Saturday, Nov. 14

Maryland (2-7, 1-4 ACC)

vs.

No. 20 Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2 ACC)

Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000). Click here for parking information.

TV: ESPN360 - Dave Weekley Rose (play-by-play) and Danny Kanell (color) will call the action in the webcast. Comcast SportsNet will air a replay in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore market 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. Pregame with Gary Stein and Scott McBrien begins at 2:30 p.m. ET The game can also be heard on XM Satellite Radio Channel 192 and Sirius Channel 212. Click here to Listen Live on-line through Terps TV. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network (13 affiliates): WJZ-FM 105.7 - Baltimore (Flagship); WJFK-FM 106.7 - Washington D.C.; WCEM-AM 1240 - Cambridge; WBEY-FM 97.9 - Crisfield; WGOP-AM 540 - Crisfield; WFMD-AM 930 - Frederick; WARK-AM 1490 - Hagerstown; WPTX-AM 1690 - Lexington Park; WVMD-FM 99.5 - Midland; WMSG-AM 1050 - Oakland; WQMR-FM 101.1 - Ocean City; WTGM-AM 960 - Salisbury. Click here to view a PDF of the Terrapin Sports Radio Network coverage map.

Tickets: Tickets for home games are available through the Maryland Athletics Ticket Office, though only mezzanine and luxury suites remain for Virginia Tech. Fans my call 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here.

First-and-10...
• The University of Maryland returns home Saturday to face Virginia Tech after a pair of road games. The Terrapins suffered another tough loss on Saturday, falling to NC State, 38-31. Maryland was unable to get the tying score in the final seconds and went down to its fifth loss of the season when it had a chance to score the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter. Maryland will wear special camoflouge uniforms during the Virginia Tech game to support the Wounded Warrior Project (see note on page 3). The Terps and Hokies game will kick off at 1 p.m. from sold-out Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.
• Maryland got off to a good start offensively against NC State, rolling up nearly 200 total yards in the first half, but a knee injury to quarterback Chris Turner helped derail the effort on that side of the ball. Backup QB Jamarr Robinson saw his first significant career action and put the Terps in position to score the tying touchdown. He went 5-for-11 for 27 yards and rushed for another 38 yards. Turner, who ranks among the top signal-callers in school history, hopes to return Saturday, but is listed as questionable. He is averaging 218.7 passing yards per game (sixth in the ACC/42nd in NCAA). Torrey Smith is the Terps' go-to player. He's averaging 70.0 receiving yards per game (fifth in the ACC) and 200.7 all-purpose ypg (third in the country). No. 1 running back Da'Rel Scott, a first-team All-ACC pick last season, was injured (broken wrist) vs. Clemson (10/3) and is out of action until later this month. Davin Meggett, Gary Douglas and Caleb Porzel have handled the bulk of the carries with Scott on the shelf. Senior center Phil Costa, who has started 27 career games, is the leader of an offensive line which has been in transition with the loss of seven seniors from a year ago. The team's other veteran lineman - LT Bruce Campbell - has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. Besides Campbell and Costa, the rest of the linemen have a total of 30 career starts.
• The Terps have been pretty solid on defense for most of the conference season, allowing an average 92.4 rushing yards per game (tops in league play). LBs Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten have been the top playmakers on a defense which has just four starters back from last year. Wujciak, a second-team All-ACC selection last season, has a team-high 102 tackles, including 14 vs. NC State (10/24). Moten has 53 tackles (second on the team), including team highs in tackles-for-loss (7.5) and sacks (5.0). LB Demetrius Hartsfield, the third-leading tackler (47), has been out of action the last two weeks with a broken hand. First-year defensive coordinator Don Brown has a veteran secondary, though there have been injuries at that position. Senior Nolan Carroll, the team's No. 1 cornerback, was lost for the season vs. JMU with a broken tibia. Senior SS Jamari McCollough missed two games with a foot injury and played sparingly the following two weeks. CB Anthony Wiseman has a team-high eight PBUs and CB Cameron Chism has a team-best three interceptions. Seniors Travis Ivey, Jared Harrell and Deege Galt are veterans on the defensive line. The Terps are tied for second in the ACC in sacks (2.6 per game).
• The special teams unit, under the direction of first-year coordinator Charles Bankins, features a pair of preseason All-Americans in Smith and junior punter Travis Baltz. Smith set the ACC single-season record for kickoff return yards (1,089) last season and eclipsed it last week. He returned his third career kickoff for a TD vs. NC State (11/7) and set the Maryland career kickoff return yards mark vs. Rutgers (9/26). Baltz was a 2008 first-team All-ACC choice after leading the league in punting average (41.1 ypp). He was a preseason consensus first team All-ACC pick and was one of just nine punters on the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award. However, he suffered an ankle injury vs. Rutgers and missed the following three games. True freshman Nick Ferrara has been a bright spot, hitting 14 of 20 field goals and handling the kickoff chores. He's also served as the punter during Baltz's absence. Tony Logan was expected to be the No. 1 punt returner, taking over for three-year starter Danny Oquendo, but he missed the first two games with an injury. Logan resumed his duties as the No. 1 punt returner the last five weeks.

