Maryland Football Plays Host to No. 4 West Virginia Thursday
9/10/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Thursday, Sept. 13
Maryland (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
vs.
No. 4 West Virginia (2-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. (ET) Location: College Park, Md. Stadium: Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium
TV: ESPN - Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Doug Flutie (color), Craig James (color) and Erin Andrews (sidelines) 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 4:30 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...
• The University of Maryland looks to go 3-0 on the season when it plays host to No. 4 ranked West Virginia Thursday in a nationally-televised tilt from sold-out Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The game, which will be shown on ESPN, is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m. (ET). The Terps and Mountaineers are meeting for the 46th time, with WVU holding a 22-21-2 advantage in the series. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network will handle the broadcast of the non-conference matchup with pregame starting at 6 p.m. Special parking policies will be in place for the contest, including no car being allowed on campus after 4 p.m. without a parking permit (see more information below).
• The Terrapins, who outlasted Florida International 26-10 in last weekend's road opener, return 12 starters (six on offense and defense) from last season's team, which went 9-4, including a 24-7 victory over Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl. It marked the third straight bowl win for the Terps, a first in school history. Seventh-year head coach Ralph Friedgen has directed the Terps to four bowl games in his six seasons.
• The Terps rushing game, led by senior backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, has spearheaded the offensive attack. Lattimore ranks second in the ACC and tied for 29th nationally in rushing (108.5 ypg), and has tallied five TDs on the ground. Ball and Lattimore combined to rush for nearly 1,600 yards in 2006. Lattimore has already chalked up a pair of 100-yard games. Sophomore WR Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Joey Haynos lead a talented receiving corps. Heyward-Bey, a member of the 2007 Biletnikoff watch list, was a freshman All-American and Haynos an All-ACC choice last season. 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 has taken over for two-year starter Sam Hollenbach and begun the season by completing 74 percent of his passes. Steffy served as the backup in 2004 and 2006, and has been atop the depth chart since the spring. His completion percentage in the opener (.790) was the seventh-highest ever by a Terp quarterback and second-best in a starting debut.
• The defense enters the week ranked first in the ACC and No. 7 nationally, after yielding just 175.0 yards per game over the first two weeks of the season. The Terps held Villanova to 187 yards of total offense (lowest total by an opponent in three years) in the season opener, and kept FIU to 163 yards. Senior tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano lead the rush defense, while junior linebacker Erin Henderson is among the top tacklers in the league again, ranking tied for fourth in stops (10.5 pg). 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, Bednarik Award and Butkus Award. Moore tallied a pair of sacks in the opener. Christian Varner is one of two returning starters (also cornerback Isaiah Gardner) in the secondary. Varner moved from free safety to strong safety in the spring. Varner and Feliciano are tied for second on the team with 11 stops apiece.
• The Terps' special teams has gone through an overhaul this season as a pair of All-ACC kickers have departed. Place-kicker Dan Ennis made 20 of 25 attempts last season, while Adam Podlesh became the only player in school history to earn All-ACC honors four straight seasons. He went on to be selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. Junior Obi Egekeze, who battled Ennis for the starting job last summer, has been tapped as the place-kicker. True freshman Travis Baltz, who entered school last spring, has taken over from Podlesh. Egekeze has nailed two of his first three career field-goal attempts, missing only from 52 yards. Baltz placed five of nine punts inside the FIU 20-yard line Saturday. Reserve DB Terrell Skinner has averaged 18.5 yards per kickoff return, his first action at the position. Junior Danny Oquendo is back at punt returner.
Quick Hitters...
• West Virginia is ranked fourth in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls, while Maryland is receiving votes in this week's coaches' poll.
• Maryland's last win against a Top 5 opponent came in 2004, a 20-17 victory at home against then-No. 5 Florida State.
• Maryland has won six of its last seven at home and is 31-8 in Friedgen's six-plus seasons. Friedgen has directed the Terps to two undefeated home seasons (7-0 in 2001; 6-0 in 2003).
• The Terps have started 2-0 for the third time in Friedgen's tenure. A win against West Virginia would give Maryland a 3-0 start, the team's best since 2001 when the Terps rattled off seven wins to start the year en route to an ACC Championship.
• Maryland and West Virginia were also each 2-0 when they met last season.
• Friedgen and WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez are each tied for 19th among active coaches in terms of winning percentage. Both are in their seventh season at their respective school and own 52-24 (.684) marks.
• The Terps have won 12 of their last 15 non-conference games.
• The Terps have one player from the state of West Virginia. FB Cory Jackson (University HS) is a native of Morgantown.
• There were 50,389 fans packed into Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium for the season opener vs. Villanova. Maryland students accounted for 11,000 spectators, more than any single-game total last season.
• Three true freshmen - P Travis Baltz, OL Bruce Campbell and DB Dominique Herald - saw action in the opener.
Maryland-West Virginia Sold Out...
The University of Maryland and West Virginia will play before a sold-out Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The game will be televised live nationally on ESPN. It marks the first Thursday night home game for the Terps since Virginia Tech visited College Park in 2005. Maryland sold out its 2006 season finale vs. Wake Forest.
