Saturday, Sept. 13

Maryland (1-1, 0-0 ACC)

vs.

No. 23 California (2-0, 1-0 Pac-10)

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

TV: ESPN - Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Andre Ware (color) have the call. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will re-broadcast the game at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Jonathan Claiborne (color) and Tim Strachan (sidelines) have the call. XM Satellite Radio Channel 190. Pregame with Gary Stein and Scott McBrien begins at 10:30 a.m. Click here to Listen Live on-line. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network (14 affiliates): 105.7 FM (WHFS) - Baltimore (Flagship); ESPN Radio 1300 AM (WJFK) - Baltimore (Flagship); WJFK 106.7 FM - Washington D.C.; WCEM AM 1240 - Cambridge; WBEY 97.9 FM - Crisfield; WGOP AM 540 - Crisfield; WTBO AM 1450 - Cumberland; WFMD AM 930 - Frederick; WARK AM 1490 - Hagerstown; WPTX 1690 AM - Lexington Park, Md.; WVMD 99.5 FM - Midland; WMSG AM 1050 - Oakland; WQMR FM 101.1 - Ocean City; WTGM AM 960 - Salisbury. Fans attending the game should tune into 105.7 to hear the Maryland broadcast ISP (national) - Bill Robinski (pbp) and John Bunting (color) call the action. Click here for a list of affiliates.

Tickets: Tickets are available through the Maryland Athletics Ticket Office. Fans my call 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here. Click here for Gameday Quick Facts about tickets, will call, parking and shuttles.

Terps on the Air...
Maryland's football broadcasting lineup for 2008-09, includes the Ralph Friedgen Radio Show and the Ralph Friedgen Television Show (FridgeTV). The Ralph Friedgen Radio Show airs from 8-9 p.m. each Wednesday during the season on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network which increased from 10 to 14 affiliates this season. The Ralph Friedgen Television Show, which is presented by Outback Steakhouse, airs weekly at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. The fast-paced, 30-minute show goes behind the scenes with Friedgen and the Maryland football team. Replays of the show are scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday on Comcast SportsNet, just prior to the rebroadcast of the Terps most recent football game. Comcast SportsNet will carry the official rebroadcasts of all 12 University of Maryland football games. Friedgen also appears each Wednesday during the season on Comcast's SportsNite wrap-up show. Comcast goes live "Inside the Coach's Office" with Friedgen at 6:45 p.m. each Wednesday.