Quick Hitters...
• Torrey Smith ran his way into the record books Saturday against NC State, returning a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown, the third of his career and second of the season. With the TD return, Smith set the Maryland all-time record for career kickoff returns for touchdowns, and tied the single-season mark set in 1975 by Richard Jennings. He had a career-high 204 kickoff return yards and now stands in fourth place all-time on the ACC career list with 2,202 yards (see chart on page 4). Smith also broke his own ACC single-season kickoff return yards record, set last year when he totaled 1,089 yards. With three games to play, Smith has 1,113 kickoff return yards.
• Smith was voted the ACC Specialist of the Week for his performance vs. NC State.
• Only three active players in the NCAA FBS have more kickoff returns for touchdowns than Smith - C.J. Spiller of Clemson (6), Brandon Banks of Kansas State (5) and Perrish Cox of Oklahoma (4).
• Smith has posted over 260 all-purpose yards three times this season, including a career-high 287 vs. Middle Tennessee State (9/19), 268 (64 receiving/204 kickoff) vs. NC State (11/7) and 267 vs. Wake Forest (10/17). He is the only player in the country to post more than 260 all-purpose yards three times in 2009.
• Junior linebacker Alex Wujciak entered the season ranked fifth nationally among returning tacklers. He has kept up the same pace this season, averaging 11.3 stops per game (fourth nationally). In fact, Wujciak ranks first in the country (10.7) on the active career tackles-per-game list. Travis Lewis of Oklahoma is second (9.5) on that list.
• The Terps recorded three interceptions in the NC State game (11/7), including the first of Richard Taylor's and Wujciak's careers. It was the most interceptions by the Terps since they also had three against Wake Forest on Sept. 22, 2007.
• Wujciak has gone over 100 tackles (102) for the second-straight season. He is on pace to become the first Maryland defender to post more than 125 tackles (133 in 2008) in back-to-back years since E.J. Henderson (150 in 2001; 175 in 2002).
• Maryland has struggled in the turnover department this season, but has improved in recent weeks. The Terps forced four turnovers vs. NC State and gave the ball up just once. They are tied for 108th in the nation in turnover margin (-1.0 per game), but are +3.0 over the last two games. The defense has forced seven turnovers in the last two games after forcing seven in the first seven contests.
• LB Demetrius Hartsfield ranks third among freshmen in the ACC in tackles (6.7 per game). He is also the top sack producer (0.5 pg) among first-year players in the league. Hartsfield is currently injured but hopes to return to action later this month.
• Nick Ferrara is first in the ACC among freshmen in field-goal percentage (70.0/14 of 20). Ferrara ranks tied for second in the nation among first-year players in field goals per contest (1.56) and tied for seventh in scoring (7.1 pg).
• Sophomore Cameron Chism ranks 11th in the ACC among DBs in tackles (5.2 per game).
• Chris Turner is the Terps' first three-year starting quarterback since Brian Cummings (1995-97).
• Turner ranks among the top signal-callers in school history. The senior ranks fourth on Maryland's career completion percentage list (59.5), second in career passing yards (6,442), second in total offense (6,287), second in completions (536), second in career pass attempts (901) and fourth in TD passes (30).
• With 182 passing yards vs. Duke (10/24), Turner moved past Boomer Esiason (6,259/1981-83) and into second place on the Maryland career list. Turner also passed Esiason (6,081) on the Maryland career total offense chart vs. the Blue Devils.
• The Terps' 10 returning starters (six on offense/four on defense) are the second-fewest in the Ralph Friedgen era. Heading into the 2004 season, Maryland had nine starters (five offense/four defense) back from the previous campaign.
• Maryland has played 24 freshmen (10 true/14 redshirts) this season which is the most during Ralph Friedgen's nine seasons. The Terps played 20 freshmen in both the 2001 and 2004 seasons.
• Seven of the 11 Maryland defensive linemen who have played this season are either true (Justin Anderson, Zachariah Kerr and Isaiah Ross) or redshirt freshmen (A.J. Francis, Masengo Kabongo, Carl Russell and Joe Vellano). The Terps will be without Ross the rest of season as he suffered a season-ending knee injury vs. NC State (11/7).
• OL Paul Pinegar started at his third position (left guard) along the offensive line this season in the Duke game (10/24). Pinegar has also started at both left and right tackle, and is the only lineman in Friedgen's tenure to start at three positions. Pinegar and Phil Costa are the only two linemen to start all nine games.
• Maryland is 201-170-4 (.541) all-time in ACC games, including a 38-31 (.551) mark under Friedgen.
• The Terps lost a close friend on Oct. 5 when Jack Heise (dubbed `Mr. Maryland' for his support of the Terps) passed away suddenly. The Terps honored his memory vs. Wake Forest (10/10) by donning an emblem with the initials JH on each player's helmet. That will remain on the helmets throughout the year.