Special Parking Information for Thursday's Game...
We anticipate a significant increase in traffic beginning 3 p.m. and continuing through the beginning of the game. The number of vehicles on campus for our daily University activities and this evening game may exceed our inventory of parking spaces. Some members of our community may experience some inconvenience; however, we are endeavoring to accommodate all vehicles that absolutely must be parked on campus that day.
IMPORTANT: The Department of Public Safety will restrict access to campus beginning at 4 p.m. on this day. Any vehicle without a permit will not be allowed on campus. FANS ATTENDING THE FOOTBALL GAME SHOULD ARRIVE ON CAMPUS AFTER 5 P.M.
Special parking policies will be in effect for Thursday night's football game between West Virginia and Maryland to be held at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Most importantly, no car will be allowed to enter campus after 5 p.m. without a parking pass to the game. Click here for more information.
West Virginia at-A-Glance...
• No. 4 West Virginia features a high-powered rushing attack with a pair of Heisman Trophy hopefuls in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton.
• Last season in Morgantown, West Virginia downed Maryland 45-24 on the strength of 340 yards rushing. Slaton has touchdown runs of 38 and 37 yards.
• The Mountaineers defeated Western Michigan 62-24 in the season opener, and dropped Marshall on Saturday 48-23. West Virginia's average margin of victory this season is 31.5 points.
• Once again the Mountaineers feature a formidable ground attack, with White and Slaton running the spread offense. West Virginia ranks second in the NCAA in rushing at 339 yards per contest. The Mountaineers are seventh in total offense and fourth in scoring offense.
• White is a true duel-threat at quarterback. The junior ranks 28th in the NCAA in rushing with 111 yards per game, and 10th in the country in passing efficiency, with a rating of 180.12.
• Slaton leads the nation in scoring at 18 points per game, and ranks 18th in rushing yards with 127.5 per game.
• Slaton and White aren't the only weapons on the West Virginia offense. WR Darrius Reynaud is averaging 109 yards receiving per game, 16th best in the country. The junior had 126 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches in Saturday's win over Marshall. He had two scores in last year's Maryland game.
• The WVU defense, ranked 50th in the country, has forced four turnovers on the season. Reed Williams has posted a team-high 20 tackles and has one interception.
• West Virginia is an impressive 24-3 since the 2005 opener. The Mountaineers finished 11-2 last season and defeated Georgia Tech, 38-25, in the Gator Bowl.
Maryland-West Virginia Series History...
• Maryland and West Virginia have met a total of 45 times since the first meeting between the schools in 1919. The Terps own a 21-22-2 record all-time versus the Mountaineers, including a 4-3 mark under current Maryland boss Ralph Friedgen. West Virginia has taken three straight from Maryland after the Terps had won the four meetings prior to that. The Terps defeated the Mountaineers 41-7 in the 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl in the only postseason meeting between the two schools.
• Maryland has played West Virginia more than any other non-conference opponent (45 times), and the Terps have only faced six schools more than the Mountaineers.
• The Terps and Mountaineers have met every season since 1980.
• Maryland is 3-7 all-time against ranked West Virginia teams. The Terrapins last win over a ranked Mountaineer squad came in the 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl, when the 23rd-ranked Terps toppled the 20th ranked Mountaineers, 41-7.
• Maryland is 11-10-1 at Byrd Stadium and WVU is 12-9-1 at Mountaineer Field. The teams have played one neutral site game (2003 Toyota Gator Bowl).
Offensive Notes...
• Maryland's dynamic tailback duo of Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball combined for 1,558 yards last season, and have hit the ground running to start 2007. In the season opener vs. Villanova the pair combined for 167 rushing yards. Lattimore and Ball were one of just five running-back combos in the nation last season to collect over 700 rushing yards apiece.
• With five touchdowns on the season, Lattimore has now eclipsed his season total from each of the last two years (three).
• Lattimore, who finished with 111 yards on 17 carries, including 89 in the first quarter, vs. FIU (Sept. 8) became the first Terrapin back to open the season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Bruce Perry began with five straight 100-yard games in Maryland's ACC Championship season in 2001. Lattimore now has four career 100-yard rushing games (119 vs. Wake Forest and 114 vs. Virginia in 2006, 106 vs. Villanova in 2007).
• Prior to Saturday's game, Ball was the last Maryland player to record back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances when he did it in three straight games in 2005 (at Florida State, at North Carolina, Boston College).
• In his last four games, stretching back to last season, Lattimore has rushed for 421 yards (119 vs. Wake Forest, 85 vs. Purdue, 106 vs. Villanova, and 111 vs. FIU.).
• At 15.00 points per game, Lattimore is currently the leading scorer in the ACC, and is tied for sixth in the NCAA. His 108.50 rushing yards per game rank second in the conference and t-29th in the country.
