Saturday, Sept. 8

Maryland (1-0, 0-0 ACC)

at

Florida International (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. (ET)
Location: Miami, Fla.
Stadium: Orange Bowl (72,319)

TV: ESPN360 (webscast) - Dave Weekley (play-by-play) and Doug Chapman (color) 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 5:30 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 open the season 2-0 when it travels to Miami Saturday to face Florida International. The game between the Terps and Golden Panthers kicks off at 7 p.m. (ET) from the Orange Bowl. This will be the first of three road games over the course of the next month. For the second straight week, Maryland's game will be webcast on ESPN 360, which will be made available on the University of Maryland campus. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network will handle the broadcast of the non-conference matchup with pregame starting at 5:30 p.m.
• The Terrapins, who downed Villanova 31-14 in last weekend's season opener (see page 24 for recap), 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.
• Senior running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, as well as wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Joey Haynos, lead the Maryland offensive attack which rolled up 428 yards of total offense vs. Villanova. Ball and Lattimore combined to rush for nearly 1,600 yards in 2006, while Heyward-Bey was a freshman All-American and Haynos an All-ACC choice. Lattimore opened the year with 106 yards on the ground, while Ball had 56. Senior guard Andrew Crummey, a preseason All-American, headlines the offensive line. Junior quarterback Jordan Steffy replaces Sam Hollenbach, a two-year starter who ended his career fourth on the Terps' career passing yards list and sixth in career passing efficiency. Steffy distinguished himself well in his first career start Saturday, completing 19 of 24 passes for 174 yards with one interception. 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, which held Villanova to 187 yards of total offense Saturday (lowest total by an opponent in three years), is highlighted by returning starters Dre Moore, Jeremy Navarre, Erin Henderson and Christian Varner. Moore and Navarre each tallied 3 1/2 sacks along the defensive line in 2006. Moore posted more than half that total last weekend, registering a pair of sacks. Henderson is the lone returning starter at linebacker. 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. 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. Gardner (63) and Varner (58) are the second and third leading returning tacklers on the team.
• The Terps' special teams is going 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 hit the first field goal attempt of his career Saturday, a 42-yarder, while Baltz averaged 43.0 yards on a pair of punts. Kickoff return specialist Josh Wilson has also departed for the NFL, as he was a second-round selection of Seattle in the spring. Reserve DB Terrell Skinner opens the season as the kick returner, while Danny Oquendo is back at punt returner.

Quick Hitters...
• With Saturday's win over Villanova, 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 won 11 of their last 14 nonconference games.
• There were 50,389 fans packed into Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium for Saturday's game. 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.

Florida International at-A-Glance...
• Florida International returns several key players from the team that narrowly missed upsetting Maryland in College Park last season. Cornerback Lionell Singleton, an honorable mention All-American last season by SI.com returns on defense. The senior from Tallahassee led the Sun Belt Conference in interceptions (0.50 per game) and passes defended (1.60 per game). In last year's contest between the two teams Singleton picked off a pass from Terrapin quarterback Sam Hollenbach in the end zone to prevent a Maryland score.
• Also back from last year's FIU team, is running back A'Mod Ned. The junior led the Golden Panthers in rushing last season with 445 yards, and exploded against Bowling Green for a career high performance of 225 total yards. Against the Terps he rushed for 88 yards on 15 carries, including a 52-yard rumble in the fourth quarter to set up a field goal by FIU's Chris Patullo which cut the Maryland deficit to four.
• The Golden Panthers also return second leading rusher Justin Reams, who ran for 349 yards last season, as well as the entire offensive line from last year's team. Other returnees on offense are receivers Ashlyn Parker, an honorable mention all-conference performer in 2006, and Jeremy Dickens who combined for 510 yards on 44 catches.
• With Saturday's 59-0 loss at the hands of Penn State, Florida International has now lost 13 consecutive games.
• Despite that streak FIU has remained competitive. Five of the Golden Panthers' first six losses last season were by a combined 14 points, including the 14-10 loss to Maryland on Sept. 23. Two of the losses were by a single point, and another, a 25-22 setback against North Texas, took seven overtime periods to decide.

