Saturday, Oct. 20

Maryland (4-2, 1-1 ACC)

vs.

Virginia (6-1, 3-0 ACC)

Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium (51,500)

TV: ESPN2 - Mark Jones (play-by-play), Bob Davie (color) and Stacey Dales (sidelines) have the call.

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 6:30 p.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...
• Maryland, winners of two straight, plays host to Virginia Saturday in the annual Homecoming game. The Cavaliers are on an even bigger roll having won their last six contests, including all three Atlantic Coast Conference games. The Terps and Cavaliers are set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium with the game being televised nationally on ESPN2. The Terps, who are in the midst of four home contests in a five-game span, edged Georgia Tech, 28-26, on Saturday, Oct. 6 to even their ACC record at 1-1. Maryland, which is receiving votes in both polls for the second straight week, looks to keep pace with Boston College (3-0) and Wake Forest (3-1) in the Atlantic Division. The Terps are currently tied with Clemson (2-2) for third in the division. UVa joins Virginia Tech (3-0) atop the Coastal Division standings. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network will handle the broadcast of the matchup with pregame starting at 6:30 p.m. The game will be replayed at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
• Maryland has been solid on the defensive side of the ball for most of the season. The Terps come into the weekend ranked 43rd nationally in total defense (345.17 ypg), including 30th-ranked pass defense (198.33 ypg). In the win over No. 10 Rutgers, the Terps held the No. 9 offense in the nation to 392 yards of total offense. The Scarlet Knights came into the game averaging 525.0 ypg. Maryland was without its top playmaker in the win over Georgia Tech as junior linebacker Erin Henderson sat out with a knee injury. He is among the top tacklers in the league for the second straight year, ranking second in stops and tied for 14th in the country (11.0 pg). He has led the team in tackles each game he has played this season. 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, picked up the slack vs. the Yellow Jackets with a career-high 21 tackles. He leads the team with 56 stops. Senior tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano lead the rush defense which is allowing 146.8 yards per game and held Heisman candidate Ray Rice to 97 yards. Virginia's Cedric Peerman is the second-leading rusher (97.5 ypg) in the ACC. Junior cornerback Kevin Barnes is tied for fourth in the league in interceptions (0.50 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 third in the ACC and 40th nationally in rushing (94.0 ypg), and has tallied a league-high eight rushing TDs. Maryland's 162.0 rushing yards per game ranks second in the ACC. Lattimore and Ball combined for over 200 yards vs. Rutgers, which was ranked third in the nation in total defense entering the game. Virginia ranks seventh in the ACC in total defense (325.9 ypg), including sixth in rushing defense (110.9). Sophomore WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, a member of the 2007 Biletnikoff Award watch list, leads the team in receptions (23) and receiving yards (367) and his coming off his first 100-yard receiving game of the season. Senior guard Andrew Crummey, a preseason All-American and candidate for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, was the leader on the offensive line, but he is shelved indefinitely with a broken leg. Sophomore Chris Turner has stepped under center for junior Jordan Steffy who is in his first year as a starter, but sat out vs. Georgia Tech due to a concussion suffered at Rutgers. Turner has completed 24 of 37 passes for 404 yards over the last six quarters of action.
• The Terps special teams has distinguished itself well after six 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 eighth in the ACC in punting average (40.9). He averaged a career-best 49.6 yards per punt vs. Georgia Tech. 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 kickoff return specialist vs. Wake Forest and Rutgers, but sat out vs. Georgia Tech. Junior Danny Oquendo is the lone returning specialist. He averages 8.8 yards per return.

Quick Hitters...
• Maryland has won 10 of its last 14 games, including six its last nine conference contests, dating back to last season.
• Maryland is 194-158-4 (.551) all-time in ACC contests, including a 31-19 (.620) mark under Friedgen. The Terps are 20-10-2 at home vs. Virginia, including wins in the last three games at Byrd.
• The Terps have won their last six contests decided by a touchdown or less, including a 28-26 win over Georgia Tech on Oct. 6.
• The Terps haven't played three consecutive home games since the 2002 season when Akron, Florida State, Eastern Michigan and Wofford visited College Park (Sept. 7 - Sept. 28). They haven't played three consecutive conference home games since the 1999 season when Clemson, North Carolina and Duke played at Byrd (Oct. 16 - Oct. 30.).
• Lance Ball became the ninth back in school history to go over 2,000 career rushing yards with his team-high 86 yards in the win over Georgia Tech.
• Ball has rushed for five touchdowns over the last two games.

