Maryland Welcomes FIU Saturday
9/20/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football
Saturday, Sept. 25
Maryland (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
vs.
FIU (0-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Kickoff: Noon ET
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000).
Gameday Information...
• Directions to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium
• Gameday Quick Facts
• Parking
• Tailgating Tips
TV: ESPNU - Rob Stone (pbp) and David Pollack (color) will call the action. Comcast SportsNet will air a replay of the ESPNU telecast in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore market at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Jonathan Claiborne (color) and Tim Strachan (sidelines) have the call. The Toyota Tailgate Show with Gary Stein and Scott McBrien begins at 10:30 a.m. ET. The game can also be heard on XM Satellite Radio Channel 190 and Sirius Channel 212. Click here to Listen Live on-line through Terps TV. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network (15 affiliates): WJZ-FM 105.7 - Baltimore (Flagship); WJZ-AM 1300 - Baltimore (Flagship); ESPN980-AM - Washington D.C.; WWXX-FM 94.3 - Buckland, Va.; 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; WWXT-FM 92.7 - Prince Frederick, Md.; WTGM-AM 960 - Salisbury.
Radio Programming Update: Due to a conflict with the Baltimore Orioles-Toronto Blue Jays baseball game (1 p.m.), the Maryland-FIU game broadcast in Baltimore can be heard live on WLIF-FM 101.9 and WJZ-AM 1300. WJZ-FM 105.7 will not be carrying the Terps game, but will air the Toyota Tailgate Show which begins at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets: Tickets are available for the game. Fans may call 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here. The ticket office at the stadium opens at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Pregame Tailgate: Visigoth Village is the ultimate gameday experience for Terps fans. Swing by the Visigoth Village located at Ludwig Field by Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Saturday for a ton of free fun, including free food, music, interactive games and autographs from former Maryland greats Scott McBrien and Bruce Perry. Admission is free and gates open at 9 a.m. The first 3,000 fans entering Visigoth Village will receive a free Terps fleece blanket.
Friedgen and the Terps on the Air: Maryland's football broadcasting lineup for 2010 includes the Terrapin Sports Radio Network which has 15 affiliates. The Ralph Friedgen Television Show, which is presented by Outback Steakhouse, airs weekly at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic with the first show airing this weekend. 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 matchups. 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 6:15 p.m. each Wednesday.
First-and-10...
• Maryland mounted a second-half rally Saturday but it wasn't enough to overcome 21st-ranked West Virginia which got off to a hot start and held off the Terrapins, 31-17, in Morgantown, W.Va. Looking to rebound, the Terrapins open a two-game homestand Saturday when FIU visits College Park. The Panthers are coming off a pair of near upsets, most recently falling Saturday to Texas A&M, 27-20, in College Station.
• Maryland is a week away from ACC play, but hopes the return of a number of key performers from last season will help it battle for the Atlantic Division crown and reach postseason play for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. The Terrapins, who have been to six bowl games under Friedgen, have 51 letterwinners, including 12 offensive and defensive starters, all four special teams performers back from last season. There are eight Terps on the roster who have earned all-conference and/or All-America honors.
• The Maryland offense, under third-year coordinator and assistant head coach James Franklin, has seven starters back from last year. Senior Da'Rel Scott and junior Davin Meggett have combined to average 6.2 yards per carry this year. Meggett had a career-high 105 yards in the season-opening win over Navy. Scott played in just seven games a year ago due to injury, but was a first team All-ACC pick in 2008 and rushed for 58 yards and scored one TD in the opener. QB Jamarr Robinson is coming off the most efficient game of his career. He completed 13 of 24 passes for a career-high 227 yards against West Virginia. Robinson can also use his feet, running for 92 yards in the season-opening win over Navy. WR Torrey Smith is one of the most dynamic players in the nation. He ranked sixth nationally in all-purpose yards (182.7 per game) last season. He rolled up 242 all-purpose yards vs. WVU, including 149 receiving. Smith, a Biletnikoff Award candidate, has an ACC-best four TD catches. The offensive line, led by returning starters C Paul Pinegar, LG Andrew Gonnella and RT R.J. Dill, as well as LT Justin Gilbert and RG Justin Lewis, helped the Terps rush for 261 yards against Navy, their highest total in two years.
• A two-time All-ACC performer, senior LB Alex Wujciak headlines a defense under second-year coordinator Don Brown, which has seven of its top 10 tacklers back from last season. The Terps rank 24th nationally in scoring defense (16.0 ppg) and had their best statistical performance in recent memory two weeks ago (85 total yards by Morgan State). They also rebounded after a tough start against West Virginia, holding the Mountaineers to 125 yards of total offense in the second half. Wujciak, who is listed among the preseason candidates for five national awards, ranks tied for second nationally in tackles (13.0 pg). LB Adrian Moten has been a playmaker throughout his career (team-best 9.0 TFLs and 6.0 and sacks last year) and ranks second on the team in tackles (23). A 2009 freshman All-ACC pick, LB Demetrius Hartsfield is third on the team in tackles (21) and had an interception return for a TD against Morgan State. A.J. Francis, a 2009 freshman All-America choice, and sophomore Joe Vellano are two of nine letterwinners back on the defensive line. Junior CB Cameron Chism, one of five returning defensive starters, posted a team-best four interceptions in 2009, while senior Antwine Perez and junior Kenny Tate are seasoned, having played significantly at safety, but are starters for the first time.