First-and-10...
• After a tough road loss to Middle Tennessee State Saturday, the University of Maryland returns to the friendly confines of Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium this weekend for another non-conference tilt. Maryland and California meet up for the first time at noon Saturday. The game will be telecast nationally on ESPN as well as being heard over the Terrapin Sports Radio Network. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will replay the game at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Golden Bears jumped into the national rankings (No. 23 AP; No. 25 USA Today) over the weekend with an impressive 66-3 win over Washington State, while the Terps look to rebound from a 24-14 loss to the Blue Raiders. The Golden Bears will come into town with the nation's sixth-ranked rushing attack (297.0 ypg) and the seventh-ranked scoring offense (52.0 ppg).
• The Maryland offense, which has nine starters back from 2007 and a new coordinator in James Franklin, has been able to move the ball in the early going (377 yards of total offense per game) by making a number of big plays, but is still trying to find a level of consistency. The Terps were unsure about the rushing attack entering the season, but sophomore Da'Rel Scott has posted 320 yards in his first two career starts, the third-highest total in school history. He ranks tied for fourth nationally in rushing yards per game (160.0) and the Terps are 26th nationally in rushing (208.5 ypg). Junior Chris Turner started the Middle Tennessee State game in place of injured senior quarterback Jordan Steffy and completed 13 of 28 passes for 207 yards. Turner started the final eight games in 2008. Junior Darrius Heyward-Bey headlines a talented receiving corps. The speedster is averaging 80.0 receiving yards per game (third in the ACC) and has scored two touchdowns. Opening holes for the running game is a veteran offensive line which returns six of its top seven performers from a year ago, including senior center Edwin Williams, who is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy and Lombardi Award. Junior fullback Cory Jackson is opening holes for the tailbacks for the third-straight season, while senior Dan Gronkowski, a member of the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award, is back as the starting tight end.
• The Terps, who have five starters back from a unit which ranked 24th nationally in points allowed (21.5 ppg) and 40th in total defense (358.0 ypg). Maryland held Delaware scoreless for nearly 55 minutes and yielded just 249 yards of total offense in the season opener, but surrendered 400 total yards in Saturday's loss to MTSU. Senior defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre, a three-year starter, has been the Terps' leader up front. He has notched 10 tackles this season, while linebackers Alex Wujciak and Dave Philistin have a team-high 15 stops apiece. Philistin is on a number of awards lists, including the one for the Butkus Award. The other returning starters include seniors Kevin Barnes, Trey Covington and Moise Fokou. Barnes, the lone returning starter in the secondary, tallied an interception and forced a fumble vs. Delaware. Junior Terrell Skinner and senior Jeff Allen are the new starters at free safety and strong safety, respectively. Skinner had a pick in the opener and eight tackles vs. MTSU, while Allen and Philistin shared team-high honors with nine stops vs. the Blue Raiders.
• The Terps return all components of its special teams unit from last season. Sophomore punter Travis Baltz and senior place-kicker Obi Egekeze are both in their second seasons as starters. Baltz, a freshman All-ACC choice, averaged 40.9 yards per punt last season, including 43.1 in league games, which ranked second. He is averaging 42.9 ypp through two games. Egekeze hit 17 of 23 field-goal attempts last year, including a near-perfect mark in league games (13 of 14/93 percent). He has missed his first four attempts this season, but three were from over 40 yards and three hit the goal post. Sure-handed senior Danny Oquendo is the punt returner for the third straight season, while redshirt freshman Torrey Smith has opened the season as the kickoff returner.

Quick Hitters...
• Maryland and California have never faced each other. In fact, the Terps have only played three Pac-10 schools. Maryland played UCLA twice, losing 12-7 on the road in 1954 and winning 7-0 the following year in College Park. The Terps fell to Washington 21-20 in the 1982 Aloha Bowl and dropped last year's Emerald Bowl to Oregon State, 21-14.
• The Terps are facing their first ranked opponent of the season with California coming into the weekend No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. Maryland played well last season vs. ranked foes, posting a 2-1 mark. They lost to No. 4 West Virginia, 31-14, before downing No. 10 Rutgers, 34-24, and No. 8 Boston College, 42-35.
• Maryland will try to duplicate what it did last season this weekend vs. Cal. After a tough 31-24 overtime road loss to Wake Forest (Sept, 22), the Terps rebounded with a win over No. 10 Rutgers.
• Several Terps extended streaks Saturday vs. the Blue Raiders. DL Jeremy Navarre has now played in 39 consecutive games, and his 37 career starts are the most on the team. OL Edwin Williams has now started 28 consecutive games, tops on the team.
• The Terps have three new coaches on staff this season. James Franklin (asst. head coach/offensive coordinator/QBs), Lee Hull (wide receivers) and Danny Pearman (tight ends/H-backs/special teams) were hired in the off-season. Head coach Ralph Friedgen served as offensive coordinator the last two seasons.
• The Terps have an all-time record of 593-517-43 (.533), including a 57-32 (.640) mark under Ralph Friedgen.