Maryland-Florida International Series History...
• Maryland's 14-10 victory over Florida International last season marks the only meeting between the two schools. Christian Varner sealed the win for the Terps when he intercepted Josh Padrick's pass at the 3-yard line to preserve the victory. Maryland's Sam Hollenbach passed for two first-half touchdown and 158 yards in the game, while Lance Ball led the Terps on the ground with 82 yards on 19 carries.
• Although they have played FIU only once, the Terps have visited the Orange Bowl 14 times in school history, and compiled a 6-8 record at the historic stadium. Maryland is 6-6 all-time against the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, and 0-2 against Oklahoma in Miami, dropping Orange Bowl games in 1954 and 1956 to the Sooners.
• The Terrapins last win at the Orange Bowl also happened to be the second greatest comeback in college football history. On Nov. 10 1984, the Terrapins trailed Miami 31-0 at halftime. Head coach Bobby Ross inserted backup quarterback Frank Reich into the game in place of Stan Gelbaugh, and Reich proceeded to rally the Terps to a 42-40 victory behind 230 yards passing and three touchdowns.
• The offensive coordinator of that second half explosion was current Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen, marking the last time he coached in a game at the Orange Bowl.
• Maryland's 14-10 win over FIU last season marked the start of an exciting run for the Terps. Beginning with that game, Maryland played in seven games decided by a total of 21 points. To their credit, the Terps won six of the seven, with their only loss coming to Georgia Tech. Four of those wins came down to the final play of the game.

Offensive Notes...
• Maryland has now recorded over 400 yards of total offense in back-to-back games, extending back to the Terps' 24-7 win over Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl last season. Prior to the game against Purdue, the Terps had not totaled 400 yards of total offense since they racked up 524 in a win (33-30) over North Carolina in 2005.
• Maryland recorded 221 yards rushing vs. Villanova (Sept. 1), the team's most since the Terps ran for 250 yards against Virginia on Oct. 1 2005. Maryland topped 200 yards rushing only twice (William & Mary, Purdue) last season.
• Keon Lattimore opened his senior year with a bang, breaking the 1,000-yard mark for his career with 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Saturday's game. It was the third highest total on the ground for Lattimore in his career. He had 119 yards against Wake Forest last season, and 114 against Virginia earlier in 2006.
• Lattimore's three rushing touchdowns were the most by a Terrapin back since Mario Merrills did it on Oct. 8, 2005 against Temple.
• At 18.00 points per game, Lattimore is currently the leading scorer in the ACC, and is tied for fifth in the NCAA. His 106 rushing yards per game rank third in the conference and are tied for 42nd in the country. • 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.
• 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.
• In his first game as a collegiate starter, Jordan 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.
• Steffy also ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Steffy's predecessor, Sam Hollenbach rushed for more than 45 yards only once in his more than two-year career.
• Sophomore sensation Darrius Heyward-Bey picked up where he left off last season catching six passes for 81 yards, the third highest total of his career. The wideout twice went over 100 yards receiving last season en route to earning freshman All-America honors.
• 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 29 games, while Williams' 14 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 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 16th in the country in tackles for loss with two per game, while Feliciano (1.50) is tied for 92nd in that category.
• Preseason All-American Erin Henderson picked up where he left off last season, breaking up two passes and notching nine tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Villanova. The junior is the returning starter at weakside linebacker, where he tallied 8.8 tackles per game last season, second most in the ACC.
• Six Terrapin defenders have started more than 11 career games for Maryland and two (Trey Covington and Christian Varner) have started more than 20. Covington has started 22 of the last 23 games at LEO, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position, while Varner has started 24 of the last 25 at safety, including a team-high 23 straight.
• The defense (176 vs. Villanova) held a team under 200 yards of offense for the first time in 31 games (Duke, 2004).
• In Saturday's season opener, 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 not play Saturday.
• Philistin, who had appeared in Maryland's last 23 games as a reserve, responded with one pass break-up and three tackles, including one for a loss, in the first half.
• Junior Moise Fokou, who appeared in 13 games as a reserve last season, made his starting debut at the Sam spot and matched his career high as a Terrapin with five tackles, including one sack. He twice had five stops a year ago, and had a career-high of 10 twice as a freshman at Frostburg State.
• Kevin Barnes, in the second start of his collegiate career, recorded his first career interception against Villanova, grabbing an Antwon Young pass in the third quarter and returning it 28 yards.
• 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.

