the Terps never had to worry about their special teams last season. Podlesh was a four-time All-ACC punter and two-time semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, while Ennis connected on 20 of 25 field goals last season and tied for ninth nationally in field goals per game (1.54).
• The Terrapins tapped place-kicker Obi Egekeze and punter Travis Baltz at the start of the season to replace their sensational specialists from 2006, and the early returns are solid. Egekeze was near perfect this season, until last weekend when he went 2-for-5. Through five games Egekeze is a perfect 16-for-16 on PATs, and 5 of 9 on field goal attempts. Two of those misses have come from beyond 50 yards (52 vs/ FIU; 51 vs. Rutgers). He ranks 10th in the ACC in scoring (6.2).
• Baltz, a true freshman, has been solid thus far in his brief Maryland career. After averaging 43.0 yards on two punts against Villanova, Baltz averaged 37.9 yards on nine punts against FIU, but pinned the Golden Panthers' inside their 20-yard-line on five of his nine kicks. The five punts inside the 20 were the most by a Maryland punter since Brooks Barnard had six in Ralph Friedgen's first game as head coach, a 23-7 win over North Carolina in 2001. Baltz's nine punts were the most by a Maryland punter since Adam Podlesh booted the ball 11 times in a 13-3 loss to NC State in 2004.
• Against Wake Forest, Baltz had perhaps his best game as a collegian, punting six times for 268 yards, a 44.7 average. He recorded one punt for a career long of 54 yards, and put two balls inside the 20-yard line.
• Kickoff specialist Chris Roberts has also helped pick up the special teams unit. He's averaged just over 60 yards per kickoff, with opponents' average starting point of drives the 27-yard line. He had his first touchback vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29). The Scarlet Knights averaged less than 18 yards per kickoff return.
• Egekeze and Baltz hope to live up to the Terps' lofty standards. Maryland has a strong history of special teams play in the Friedgen era. Podlesh, as well as Barnard and former kicker Nick Novak, moved on to the NFL. Although Egekeze served as a kickoff specialist last season, neither he nor Baltz had attempted a kick in a game prior to the 2007 opener.
• When Baltz entered the Villanova game (Sept. 1) in the second quarter, he became the first true freshman to start an opening-day game for the Terps since defensive end Jeremy Navarre in 2005, and only the second of the Ralph Friedgen era.
• The Terps have some big shoes to fill at kick returner as Josh Wilson has taken his game to the NFL. Wilson ranked third in the ACC (11th nationally) last season in kick returns (27.3 ypr) en route to setting a single-season school record for return yards (847). Backup running back Da'Rel Scott got a shot at returning kicks against Wake Forest (Sept. 22) and responded with 101 yards on four returns, including a long return of 39 yards. Scott only had two attempts vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29) and averaged 13.5 ypr. Reserve safety Terrell Skinner, who moved from wide receiver in the spring, opened the season as the primary kick returner, and has averaged 18.5 yards on six returns and is second on the depth chart now.
• Maryland is fortunate to have the sure-handed Danny Oquendo back to handle punt return duties. Last season, Oquendo ranked eightth in the ACC and 53rd nationally in return average (8.4). Through five games this season, Oquendo has averaged 8.5 yards on eight returns. His average places him 10th among ACC players and 66th in the NCAA. Christian Varner has served as Oquendo's backup and returned two punts for 17 yards vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29).

Making Plays On Offense...
• Entering the Wake Forest game, Maryland had eight plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more on the season. Against WFU (Sept. 22) and Rutgers (Sept. 29), they had four apiece. Keon Lattimore and Darrius Heyward-Bey had runs of 25 and 54 yards, respectively, while tight ends Dan Gronkowski and Joey Haynos had receptions of 26 and 20 yards from Jordan Steffy. The four vs. Rutgers, included a 39-yard completion from Jordan Steffy to LaQuan Williams, the longest pass play of the season for Maryland. Williams later added a spectacular 27-yard catch from Chris Turner on the Terps TD drive in the fourth quarter. Isaiah Williams also got into the action with a 28-yard completion from Turner. Lance Ball added a 32-yard scamper in the third quarter, which set up Obi Egekeze 37-yard field goal.
• Heyward-Bey had touchdown receptions of 65 and 96 yards last season, but his 54-yard run against Wake Forest was the longest rushing attempt of his career and the longest rush of the season for Maryland.

Terps Honor Queen's Visit vs. Georgia Tech...
The Terps will celebrate the 50th anniversary of `The Queen's Game' in the Georgia Tech contest. On Oct. 19, 1957, England's Queen Elizabeth - during a 10-day visit to Canada and the United States - came to College Park to see an American college football game - a "typical American sport" as she called it. The Terps played host to No. 14 North Carolina that day and downed the Tar Heels, 21-7 before a crowd of 43,000. The University of Maryland Archives is commemorating the visit with a special exhibit in the Audrey Armistead Ruckert Reception Foyer of Hornbake Library on campus which features images and other memorabilia - including a Canadian flag that flew over the stadium - from the Queen's Game, as well as her visit afterwards to a local Giant food store. More information can be found here.

By The Numbers
0...Career collegiate starts by the Terps' three quarterbacks entering the season.

1...The Terps rank No. 1 in the nation in time of possession, holding the ball an average of 34:48 per game.

2...Jordan Steffy ranks second in the ACC in completion percentage (68.0).

2...The Terps are one of just five teams in the nation (Washington, Washington State, East Carolina and Middle Tennessee State) to play two top 10 teams this season. They are also one of only three (East Carolina and MTSU) to play two in non-conference action. The Terps are also the only team among this group to win a game vs. a top 10 foe.

3...Number of interceptions for cornerback Kevin Barnes this season, tied for the most in the ACC. The Terps had eight picks as a team all of last season. Erin Henderson and J.J. Justice led the team last year with two apiece.

4...Keon Lattimore's four 100-yard games already rank tied for seventh on the Terps single-season chart. Charles Wysocki (1980) and Steve Atkins (1978) each had a Maryland record eight 100-yard games.

7...Number of 2006 bowl teams on this year's Maryland schedule.

27...Christian Varner has started a team-high 27 consecutive games.

33...Andrew Crummey has started a team-high 33 games.

50...Ralph Friedgen posted 50 victories in his first six seasons, which has been eclipsed by just one other head coach in ACC history. Danny Ford of Clemson had 51 in his first six seasons.

55...Erin Henderson's total number of tackles this season, tied for 16th most in the NCAA.

79...Jordan Steffy completed 79 percent of his passes in his first career start, a mark which ranks No. 7 on the Terp's all-time single-game list.