Scott Up and Running...
RB Da'Rel Scott proved his record-setting performance Aug. 30 against Delaware was not a fluke. Following his first career start that saw the sophomore rush for a career-high 197 yards on 26 carries to set a school record for most rushing yards in a season opener (old record: 177, Charlie Wysocki vs. Villanova, Sept. 6, 1980), Scott turned in yet another impressive performance Saturday versus the Blue Raiders. Scott rushed for 123 yards on 11 carries (11.2 ypc), including a career-long 63-yard burst for a touchdown on the Terps' second offensive play from scrimmage. Through the first two games of the 2008 season, Scott already has made several notable contributions to Maryland's rushing marks:
• The 63-yard run was the longest by a Terp since Lance Ball ran for 65 yards versus Boston College Nov. 19, 2005, and the team's longest run for a touchdown since Bruce Perry scored on an 80-yard run against Wake Forest Nov. 28, 2003. It was also Scott's longest play, surpassing a 57-yard reception he had last season versus Boston College.
• With 11 rushes for 123 yards versus the Blue Raiders, Scott has 320 rushing yards through the first two games of the 2008 season. That total is the most in a two-game period by a Terp since Josh Allen rushed for a combined 401 yards against Virginia and NC State on Nov. 13 and Nov. 22, 2003.
• His 11.2 yards per carry average vs. MTSU ranks fourth all-time on the Terps' single-game list (record: 15.0 by Willie Joyner vs. UNC, 1982). • Scott currently leads the ACC and ranks tied for fourth nationally in the NCAA FBS with an average of 160 rushing yards per game. He also ranks 21st nationally in all-purpose running (169 ypg).
• Scott's performance marks the first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for a Maryland ball carrier since Keon Lattimore ran for 112 and 124, respectively, against Wake Forest (Sept. 29) and Rutgers (Sept. 22) last season.

Heyward-Bey's Blazing Start...
• WR Darrius Heyward-Bey took a catch and run 80 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of Maryland's game Saturday against Middle Tennessee State. The play marked the second-longest of Heyward-Bey's career, trailing only the school-record 96-yarder he had versus Miami Nov. 11, 2006. It was the longest completion of QB Chris Turner's career, surpassing a 78-yard TD pass to Jason Goode last season against Georgia Tech.
• Heyward-Bey continued his ascent through the receiving portion of Maryland's record book. By recording 90 receiving yards versus the Blue Raiders, the junior wideout passed Guilian Gary (1998-2001) to move into eighth place all-time in school history with 1,640 career receiving yards. He stands just one receiving yard behind Ferrell Edmunds (1984-87) for seventh on the all-time list. Heyward-Bey's three receptions against the Blue Raiders give him 103 for his career - also good for eighth all-time, as he passed Edmunds in the Terps' record book.
• With his 80-yard score against the Blue Raiders, Heyward-Bey now has nine career receiving touchdowns, good for tied for 12th on Maryland's all-time list along with Vernon Davis (2003-05), Vernon Joines (1985-88) and Mike Lewis.
• His performance against Middle Tennessee State followed a season-opening game versus Delaware in which Heyward-Bey recorded four catches for 70 yards, as well as a 12-yard touchdown run with 8:03 left in the second quarter that marked Maryland's first score of the season.
• Heyward-Bey is currently third in the ACC and ranks tied for 52nd nationally in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in receiving yards per game (80.0).
• Heyward-Bey has now caught at least one pass in 26 of the last 27 contests dating back to the 2006 season.

California At-A-Glance...
• Cal is making its first trip to the East Coast since playing at Rutgers in 2001.
• The Golden Bears won convincingly over Washington State last Saturday, 66-3, gaining 505 total yards, including 391 rushing yards. The 63-point deficit resulted in the Cougars' biggest loss in school history. Cal now stands 2-0, having also defeated Big-Ten foe Michigan State, 38-31, in its season opener Aug. 30.
• Cal currently ranks among the top 25 nationally in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in the following offensive categories: rushing offense (sixth), scoring offense (seventh), sacks allowed (tied for 15th) and total offense (23rd).
• Defensively, the Golden Bears rank tied for second nationally with five interceptions, tied for 17th in defensive third-down efficiency (24.1 percent) and tied for 19th in rushing defense (69.0 ypg).
• RB Jahvid Best ranks seventh nationally in rushing with 38 carries for 311 yards (8.2 ypc) on the ground through two games. The sophomore also has four rushing touchdowns in 2008, with three coming against Washington State. He stands 12th in the nation in scoring (12.00 ppg). Fellow running back Shane Vereen complements Best, ranking tied for 40th nationally in rushing (90.5 ypg).
• Quarterbacks Kevin Riley, a sophomore, and Nate Longshore, a senior, have split time under center for the Golden Bears. Riley leads the passing attack with 253 yards and three touchdown passes. Longshore, who is second all-time at Cal with 18 victories as a starting quarterback, has completed 10 of 13 passes in limited duty this season.
• Senior Alex Mack, a finalist last season for the Rimington Trophy awarded to the nation's top center, anchors Cal's offensive line. Having led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed the previous two seasons, the Golden Bears are continuing to perform well in this area thus far in 2008, having surrendered just one sack through their first two games.
• Junior DB Syd-Quan Thompson ranks tied for second nationally with three interceptions in 2008. He leads the nation in interception return yards with 108.
• Senior LB Anthony Felder paces the Golden Bears with 16 tackles thus far in 2008.