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 both players are off to a good start this season. In the season opener versus Villanova, Egekeze connected on the first field goal of his career from 42 yards out, and hit all four of his point-after attempts. Baltz, a true freshman, averaged 43 yards on his two punts, and booted one inside the Villanova 20-yard line.
• Egekeze and Baltz will attempt to live up to the Terps' lofty standards. Maryland has a strong history of special teams play in the Ralph Friedgen era. Podlesh, as well as former punter Brooks Barnard and 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 played well against Villanova with three returns for an average of 24 yards (39th nationally).
• Maryland is fortunate to have the sure-handed Danny Oquendo back to handle punt return duties. Oquendo ranked eighth in the ACC and 53rd nationally in return average (8.4). In the 2007 opener, Oquendo returned two punts for 24 yards. His 12.00 average ranks 26th in the country. Christian Varner will serve as Oquendo's backup to start the season.

The Henderson Linebacker Legacy...
• Junior Erin Henderson will look to continue his own legacy this season. Henderson is the younger brother of E.J., who was a consensus All-American at linebacker for the Terps in 2001 and 2002. Erin and his brother posted comparable numbers as sophomores. Erin totaled 114 total tackles in 2006 ,while E.J. posted 109 in 2000. Now Erin, a preseason All-America pick by Playboy, will look to have an explosive junior season similar to his brother's. E.J. burst onto the national scene with 150 tackles and 28 tackles for loss in 2001, as Maryland captured the ACC title.
• In 2006, Erin Henderson averaged 12.4 stops over the last five regular-season games, and recorded six double-digit tackle games on the season, including a 17-tackle effort versus Clemson.

Steffy Takes the Reins...
• Recently anointed starting quarterback Jordan Steffy has had to fight his way through more than just competition to climb to the top of the depth chart. A highly touted prospect out of Leola, Pa., Steffy played in six games as a freshman in 2004 and showed potential, before injuries derailed his career. He suffered a concussion against Virginia Tech, and a torn meniscus the next month. In April 2005 he survived a near-fatal car accident, and in July of that year he had surgery on his biceps, as a result of overthrowing. After a redshirt season and a year as the back-up quarterback, Steffy has finally claimed the starting job.
• Friedgen on Steffy - "He knows the offense very well and he's a very instinctive player. He's also a leader on the team. One of the things I like about him is that he's patient. He'll take the check down."
• Steffy demonstrated poise and excellent decision making in the Terps off-season scrimmages. In the three scrimmages of spring practice, he threw for 376 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions on 30 of 47 passing. He finished with 19 completions on 26 attempts for 165 yards and an interception in the team's final summer scrimmage.

Select Company...
• Ralph Friedgen's 50 wins as Terps' head coach ranks tied for second in Atlantic Coast Conference history among coaches in their first six years. Danny Ford of Clemson posted 51 from 1979-84 and Dick Crum of North Carolina (1978-82) also tallied 50.
• Though he was the top second-, third- and fourth-year coach in ACC history by wins, Friedgen's five-year win total (41) fell short of the mark of 44 victories set by Clemson's Danny Ford from 1979-83. That mark tied him for second with former Terrapin great Jerry Claiborne (1972-76) on the list. Claiborne holds the league's seven-year mark with 58 victories.

Terps Own Nation's Longest Streak...
• In special teams coach Ray Rychleski's seven years, Maryland has had three punters (Brooks Barnard, Adam Podlesh, and Travis Baltz), two long snappers (Jon Condo and Andrew Schmitt) and zero blocked punts.
• The Terrapins' streak without a blocked punt goes back 87 games, now the longest streak in college football. The Terps have not had a punt blocked since Nov. 13, 1999 (Florida State). That amount of time became the longest in NCAA football when Georgia had a punt blocked by Ole Miss last season, snapping a streak which began earlier in the 1999 season.