Getting on a Roll...
The Terps have posted identical 4-2 records through six games over the last two seasons. The sixth game last season proved to be a turning point as Maryland rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to post a 28-26 road win at Virginia (Oct. 14). The Rutgers game could prove to be the pivotal game this season as the Terps rallied from a 17-14 halftime deficit to defeat No. 10 Rutgers and then hung on for a 28-26 win over the Yellow Jackets Saturday. Last season's Virginia game was the beginning of a five-game winning streak which propelled Maryland to within a game of the ACC title contest. Each contest in last season's five-game winning streak was decided by six points or less.

Airing it Out...
In his first career start, Chris Turner threw for 255 yards vs. Georgia Tech (Oct. 6), the most through the air by a Terrapin quarterback since Sam Hollenbach posted 374 against North Carolina on Nov. 12, 2005. Turner earned his first career start Saturday, one week after leading Maryland to an upset of then No. 10 Rutgers. Turner threw for 149 yards on 14 of 20 attempts, and was named ACC Co-Offensive Back of the Week for his performance against the Scarlet Knights. The 78-yard touchdown pass from Turner to reserve tight end Jason Goode was the first career score for each player. The Terps' longest pass play of the season coming into the game was 39 yards. Turner and the Terps had three pass plays over 40 yards vs. the Yellow Jackets. Speedy sophomore wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey, who had his first 100-yard receiving game of the season (109), caught passes of 44 and 47 yards.

Stepping Up...
With the Terps playing without defensive leader and preseason All-American Erin Henderson (injured knee) vs. Georgia Tech (Oct. 6), the defense called on junior Dave Philistin who responded with 21 tackles (seven solo stops and 14 assisted). The 21 stops were the most by a Maryland player since Eric Barton had 22 against North Carolina back in 1998. Eight of Philistin's tackles came in the final quarter of play, as the Terps held off the Jackets' late rally. It was the second straight week Philistin set a career high in tackles. He had 11 in the 34-24 upset of No. 10 Rutgers (Sept 29).

One-Two Punch...
Senior backs Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball rank among the top running back duos in the nation and lead the second-ranked rushing offense (162.0 ypg) in the ACC. Lattimore has posted four 100-yard games and tallied 564 yards on the season. His 94.0 yards per game rank third in the ACC and 40th in the nation and Ball's 57.8 ypg are ninth in the ACC. The two have combined for 15 rushing touchdowns and are on pace to post over 1,800 rushing yards. Last season, Ball and Lattimore combined for over 1,500 yards and were just one of just five running back tandems in the nation to gain over 700 yards apiece.

Did You Know?...
The Terps are only of only two teams in the nation to have two players with seven or more rushing touchdowns. Keon Lattimore's eight touchdowns rank tied for first in the ACC (also Andre Callendar of Boston College), while Lance Ball checks in third with 7. Steve Slaton (9) and Pat White (7) of West Virginia are the other duo. Lattimore's eight scores are already tied for 17th on the Terps' single-season rushing TD list, while Ball's 21 rushing touchdowns are tied for sixth on the Maryland career chart (see pg. 9). He is tied with Josh Allen (2002-03, 2005-06) and Ed Modzelewski (1949-51).

Injuries Taking a Toll...
The Terps have been hit by the injury bug in some key areas, RG Andrew Crummey, a preseason All-American, could miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his left fibula vs. Georgia Tech (Oct. 6). Reserve DT Travis Ivey is likely out a number of weeks with a knee injury suffered vs. the Yellow Jackets. LB Rick Costa, who was starting for an injured Erin Henderson, incurred a sprained neck vs. the Yellow Jackets. QB Jordan Steffy sat out vs. Georgia Tech after suffering a concussion vs. Rutgers (Sept. 29). The Terps also lost Alex Wujciak, who was expected to vie for one of the starting linebacker roles, during the preseason.

Virginia at-A-Glance...
• Virginia has won six straight games since opening the season with a 23-3 loss at Wyoming. It marks the Cavaliers longest winning streak since 2002.
• Virginia and Virginia Tech currently stand tied atop the ACC Coastal Division standings with identical 3-0 conference records. Both are 6-1 overall.
• The Cavaliers defeated the previously unbeaten Connecticut Huskies, 17-16, Saturday on the strength of a late Chris Gould field goal. The win vaulted Virginia to No. 24 in the USA Today poll.
• The Cavaliers' average margin of victory is only 4.3 points per game this season.
• The Cavs stand 108th in the nation in total offense, averaging just over 310 yards per game. They rank 32nd in total defense (325.86) and 39th in rushing defense (110.86).
• Defensive lineman Chris Long is tied for fifth in the country with 1.14 sacks per game, and has eight total. That number also leads the ACC.
• As a team, the Wahoos rank 14th in the NCAA in sacks with 3.14 a game. • Punter Ryan Weigand has been a weapon for the Cavs. The senior ranks third in the country in punting yards (46.53) and also leads the ACC in that category.