Maryland-California Ties...
• The Terps have three players on their roster from the state of California, including quarterbacks Chris Turner (Simi Valley) and Josh Portis (Woodland Hills). In addition, reserve LB Stephen Hargett is from Los Angeles.
• Cal head coach Jeff Tedford and Maryland wide receivers coach Lee Hull were in the CFL at the same time. Tedford was an offensive assistant for Calgary Stampeders from 1989-1991, while Hull was a wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1990-92.
• Maryland special teams/tight ends coach Danny Pearman and California offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti were both on the North Carolina staff during the 2006 season.
• Hull and fellow Maryland assistant coach Tom Brattan have both spent time in the Pac-10 Conference. Hull was the wide receivers coach at Oregon State from 2003-07, while Brattan was the offensive line coach at Stanford from 1999-00.

Big Play Ability...
On the strength of Darrius Heyward-Bey's 80-yard reception and Da'Rel Scott's 63-yard run, both of which went for touchdowns, Maryland on Saturday had its first game with two offensive plays greater than 60 yards since Heyward-Bey had TD receptions of 96 and 65 yards against Miami Nov. 11, 2006. Through two games, Heyward-Bey leads the Terps in scoring with two touchdowns, and Scott already has five carries of at least 24 yards (40, 37 and 26 against Delaware; 63 and 24 versus Middle Tennessee State). Overall, the Terps have 12 offensive plays of 20 or more yards this season.

Opportunistic Wujciak...
LB Alex Wujciak's knack for making big plays continued Saturday for the Terps against the Blue Raiders. One week after the Mike linebacker blocked a field goal attempt against Delaware, Wujciak notched his first career fumble recovery in the second quarter when he pounced on a dropped lateral to halt a Blue Raiders' drive and give the ball back to Maryland. Wujciak also tallied seven tackles, including a tackle for loss when he stopped Middle Tennessee State RB Desmond Gee four yards behind the line of scrimmage in the first quarter.

Philistin: Tackle Machine...
Along with DB Jeff Allen, LB Dave Philistin paced the Terps with nine tackles Saturday and now shares the team lead with Alex Wujciak, both of whom have 15 stops on the season. The ACC's leading returning tackler from a year ago, Philistin now has tallied at least nine tackles in nine of his last 11 games. Philistin, who shares the starting role at Will linebacker with Chase Bullock, made his first start of the season Saturday versus the Blue Raiders. He also leads the team with 11 solo stops thus far in 2008.

Portis Provides Change of Pace...
QB Josh Portis used his speed to add a new dimension to the Terps offense against Middle Tennessee State. The junior signal-caller rushed six times for 31 yards, including a long of 16 yards. Portis also completed his first pass as a Terp when he connected with WR Danny Oquendo for four yards in the second quarter. With 41 rushing yards on 10 carries through two games this season, Portis already has the most rushing yards by a Maryland quarterback since Joel Statham rushed for 87 yards in 2004.