What to Look for vs. Virginia Tech...
• Maryland will try to snap a four-game losing streak to the Hokies.
• The Terps have won six of their last eight games vs. ranked teams (AP poll).
• Torrey Smith needs to 35 all-purpose yards to break LaMont Jordan's single-season school record.
• Smith ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (200.7). The ACC record is 186.9 ypg by Frank Quayle (Virginia) in 1968. Smith needs to average 83.0 all-purpose yards over the final three games to eclipse Thomas Jones' (Virginia) league record of 2,054. Smith already has 1,806 all-purpose yards this season after posting 1,425 last year.
• Smith needs 34 receiving yards to reach 1,000 in his career.
• Smith needs 112 kickoff return yards to pass Eric Blount of UNC (1988-91) for third place on the ACC career list. Smith can eclipse the league's career record with 487 more yards.
• Smith needs 176 all-purpose yards to move from ninth to eighth on Maryland's career list.
• With 32 more passing yards, Chris Turner can become the fifth signal-caller in school history to post back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons, joining Esiason (1982-83), Scott Milanovich (1993-94), Scott McBrien (2002-03) and Sam Hollenbach (2005-06).
• Turner has started 29 of the last 30 games, including 21 straight, at quarterback.
• Virginia Tech enters the game with one of the top rushing attacks in the country. The Hokies are averaging 195.8 yards per game which ranks 21st nationally and second in the ACC. Maryland has allowed the fewest rushing yards in conference play. The Terps have surrendered just 92.4 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry in five league games.
• Saturday's game will feature two of the top kickoff returners in the nation in Smith and Dyrell Roberts. The Virginia Tech sophomore is averaging a nation's best 38.6 yards per return.