Maryland-Virginia Series History...
• Saturday's game will mark the 72nd meeting between the Terrapins and Cavaliers, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps' 114-year football history. The schools have met every season since 1957.
• Maryland leads the all-time series, which began in 1919, by a 41-28-2 margin.
• Maryland is 20-10-2 all-time against Virginia in College Park.
• A year ago Maryland won 28-26 in Charlottesville, outscoring the Wahoos 21-7 in the final quarter to complete its comeback win. Keon Lattimore rushed 15 times for 114 yards and gave Maryland its go-ahead score with a 56-yard run in the fourth quarter. Erin Henderson intercepted a pass three plays later and ran 45 yards down the field for what would be the winning touchdown.
• From 1969 through 2000, play between the two schools had been basically feast or famine for one team. From 1969-87, the Terrapins held an 18-1 advantage in the series and at one point ran off 16 wins in a row, the longest streak in the series. Then from 1988 to 2000, the series swung almost exclusively to the Cavs as they were 11-2 in that span. Maryland has won four of the last six.
• On a cold, blustery Thursday night in 2003, Josh Allen ran for 257 yards, the third best rushing total in school history and the seventh-best in all of Division I-A college football that year as the Terrapins beat UVA, 27-17.
• Maryland's win in 2001 broke a string of nine-straight losses to Virginia. In their 41-21 win - a victory that moved the team to 5-0 on the season in what was then its best start in 23 years - the Terps allowed a 24-7 lead to be cut to three in the third quarter before scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth to win going away.

Offensive Notes...
• Maryland has done an excellent job holding the ball and keeping it away from their opponents. The Terps rank sixth in the NCAA in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 32:47 minutes per game. Through their first five games of the year, the Terps led the nation in TOP, averaging 34:48 minutes per game.
• After jumping out to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter of the Georgia Tech game, Maryland has now outscored its opponents 50-16 in the opening quarter of games this season.
• 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).
• Lattimore ran for only 31 yards against Georgia Tech, his lowest total of the season. Prior to that he had ran for 737 yards in his last seven games, stretching back to last season (119 vs. Wake Forest, 85 vs. Purdue, 106 vs. Villanova, 111 vs. FIU, 80 vs. WVU, 112 vs. WFU, and 124 vs. Rutgers.). His 94.00 rushing yards per game rank third in the conference and 40th in the country.
• Lattimore has rushed for over 100 yards in four of Maryland's six games this season, a number which is even more impressive considering he is splitting time with Lance Ball.
• No running back tandem in the country is putting more points on the board than Lattimore and Ball, who average a combined 15 points per game. Lattimore (8.0 ppg) and Ball (7.0 ppg) rank third and sixth in the ACC in scoring respectfully. • 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 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 18 games, the longest active streak on the team. He has led the team in receiving yards in half of those contests (Georgia Tech -111, Florida State - 57, Miami - 175, Purdue - 81 in 2006), including five of the Terrapins' games this season (Villanova - 81, FIU - 48, WVU - 56, RU - 61, and GT 109).
• Heyward-Bey currently ranks sixth in the ACC and 95th in the NCAA in receiving yards per game (61.17). He is 13th in the conference in receptions per game (3.83).
• Entering the season, no quarterback on the Maryland roster had ever started a game. Six games in, Maryland finds itself with two capable signal callers.
• Prior to his injury, Jordan Steffy was 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 leads 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 67th in the NCAA.
• Backup Chris Turner has shined in relief of Steffy, who left the Rutgers game just before halftime with an injury and missed the subsequent game against Georgia Tech.
• In his first career, Turner threw for 255 yards against Georgia Tech on 10 of 17 passing. It was the most yards through the air by a Terrapin quarterback since Sam Hollenbach threw for 374 yards against North Carolina on Nov. 12, 2005.
• The 255 yards passing by Turner were the most by a Maryland quarterback in a starting debut since Scott Zolak threw for 303 in a 20-13 win over Virginia Tech in 1990. Only one other quarterback since 1991 (Scott Milanovich, 253 vs. Virginia in 1993) surpassed 200 yards in their first career start.
• In the previous game, Turner led Maryland to an upset of then No. 10 Rutgers. Turner threw for 149 yards on 14 of 20 passing, and led four second half scoring drives. He was named ACC Co-Offensive Back of the Week for his performance against the Scarlet Knights.
• The 78-yard touchdown pass Turner threw to reserve tight end Jason Goode against Georgia Tech was the first career score for each player. It was also the longest career play for each. Goode's previous career-long was a 57 yard reception against Clemson last year.
• 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. Haynos is a member of the Mackey Award watch list.
• With the injury to RG Andrew Crummey (broken fibula), the Terps have just one returning starter from last season (C Edwin Williams) playing on the offensive line, though they 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. Costa is pegged to step into Crummey's spot. Friedgen considers the Terps to have seven starters along the o-line due to the skill and versatility of this group. Crummey's injury reduces that number to six.
• 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, has moved to No. 1 on the depth chart due to Steffy's injury.