Baltz's Punting Prowess...
Sophomore Travis Baltz followed up a strong performance in the season opener by punting four times for 171 yards with a long punt of 54 yards against Middle Tennessee State. The Maryland sophomore currently ranks third in the ACC and 21st nationally in the NCAA FBS in punting (42.9 ypp).

Running With a Sense of Purpose...
Led by RB Da'Rel Scott (320 rushing yards) and aided by RB Davin Meggett (54), QB Josh Portis (41) and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (20), the Terps currently rank third in the ACC and 26th nationally in the NCAA FBS in rushing offense (208.5 ypg). The last Maryland team to average more than 200 rushing yards for an entire season was the ACC Champion 2001 squad, which rushed for 220.7 yards per contest.

Offensive Notes...
• Maryland's offense returns nine starters - its most since 1999 - and 23 letterwinners from a unit that ranked fifth in the ACC in 2007 in total offense (340.8 ypg). Only right guard and running back feature players who did not have starting roles last season.
• Despite returning the vast majority of its starting offense, the Terps will be searching for playmakers with the ability to find the end zone in 2008, as the team lost players accounting for 28 of its 37 offensive touchdowns from a year ago.
• During the off-season Ralph Friedgen handed control of the offense over to new offensive coordinator/assistant head coach James Franklin, enabling one of the football's best young offensive minds to have an opportunity to call plays for the Terps. Formerly offensive coordinator at Kansas State, Franklin brings 13 years of offensive expertise to College Park.
• Following a record-setting 197-yard rushing performance in the season-opening win over Delaware, RB Da'Rel Scott turned in yet another impressive rushing performance Saturday versus the Middle Tennessee State. Scott rushed for 123 yards on 11 carries (11.2 ypc), including a career-long 63-yard burst for a touchdown on the Terps' second offensive play from scrimmage.
• Scott has 320 rushing yards through the first two games of the season, which is the third-highest total in school history (see chart of pg. 5). That tally is also more than 62 NCAA FBS teams. He ranks fourth nationally in rushing (160 ryards per game) and 21st nationally in all-purpose running (169 ypg).
• Scott was not the only Maryland RB to have a memorable game against Delaware. True freshman Davin Meggett had seven rushes for 54 yards and caught one pass for 12 yards. His 14-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter gave the Terps a 14-0 lead.
• In all, Maryland recorded 271 yards on the ground against Delaware, the team's most since it ran for 277 yards against Duke on Sept. 25, 2004.
• QB Chris Turner started in place of Jordan Steffy (thumb injury) Saturday against Middle Tennessee State, throwing for 207 yards and a touchdown on an 80-yard pass to WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. Turner now has thrown for at least 200 yards in each of the last seven games in which he has started.
• Following a hard-fought battle in preseason camp, senior Jordan Steffy emerged as the Terps' No. 1 quarterback heading into the season. Steffy, who started the first five games last season before suffering a concussion, completed 70 of 104 passes for 686 yards and two touchdowns in 2007. He was 10 of 18 for 115 yards in the opener. He suffered a thumb injury in the second half and is out of action indefinitely. Junior Chris Turner, who entered the season as the backup, replaced Steffy in the Delaware game. Turner started the final eight games of the 2007 season, completing 153 of 241 passes for 1,958 yards.
• The Terps quarterbacks will operate behind a veteran-laden offensive line featuring five seniors who have seen significant playing time. C Edwin Williams, a preseason All-ACC nominee, anchors a line that boasts a collective 86 career starts. He is joined by fellow seniors LT Scott Burley, LG Jaimie Thomas, RG Jack Griffin and RT Dane Randolph. Junior Phil Costa started at right guard in the opener with Griffin subbing at right guard. Reserve linemen Bruce Campbell, Lamar Young, Danny Edwards and Paul Pinegar round out the two-deep for a unit that was decimated by injuries last season but should represent a strength for the offense in 2008.
• Fellow QB Josh Portis used his speed to add a new dimension to the Terps offense against Middle Tennessee State. The junior signal-caller rushed six times for 31 yards, including a long of 16 yards. Portis also completed his first pass as a Terp when he connected with WR Danny Oquendo for four yards in the second quarter. With 41 rushing yards on 10 carries through two games this season, Portis already has the most rushing yards by a Maryland quarterback since Joel Statham rushed for 87 yards in 2004.
• All-America honoree Darrius Heyward-Bey provided a spark for the offense in the season opener against Delaware and did so yet again versus Middle Tennessee State. The junior wideout took a catch and run 80 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter Saturday, accounting for the second-longest of Heyward-Bey's career, trailing only the school-record 96-yarder he had versus Miami Nov. 11, 2006. He finished with three grabs for 90 yards and currently leads the ACC and ranks tied for 42nd nationally in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in total receiving yards (80.0 ypg), having caught at least one pass in 26 of the last 27 contests dating back to the 2006 season.
• Heyward-Bey, who ranks eighth all-time for the Terps in both career receptions and receiving yardage, headlines a deep receiving corps that returns its top three players from a year ago. He is joined atop the depth chart at WR by seniors Danny Oquendo and Isaiah Williams. Sophomore LaQuan Williams, a reigning freshman All-ACC nominee, also made significant contributions in 2007. Beneath that veteran layer, a plethora of talented but less-proven WRs awaits opportunities to contribute. Sophomore Adrian Cannon and redshirt freshmen Ronnie Tyler and Torrey Smith each had impressive preseason camps and bolster the unit's depth. Through two games, Tyler ranks second on the team in receiving with 28 yards on three receptions.
• The performances of Scott and fellow RB Davin Meggett (54 total rushing yards) are helping to ease the loss to graduation of last season's dynamic rushing duo of Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball. The Terps currently rank second in the ACC and 26th nationally in the NCAA FBS in rushing offense (208.5 ypg). Senior Rashad Henry and sophomore Morgan Green, who has shown promise but been plagued by injury, round out Maryland's RB corp. Senior FB Cory Jackson open holes for the RBs, with sophomore FB Haroon Brown occupying a reserve role.
• A nominee for postseason honors, senior Dan Gronkowski starts at TE for the Terps after sharing starting duties a year ago. Gronkowski caught seven passes for 66 yards last season, despite being used primarily as a blocking TE. Junior Tommy Galt sits beneath Gronkowski on the depth chart, and Lansford Watson, a redshirt freshman, is atop the depth chart at H-back. Watson recorded his first collegiate reception in the fourth quarter against Middle Tennessee State when he made an acrobatic catch for 29 yards on a pass from Turner.
• TE Lansford Watson's first collegiate reception occurred in the fourth quarter when he made an acrobatic catch for 29 yards on a pass from Chris Turner. The catch proved to be the second-longest of the game for the Terps.