• Sophomore wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey has caught a pass in each of the Terps last 14 games, the longest active streak on the team. He has led the team in receiving yards in six of those contests (Georgia Tech - 111, Florida State - 57, Miami - 175, Purdue - 81 in 2006), including both of the Terps games this season (Villanova - 81 and FIU - 48). He caught six passes for 81 yards against Villanova, the third highest total of his career.
• Heyward-Bey is currently tied for third in the ACC in receptions per game (5.00) and ranks fifth in receiving yards per game (64.50).
• Between the season-opening win over Villanova and the FIU game (Sept. 8), Maryland scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives quarterbacked by Jordan Steffy. Steffy left the Villanova game after three straight touchdown drives and led the Terps to scores on his first two drives Saturday against the Golden Panthers.
• Steffy followed up his efficient performance against Villanova (79.0 percent) by completing 18 of 26 passes against FIU for 135 yards. Steffy is 37-of-50 (74.0 percent) for 309 yards on the year. 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. Steffy also ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in the opener. Steffy's predecessor, Sam Hollenbach rushed for more than 45 yards only once in his more than two-year career.
• Against Villanova, Lattimore also caught six passes for 33 yards, giving him 139 total yards, the second highest total in his career. His career best was 151 yards which came in a 28-26 win over Virginia last year.
• 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.
• Steffy has plenty of skill players to choose from this season as pass-catchers who accounted for 97 percent of the receiving yards return as do rushers who tallied 94 percent of the yards on the ground.
• The Terps return their top seven receivers from a year ago, and lost only three players who even caught a pass in 2006.
• 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.
• The Terps' returnees accounted for 28 of their 30 touchdowns a season ago.
• Crummey has started a team-high 30 games, while Williams' 15 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, will serve as Steffy's primary backup.
Defensive Notes...
• The Terps have held their opponents below 200 yards of total offense in the first two games of the season 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 the following week in a 34-7 victory.
• While the Terrapins have run over their last three opponents, their rushing defense has been just as stellar. The Terps have not allowed the opposing team to rush for 100 yards in any of the last three games (Purdue, 21 yards; Villanova, 12 yds; FIU, 82 yds.).
• Maryland's defense has been stout thus far, allowing only 175 yards per game by opponents, the seventh-best figure in the nation.
• The Terps defense has been equally tough against the run and pass. Maryland ranks 15th in the country in rush defense, allowing only 46.50 yards on the ground per game, and 14th in the NCAA in pass defense (128.50 ypg).
• Maryland has kept opponents off the board as well, as the team has held its foes to an average of 12.00 points per game, the 16th-lowest number in the nation.
• Maryland will need defense to continue its strong play against the spread-option attack of West Virginia, which has rushed for 678 yards and 12 touchdowns in two victories this season.
• The Terps' first-quarter safety against FIU was Maryland's first since Dec. 30, 2002 when E.J. Henderson recorded a sack in the end zone against Wake Forest.
• Kevin Barnes had his second interception of the season late in the fourth quarter, following his pick in the season-opener last week. Paired with the interception early in the game by Adrian Moten, the Terps have three picks in the opening two games. Maryland had eight interceptions in 13 games last season. The last time Maryland intercepted two passes in a game was at home against NC State on Oct. 21, 2006.
• Preseason All-American Erin Henderson, the Terps active career leader in tackles with 135, has again led Maryland in stops in each of its first two games this season. The junior had nine tackles in the season opener against Villanova and 12 against FIU, with one tackle for a loss in each game. 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.
• 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. He currently ranks second in the nation in sacks per game. The senior had 3.5 sacks all of last season.
• 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 Mack Frost and Jeremy 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. Moore is tied for 14th in the ACC in tackles for loss with one per game.
• Six Terrapin defenders have started more than 12 career games for Maryland and two (Trey Covington and Christian Varner) have started more than 20. Covington has started 23 of the last 24 games at LEO, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position, while Varner has started 25 of the last 26 at safety, including a team-high 24 straight.
• 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, left school 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. He did play Saturday vs. FIU.
• 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 Isaiah Gardner are the only two 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 sugery 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. Ennis tied for ninth nationally in field goals per game (1.54) in 2006.
• The Terrapins have tapped place-kicker Obi Egekeze and punter Travis Baltz to replace their sensational specialists from 2006, and the early returns couldn't be better. Egekeze has been near perfect in his first season on the job. Through two games Egekeze is 7-for-7 on PATs, and 2-for-3 on field goal attempts. His lone miss came on a 52-yard attempt against FIU. The ball had the distance but sailed left.
• 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 five times. 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.
• Egekeze and Baltz will attempt 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 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 safety Terrell Skinner, who moved from wide receiver in the spring, opened the season as the primary kick returner, and has averaged 18.50 yards on six returns.
• Maryland is fortunate to have the sure-handed Danny Oquendo back to handle punt return duties. Last season, Oquendo ranked eighth in the ACC and 53rd nationally in return average (8.4). Through two games this season, Oquendo has averaged 8.8 yards on six returns. His average places him ninth among ACC players and 49th in the NCAA. Christian Varner serves as Oquendo's backup to start the season.