Defensive Notes...
• The Terps rank eighth in the ACC and 43rd in the nation in total defense (345.17 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 (Sept. 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 did not allow 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 198.33 yards per game by opponents, the 30th best figure in the nation, and fourth best in the ACC.
• After totaling eight interceptions all of last season, the Maryland defense has recorded seven already this season through only six games. The Terps picked off Wake Forest's Riley Skinner on Sept. 22. 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 fourth in the ACC in interceptions per game (0.50), and is tied for 26th in the country in that category.
• The Terps are currently tied for third in the ACC and tied for 33rd in the NCAA with a turnover margin of .67. Maryland has forced 14 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 and forced another fumble against Georgia Tech.
• Henderson, the Terps' active career leader in tackles with 169, led Maryland in stops in each of its first five games this season, before sitting out the Georgia Tech game with an injury. In the 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 14th in the NCAA in tackles per game (11.00) and ranks 55th 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 the upset 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 25. Covington has started 27 of the last 28 games at LEO, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position, while Varner has started 29 of the last 30 at safety, including a team-high 28 straight. In addition, Navarre has started 28 of the last 30 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 has more than filled the void left by Jackson. He leads the team in tackles (66) and has also broken up three passes on the season.
• Against Georgia Tech he led the team in tackles with a career-high 21. It marked the second straight game that he had set a new career record, after he totaled 11 against Rutgers. Philistin's 21 stops was the most for a Terrapin since Eric Barton tallied 22 in 1998 against North Carolina. He was named ACC defensive lineman of the week for his performance against the Jackets.
• 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 the Rutgers game (Sept. 29) when he went 2-for-5. Through six games Egekeze is a perfect 20-for-20 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 ninth in the ACC in kick scoring (5.8).
• 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.
• Baltz has had his best game against ACC competition. Against Wake Forest, Baltz punted six times for 268 yards, a 44.7 average. He recorded one punt for a then career long of 54 yards, and put two balls inside the 20-yard line. In the win over Georgia Tech, Baltz posted a career-high 49.6 yards per punt (five attempts), including a career long of 65 yards. He ranks eighth in the ACC in punting (40.9 ypp), including a league-best 46.9 in league games.
• 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. The Terps rank 11th in the nation in kickoff return yardage defense (18.2 ypr).
• 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 six games this season, Oquendo has averaged 8.8 yards on nine returns. Christian Varner has served as Oquendo's backup, returning three punts for 20 yards.

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

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

3...Dave Philistin's 21 tackles vs. Georgia Tech are the fifth-most in an NCAA Bowl Subdivision game this season. Bryce Hudman of SMU had 26 vs. Arkansas State (Sept. 15), Lamar Myles of Louisville posted 22 vs. Kentucky (Sept. 15), Austin Thomas of Indiana had 22 vs. Michigan State (Oct. 13) and Russell Allen of San Diego State tallied 22 vs. Utah (Oct. 13).

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.

5...Number of tackles by Philistin on the Georgia Tech's final drive of the game (12 plays, 39 yards), which ended with Travis Bell's 52-yard missed field goal.

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

8...Only eight players on the Maryland roster have compiled more than 21 tackles on the season. Philistin had 21 stops vs. Georgia Tech.

25.5...Chris Turner's yards per completion (10 of 17, 255 yards) in the win over Georgia Tech.

28...Christian Varner has started a team-high 28 consecutive games.

46.9...Travis Baltz's punting average in ACC games, a mark which ranks first in the conference.

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.

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.

148.86...Chris Turner's pass efficiency rating this season. That mark would rank No. 2 in the ACC and No. 18 in the nation, but Turner has not played in 75 percent of this year's games.