Defensive Notes...
• Maryland returns five starters and 20 letterwinners from a defensive unit that ranked fifth in the ACC last season in both run and pass defense. The unit boasts five players who have made at least 14 starts for the Terps, including 37 and 36 career starts, respectively, for DL Jeremy Navarre and LEO Trey Covington.
• For the first time since 2005, Maryland's entire defensive coaching staff from the previous year remains intact. Chris Cosh, who has served as a defensive coordinator in three of the six BCS conferences, is in his third season running the defense, as well as the inside linebackers.
• During the season opener Aug. 30 against Delaware, Maryland's defense limited the Blue Hens to 249 total yards - the lowest by an opponent since holding Florida International to 163 total yards on Sept. 8, 2007.
• The Terps are ranked No. 59 nationally and eighth in the ACC in total defense (325.5 ypg). The rushing defense is sixth in the ACC (119.5 ypg), while the red zone defense is sixth.
• Navarre, a DT who leads active Terps with nine career sacks and has recorded 10 tackles on the season, anchors a defensive line that replaced starters Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano from a year ago. He is joined in the starting lineup by DE Mack Frost and NT Bemi Otulaja, though Deege Galt, Dion Armstrong and Dean Muhtadi also see action on the defensive line. Junior Travis Ivey is also expected to a fixture inside once he returns from injury. After three seasons at defensive end, Navarre bumped inside to tackle in the spring and has flourished.
• Mike LB Alex Wujciak's collegiate debut proved worth the wait. Seeing his first action Aug. 30 against Delaware after missing all of last season due to a knee injury, the sophomore got a hand on Delaware PK Jon Striefsky's 46-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, causing the kick to fall short of the uprights. It marked the first blocked field goal recorded by Maryland since Navarre swatted one against Florida State on Oct. 28, 2006. Wujciak's knack for making big plays continued for the Terps against Middle Tennessee State. The Mike linebacker notched his first career fumble recovery in the second quarter Saturday when he pounced on a dropped lateral to halt a Blue Raiders' drive.
• LB Dave Philistin tied for the team lead with nine tackles Saturday against the Blue Raiders. Philistin and Wujciak pace the defense with 15 stops thus far in 2008. The ACC's leading returning tackler from a year ago, Philistin now has tallied at least nine tackles in nine of his last 11 games.
• With the addition of Wujciak, depth prevails for the Terrapins at linebacker, where three starters are back from 2007 in Covington, Philistin and Sam LB Moise Fokou. Covington has started 36 of the last 39 games at LEO, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position. Philistin ranked fourth in the ACC in 2007 with 124 tackles, and splits time this season with fellow senior Chase Bullock. Fokou added 83 tackles and two sacks a year ago, and shares the strongside with sophomore Adrian Moten, who earned freshman All-America honors in 2007. Redshirt freshman Ben Pooler rounds out the two-deep by backing up Wujciak at Mike LB.
• CB Kevin Barnes, who led the Terps with four interceptions a year ago, nabbed his first of the 2008 campaign when he picked off a pass by Delaware WR Aaron Love on a flea-flicker during the opening drive of the second half of the 14-7 win over the Blue Hens. The senior also recorded a forced fumble in the season-opening game.
• Barnes is the lone returning starter in the secondary and is expected to provide leadership for the talented unit. Juniors Nolan Carroll and Anthony Wiseman share time at the other CB spot. Senior Jeff Allen, who shared the team lead with nine tackles against Middle Tennessee State, joins Terrell Skinner atop the depth chart at safety, having served in a reserve role in 2007. USC transfer Antwine Perez and true freshman Kenny Tate provide depth at safety, and senior Richard Taylor serves as a reserve CB after being sidelined last season with a knee injury.
• Skinner notched eight stops, including a tackle for loss, Saturday against Middle Tennessee State and now leads the team with two tackles for loss on the season. The junior defensive back is making the most of his first season as a starter for the Terps, having also recorded a crucial late interception, the first of his career, to seal Maryland's season-opening victory over Delaware Aug. 30.
• The Terps have had at least one defensive player drafted into the NFL in each of the last 12 seasons, and 18 defensive players overall in that span, including DE Dre Moore last year, a draftee of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers. Of the Maryland defenders selected, 11 have gone in the first three rounds, including first-round picks Chad Scott (1997) and Shawne Merriman (2005).
• The Terrapins began a season without a Henderson on their roster for just the second time this decade. Following in the footsteps of his older brother A.J., who earned All-America and ACC Player of the Year honors during his stellar Terp career, Erin Henderson was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2007 after leading the conference with 133 tackles. Both brothers now play for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