Terps Tough Road Last Season...
• The Terrapins road back to a bowl game last season was a challenging one, as their schedule was one of the toughest in the nation. The Terrapins played five teams ranked in the AP Top 20 at the time of the game (West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest).
• Eight bowl teams were among the 12 teams on Maryland's schedule last season. The Terps closed their 2006 schedule with five straight bowl teams.

...And it Doesn't Get Any Easier...
• In 2007, the Terps face seven teams that played in bowl games a year ago (West Virginia, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Boston College, Florida State).
• The Terps' three-game stretch from Sept.13 through Sept. 29 may be one of the hardest in the country. In consecutive weeks, the Terps welcome West Virginia to College Park (ranked No. 3 in preseason AP poll), travel to defending ACC champion Wake Forest, and head to New Jersey to face Rutgers (ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP poll).
• SI.com has the Terps' schedule ranked 24th-most difficult in the country.

In the Books...
There are currently two players in the two-deep - LEO Jermaine Lemons and TE Dan Gronkowski - who have graduated. Lemons is pursuing another degree and Gronkowski is in grad school. There are also 12 players on the roster, including seniors Lance Ball, Andrew Crummey, Isaiah Gardner, Joey Haynos, Brendan McDermond, Dre Moore, Chris Roberts and Christian Varner, as well as juniors Obi Egekeze, Matt Goldberg, Erin Henderson, and Richard Taylor, who are expected to graduate by December. In addition, all 15 seniors on the roster are on track to graduate by August, 2008.

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 Terrapins and Mountaineers are scheduled to play on Thursday, Sept. 13 with kickoff set for 7:45 p.m. 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.

Getting One Back...
Scott Burley, who took over the starting left tackle spot in the spring, has earned another year of eligibility. Burley entered the preseason as a senior, but due to ankle and back woes last season, the Baltimore native is now a junior. He was granted another year by the NCAA toward the end of August.

Haynos Selected to Mackey Watch List...
Senior tight end Joey Haynos was named to the preseason watch list for the 2007 John Mackey Award Monday in an announcement on July 23 by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Mackey Award is bestowed upon the best tight end in college football and is named after the NFL Hall of Famer who is considered to be the best to have played the position. Haynos is one of 30 student-athletes on the watch list, including four from the Atlantic Coast Conference. DajLeon Farr of Miami, Anthony Hill of North Carolina State, and Tom Santi of Virginia join Haynos on the list. The selection committee votes on the award toward the end of the college football season with the winner announced in mid-December. Matt Spaeth of Minnesota won the 2006 Mackey Award. Haynos was an honorable mention All-ACC selection last season and should vie for all-league honors again in 2007. He was a preseason second team All-ACC choice by Athlon and Lindy's. The native of Rockville, Md., has played in 30 career games after walking on in 2003. He was the second-leading receiver on the team in 2006 with 37 receptions for 369 yards, both career highs. He snagged three balls for 19 yards in the season opener vs. Villanova (Sept. 1).

Henderson Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List...
Junior linebacker Erin Henderson was named to the preseason watch list for the 2007 Bronko Nagurski Trophy in an announcement by the Football Writers Association of America in June. The Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the best defensive player in college football and is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Henderson was one of 49 student-athletes on the orginal watch list, including seven from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall of Virginia Tech, Calais Campbell of Miami, Jolonn Dunbar of Boston College, Chris Long of Virginia and Philip Wheeler of Georgia Tech join Henderson on the list, which may be adjusted throughout the season. Henderson was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2006, after missing all of the previous year with a knee injury. He ranked second in the ACC and 31st nationally in tackles, posting 8.8 per game (114 total). Henderson, an Aberdeen, Md., native, was named to the Preseason Playboy All-America team in May. His brother E.J., who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings and was a Maryland All-America linebacker, was a finalist for the 2002 Nagurski Trophy. Henderson tallied nine tackles and two pass breakups in the season opener vs. Villanova (Sept. 1). The FWAA All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski winner from the association's 11-man All-America defensive team in November. The Charlotte Touchdown Club will hold its banquet on Monday, Dec. 3.