Terps to Support Wounded Warrior Project...
The Maryland Department of Athletics and Under Armour announced a partnership on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with the Wounded Warrior Project, a not-for-profit organization that provides programs and services for injured service members and their families. The Terrapins will wear specially designed head-to-toe uniforms for their matchup versus Virginia Tech. They will take the field in black and desert camouflage uniforms featuring the Wounded Warrior Project logo. The uniforms will also have a unique twist; a core value embellishment - Duty, Honor, Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Country, and Service - will replace the players' last name on the back of each jersey. Wounded Warrior and Under Armour will create special make-up products for fans to wear on gameday to show their support. The gear will be sold in college book stores, local military base exchanges, and on-line at www.underarmour.com. A percentage of the fan gear proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Additionally, a select number of game jerseys will be auctioned off after the game on www.umterps.com and the proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Injuries Taking A Toll...
The Terps have lost a number of key performers to injury so far this season. CB Nolan Carroll (leg) was lost for the season in the second game. Starting left tackle Bruce Campbell has missed three games, punter Travis Baltz missed three contests before returning vs. Duke (10/24) and tailback Da'Rel Scott is out until at least later month with a broken wrist suffered vs. Clemson (10/3). So far this season, the Terps have lost 32 man-games to potential starters (DB Jamari McCollough - 2; Carroll - 7; Scott - 4; Baltz - 3; Campbell - 3; OL Tyler Bowen - 7; WR/PR Tony Logan - 2; LB Demetrius Hartsfield - 2; OL Bennett Fulper - 2) and that number continues to rise. In addtion, key reserves Joe Vellano and Caleb Porzel were on the shelf until recently. Vellano, expected to be a backup at defensive tackle, played for the first time vs. Virginia (10/17) and Porzel was on the field for his first career snaps vs. Wake Forest (10/10). The Terps were also without a number of key reserves - WR Kerry Boykins, RB Gary Douglas, TE Lansford Watson and OL Lamar Young - vs. Duke (10/24), but got a number of those players back for the NC State game. Fulper, who started four games at guard, had shoulder surgery last week and is out for the season. DL Isaiah Ross, a key true freshman reserve, injured his knee vs. NC State (11/7) and is gone for the season.

Stopping the Run...
Maryland allowed just 63 rushing yards by Virginia (10/17), including two yards in the first half. That marked the lowest rushing yards accumulated by a Maryland opponent since California had 38 last season. In their previous two games, the Cavaliers had recorded 106 and 231 rushing yards against North Carolina and Indiana, respectively. The Terps were even better against the run the following week vs. Duke (10/24), allowing just 23 yards on the ground (on 28 carries). It marked the fewest rushing yards by an opponent since NC State recorded just 10 on Nov. 24, 2007. The Terps are surrendering just 2.1 yards per carry over the last three games and rank No. 1 in the ACC in rushing defense (92.4 ypg) during league play.

Virginia Tech At-A-Glance...
• Quarterback Tyrod Taylor ranks fifth in the ACC and 32nd nationally in passing efficiency (141.33). This season, he has nine touchdown passes to go with only three interceptions, which ranks tied for second nationally for fewest picks.
• Freshman running back Ryan Williams is first in the ACC and ninth nationally in rushing average (123.2 ypg). He is third in the conference in touchdowns scored (11).
• The Hokies are second in the ACC and eighth nationally in passing defense (163.1 ypg). They are also eighth in the country in pass efficiency defense, holding opposing quarterbacks to an average rating of 96.27.
• Linebacker Cody Grimm ranks first in the ACC and is tied for seventh nationally in forced fumbles (0.44 pg). He is also third in the conference in solo tackles (8.78 pg).
• Defensive back Rashad Carmichael has made interceptions in back-to-back games - against North Carolina (10/29) and East Carolina (11/7). He ranks tied for sixth in the country and second in the conference in interceptons (0.56 pg).
• The Hokies' 16 turnovers gained and 11 lost put them at third in the ACC and 28th in the country in turnover margin (.56).
• Dyrell Roberts leads the country in kickoff returns, averaging 38.6 yards per return. Only a sophomore, he has 970 kickoff return yards just 23 games into his collegiate career.
• Brent Bowden is first in the ACC and 11th in the country in punting average (44.18 yards per attempt).

Maryland-Virginia Tech Series History...
• Maryland leads the all-time series with Virginia Tech, 15-14, though the Hokies have won the last four. Prior to that stretch, the Terps won nine of the previous 10 meetings.
• Despite the somewhat close proximity (260 miles), the schools have played each other just five times in the last 69 years.
• Maryland is 4-3 all-time in games played in College Park.
• Thirteen of the 29 games in the series were played at neutral sites.

Maryland-Virginia Tech Ties...
• Maryland's Ralph Friedgen and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer have coached together over the years and remain friends. The two were graduate assistants at Maryland (1972) and assistant coaches at The Citadel (1973-78). Friedgen also served as assistant head coach at Murray State during Beamer's first year (1981) as the head man.
• Virginia Tech SS/OLB coach Jim Cavanaugh was the running backs coach at Maryland (1982-86) when Friedgen was the offensive coordinator. Cavanaugh took over as OC in 1987 when Friedgen left for Georgia Tech with Bobby Ross.