Special Teams Notes...
• After starting the 2007 campaign with an untested punter and place-kicker, Maryland has the luxury of having proven players occupying those positions this season. Senior place-kicker Obi Egekeze and sophomore punter Travis Baltz both provided strong performances during their first season at their respective positions in 2007. Egekeze connected on 17 of 23 field goal attempts and was perfect on all 36 PATs last year, ranking sixth in the ACC in both kick scoring and overall scoring. Baltz earned freshman All-America honors in 2007 after averaging 43.1 yards per punt during conference play.
• Egekeze also handled kickoff duties in 2007 and has maintained that responsibility during the start of the 2008 season. He has struggled to open the season, missing all four of his field-goal attempts, though three have come from 40 or more yards and three have hit the goal posts.
• Baltz has shown no signs of suffering from a sophomore slump thus far in 2008. He followed up a strong performance in the season-opener against Delaware by punting four times for 171 yards with a long punt of 54 yards against Middle Tennessee State. The sophomore currently ranks third in the ACC and 21st nationally in the NCAA FBS in punting (42.9 ypp).
• Maryland is fortunate to have WR Danny Oquendo back for his third season as the team's primary punt returner. With six returns for 37 yards thus far in 2008, the sure-handed senior has moved into eighth place on the Terps all-time list with 378 punt return yards and ninth place with 47 career punt returns.
• WR Torrey Smith has handled the majority of the kickoff returns thus far in 2008, compiling 86 yards on four kickoff returns against Middle Tennessee State, including a long return of 30 yards. For the season, Smith has five kickoff returns for 109 yards (21.8 ypr). DB Terrell Skinner returned one kickoff for 15 yards in the season-opening game versus Delaware, and fellow DBs Kenny Tate and Trenton Hughes might also be called upon to fill that role.
• Reliable long-snapper Andrew Schmitt, a three-year starter, is in his final season with the Terps. After handling just long snaps (punts) up to this point in his career, Schmitt is also the short snapper (PAT/FG) this year.