Henderson Also on Bednarik Award Watch List...
Not only was linebacker Erin Henderson named a preseason All-American by Playboy and selected to the Nagurski Trophy watch list, but the junior is also on the Bednarik Award watch list as the nation's most outstanding defensive player. The Bednarik Award is presented by the Maxwell Memorial Football Club. Paul Posluszny of Penn State won the last two years, and Erin's brother E.J. captured the award in 2002.

Henderson on Butkus Award Watch List...
Erin Henderson was named to the preseason watch list for the 2007 Butkus Award on Tuesday, Aug. 28 in an announcement by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. The Butkus Award is bestowed upon the top linebacker in college football. Patrick Willis of Mississippi won in 2006. Henderson is one of 65 student-athletes on the watch list. He was already on the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award, which both honor the top defensive player in the nation. Henderson's bother, E.J., won the 2002 Butkus Award. The Butkus Award Watch List will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on Thursday, Oct. 18. That list will be cut to three finalists and will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 9. The winner will be announced in December in Orlando, Fla.

Crummey Earns a Number of Preseason Accolades...
Offensive guard Andrew Crummey was named to the 2007 ESPN.com Preseason All-America football team in August, adding another accolade to his impressive list of summer honors. The senior was selected as a second team All-American by The Sporting News, as well as first team All-ACC by Athlon, Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Lindy's, The Sporting News and Street and Smith's. Six ACC players were selected to the 25-man team, the most of any conference. Crummey was joined by Wake Forest center Steve Justice and place-kicker Sam Swank, Boston College cornerback DeJuan Tribble, Miami safety Kenny Phillips and Georgia Tech punter Durant Brooks. A two-year starter at right guard, Crummey helped pave the way for running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore to rush for more than 700 yards each last season. The offensive line as a whole allowed only 19 sacks, the second fewest in the ACC, and Crummey was named to the All-ACC second team. He has 28 career starts, most on the team, and has proven to be a durable and dependable lineman, missing only one start in his last 24 games. As a freshman, he played in 10 games, starting five, and was named a second team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News.

Crummey Added to Lombardi Watch List...
Senior offensive guard Andrew Crummey was one of 60 players added to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List on Friday, Aug. 24. The 38th annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia, honoring the top lineman in college football and benefiting the American Cancer Society, will be presented in Houston on Dec. 5. The new players have been added to the preliminary watch list announced in March based on various preseason honors. There are now 103 players on the watch list.

LB Unit: Home of the Hardware...
• Three of the last six years, the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year has been a Maryland linebacker. Last season the Terps had to replace the 2005 honoree after losing the eventual NFL second-round pick D'Qwell Jackson. Focus this season will be on junior Erin Henderson, who had a number of preseason accolades after a standout 2006 campaign. Henderson, who mans the Will linebacker slot, finished second in the ACC in tackles last season. Henderson, younger brother of former All-American E.J., was a second-team All-ACC choice in 2006. Erin was on the 2007 Playboy Preseason All-America team and is on the watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy (top defender in the nation), Bednarik Award (top defensive player in the nation) and Butkus Award (top linebacker in the country). E.J. was the league's defensive player of the year in 2001 and 2002 and Jackson (2005) earned their hardware while also garnering national award attention.

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

2...In six previous seasons, Ralph Friedgen has had his starting quarterback open game one of the next season just two other times (Sam Hollenbach in 2006; Scott McBrien in 2003).

2...The Terps ranked second in the ACC last season in sacks allowed, surrendering just 19.

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

7...The Terps return their top seven receivers (in terms of receptions) from last season.

10...Number of broken tackles by Keon Lattimore in the season-opening win over Villanova.

12...Number of returning starters (six on offense/six on defense) from last season.

23...Christian Varner has started a team-high 23 consecutive games.

29...Andrew Crummey has started a team-high 29 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.

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.

224...Rushing yards needed by Lance Ball to reach 2,000 in his career.