All-Purpose Performer...
After setting the ACC single-season record for kickoff return yardage each of the last two years and becoming the team's No. 1 receiver, Torrey Smith has emerged as one of the most explosive playmakers in the country. Smith is averaging 200.7 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks third in the nation (FBS).
• Smith's explosive ability as a kick returner helped make him a consensus preseason All-ACC selection. Smith has proved the voters right all season, returning a kick 81 yards for a TD in the first quarter against James Madison (9/12) and adding the third of this career (an 82-yarder) vs. NC State (11/7). With his first kick return against Rutgers (9/26), Smith set the Maryland all-time career kickoff return yards mark, and now has a total of 2,202, which ranks fourth on the ACC career list (see page 4). Smith also had an 85-yard return vs. Wake Forest (10/10), and totaled a then career-best 194 kickoff return yards in the game. Smith set a new career high with 204 yards vs. NC State (11/7).
• Smith is the Terps' leading receiver with 44 receptions for 630 yards and four touchdowns. Against MTSU (9/19), he had a career-high 165 yards receiving on five receptions, including a 64-yard TD catch. He has also rushed the ball six times for 54 yards. He made a career-high 10 receptions against Wake Forest (10/10), totaling 70 yards and catching one touchdown pass. Smith ranks fifth in the ACC and 49th nationally in receiving yards per game (70.0) and tied for sixth in the league and tied for 63rd nationally in receptions per game (4.9).
• Smith has three career 100-yard receiving games, including two in 2009. He had a career-high 165 receiving yards vs. MTSU (9/19), which were the most by a Maryland player since Darrius Heyward-Bey had 175 vs. Miami (11/11/06). He also became the first Terp to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Vernon Davis in 2005. Jermaine Lewis (four straight in 1994) is the only player in school history to have more than two straight 100-yard receiving games.
• Smith set a career-high with 287 all-purpose yards (165 receiving, 109 KOR, 13 rushing) against MTSU (9/19) and is one of only two players in the NCAA (FBS) to total at least 225 all-purpose yards in six games this season (also Brandon West of Western Michigan). C.J. Spiller (Clemson) and Damaris Johnson (Tulsa) have done it five times apiece.

By The Numbers...

3...After surrendering 22 sacks in the first six games of the season, the Terps have yielded just three over the last three contests.

3...Torrey Smith ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (200.7).

3...Torrey Smith has three kickoff returns of 80 yards or more this season, two of which have gone for touchdowns.

3...Caleb Porzel became the third true freshman running back to start in Ralph Friedgen's tenure, joining Cory Jackson (2006) and Davin Meggett (2008).

4...Alex Wujciak is averaging 11.3 tackles per game, which ranks first in the ACC and fourth in the NCAA (FBS).

6...The Terps have had an All-ACC punter in six of the last seven seasons (Travis Baltz - 2008; Adam Podlesh - 2003-06; Brooks Barnard - 2002)

10...In the Duke game (10/24), DB Eric Franklin became the 10th true freshman to see action this season for Maryland, joining DL Justin Anderson, LB Darin Drakeford, PK Nick Ferrara, OL Bennett Fulper, DL Zachariah Kerr, DL Isaiah Ross, LB Avery Murray, LB Ryan Donohue and RB Caleb Porzel.

14...Number of seniors on this year's squad. Last season Maryland had 30 seniors, which was the most during the Ralph Friedgen era.

14...The Terps have placed a league-best 14 representatives on the Academic All-ACC team over the last two years. Clemson ranks second with 10, while Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech have eight apiece.

26...The Terps' offensive line entered the season with a combined 26 career starts (Phil Costa - 18; Bruce Campbell - 8).

28...The Terps currently have 28 former players on NFL rosters, including eight from last season's team (see chart on pg. 20).

58...Fifty-eight of Maryland's 85 scholarship players have at least three years of eligibility remaining.

110...Four of Maryland's offensive linemen who departed (Edwin Williams, Jaimie Thomas, Scott Burley and Dane Randolph) combined to start 110 games in their careers.

120...The Terps have not had a punt blocked since Nov. 13, 1999 (Florida State), a stretch of 120 games, which is the longest active streak in the nation.