Hitting the Field...
Fourteen players made their debuts in the season opener vs. Delaware (RB Davin Meggett, DB Kenny Tate, TE Matt Furstenburg, LB Alex Wujciak, QB Josh Portis, DB Austin Walker, DB Antwine Perez, WR Ronnie Tyler, LB Aaron Ball, LB Hakeem Sule, DL Deege Galt, TE Lansford Watson, WR Torrey Smith and DL Dion Armstrong). Furstenberg, Meggett and Tate are the lone true freshmen to see the field this season.

Veteran Leadership...
The Terps have a veteran team this season with 30 seniors on the current roster. Last season, Maryland had just 15 seniors on its roster. The 30 seniors are the most in the Ralph Friedgen era (previous high - 21 in 2003). In the season opener vs. Delaware 17 of those seniors started the game.

By The Numbers...
0...Fumbles lost by Maryland thus far in 2008. The Terps are one of just 22 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision to have yet to turnover the football via a fumble this season.

7...Number of 2007 bowl teams slated to play the Terps in 2008.

9...Number of current players who have completed their degrees. That list includes PK Obi Egekeze, DL Mack Frost, OL Jack Griffin, TE Dan Gronkowski, DL Dean Muhtadi, OL Dane Randolph, QB Jordan Steffy, DB Richard Taylor and OL Edwin Williams. Each of those players is either enrolled in graduate school or pursuing another undergraduate degree.

14...Returning starters (nine on offense/five on defense) from last season.

17...Number of career carries by the Maryland tailbacks (14 by Da'Rel Scott/3 by Morgan Green) entering the season.

21...Twenty one of the top 27 crowds in Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium have occurred during the last seven seasons.

30...Number of seniors on this season's Maryland roster.

57...The Terps have won 57 games in Ralph Friedgen's seven-plus seasons which is more than they had in the 14 years prior to his arrival (55).

75...The Terps have connected on 75 straight PATs, dating back to 2005 (vs. UNC). Obi Egekeze hit all 36 attempts last season and both this year. Dan Ennis was good on all 32 in 2006.

80...Length of the touchdown reception by WR Darrius Heyward-Bey against Middle Tennessee State. It marked the second-longest of his career, trailing only his school-record 96-yarder versus Miami Nov. 11, 2006.

86...The Terps top six offensive linemen - Edwin Williams (28), Dane Randolph (19), Scott Burley (14), Jaimie Thomas (13), Phil Costa (8) and Jack Griffin (4) - have combined to start 86 career games.

135...Career rushing yards for RB Da'Rel Scott entering the 2008 season.

51,263...The Terps averaged 51,263 fans per game last season in Byrd Stadium, the third-highest amount in school history.