• Special teams should be a strength with all the top performers back and the Terps have demonstrated that over the first three games. Travis Baltz, a 2008 first team All-ACC punter, has handled both kicking chores with an injury to place-kicker Nick Ferrara, a 2009 freshman All-American. Baltz has connected on all four of his FG attempts and is averaging 45.8 yards per punt which ranks 12th nationally. Tony Logan is off to a fast start as the No. 1 punt returner. Logan had a career-best 128 return yards vs. Morgan State and is averaging 27.4 ypr (third in the country). Torrey Smith was one of the top kick returners in the country last season, posting an ACC single-season record 1,309 yards. He is averaging 23.2 ypr this season.
Quick Hitters....
• Maryland leads the all-time series with FIU, 2-0.
• Maryland is attempting to start the season 3-1 for the first time since 2008. The Terps have won at least three of their first four games five times (2001-02, 2004, 2006) under Ralph Friedgen.
• Only four players in the country (Justin Blackmon - 8, Oklahoma State; Lyle Leong - 6, Texas Tech; Kaloha Pilares - 5, Hawai'i; Jeremaine Kearse - 5; Washington) have more receiving touchdowns than Torrey Smith (4).
• Smith's 242 all-purpose yards tally against West Virginia (9/18) was the fourth-highest total of his career and seventh time he has gone over 200 in his career.
• With 149 receiving yards vs. WVU, Smith recorded the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his career. That mark ties him for sixth all-time on Maryland's 100-yard games list. His 80-yard reception was the longest of his career, beating his previous best of a 64-yarder against MTSU last season.
• Jamarr Robinson's passer rating of 161.12 against West Virginia (9/11) was the highest of his career. Robinson also threw for a career-high 227 yards.
• The Terrapins have over 70 percent of the offensive and defensive two-deep back from the end of 2009. There are 17 of 22 offensive players back and 14 of 22 defenders. In addition, all six special teams starters (KR, PR, PK, P, LS, H) are back in uniform.
• The Terps have just eight seniors (Adrian Cannon, Paul Pinegar, Da'Rel Scott, LaQuan Williams, Drew Gloster, Adrian Moten, Alex Wujciak, and Antwine Perez) listed among the 44 players on the current offensive and defensive two-deep. In addition, senior Travis Baltz is the first-team punter and place-kicker.
• The Terps rushing total of 261 yards vs. Navy was the most since they tallied 271 against Delaware (Aug. 30, 2008). Maryland's 7.7 yards per rush was its highest average since posting 7.9 ypr (49 attempts for 388 yards) against North Carolina on Nov. 2, 2002. The Terps will look to regain their rushing form against FIU after being held to minus-10 yards (due mostly to 46 yards lost on sacks) vs. West Virginia (9/18).
• Tony Logan had a career-high 128 punt return yards on four attempts against Morgan State (9/11). That total eclipsed his season tally in 2009 (15 for 100 yards) and is the most by any Terp in one year since Danny Oquendo 218 yards in 2006. Bob Shemonski (146 vs. N.C. State in 1950) holds the single-game school record. Logan's 12.2 yard-per-return career average ranks fifth in the FBS among active players. That mark is also sixth in school history.
• Smith has a school-record three career kickoff returns for touchdowns and is one of only two active players in the ACC with more than one (2 by T.J. Graham , N.C. State). Tyron Carrier of Houston (5) is the only player in the nation with more kickoff returns for touchdowns than Smith.
• Alex Wujciak has averaged 10.8 tackles per game in his career which is second in the nation among active players.
• There are six bowl teams from last year which appear on the Terps' 2010 schedule: Navy (Texas Bowl), West Virginia (Konica Minolta Gator Bowl), Clemson (Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl), Boston College (Emerald Bowl), Miami (Champs Sports Bowl), and Florida State (Konica Minolta Gator Bowl).
Streaks and Trends....
• Maryland has won eight of its last 10 non-conference home games.
• The Terps have recorded 10 interceptions over the last eight games.
• Alex Wujciak has started a team-best 28 straight games, all at Mike LB. Torrey Smith's nine straight starts leads the offense.
• Wujciak has reached double-digit tackles in 19 of his last 24 games.
• The Terps have started virtually the same lineup in each of their three games. The offensive and defensive starters were identical against Navy (9/6) and Morgan State (9/11), with LaQuan Williams subbing for RB Haroon Brown vs. West Virginia (9/18) as Maryland went with a three-receiver set on the first play.
Sudden Change...
After going 41 games without scoring via a fumble or interception (Erin Henderson in 2006 vs. Virginia), Maryland has registered a defensive touchdown in three of the last seven contests. Demetrius Hartsfield's pick-six in the second quarter of the Morgan State game (9/11) was Maryland's first defensive score since Alex Wujciak scored on a 70-yard interception return on 11/14/09 at NC State. One week later, Jared Harrell fell on a fumble in the end zone vs. Virginia Tech (11/21). FS Kenny Tate nearly made it four TDs in seven games. Tate had a 53-yard interception return vs. WVU (9/18/10).
Forcing the Issue...
Maryland's defense has been a more aggressive unit through three games this season than at the same point last year. So far the Terps have forced seven fumbles, recovering five of those. They have also picked off three passes. After three games a year ago, the first under coordinator Don Brown, the Terrapins did not force a fumble, recovered one and picked off a pair of passes.
Did You Know?...
Alex Wujciak is the only player in FBS to post 15 or more tackles in at least two games this year. He had a career-high 18 in the season opener aganist Navy (9/6) and posted 16 against West Virginia (9/18).
Holding Onto the Ball...
For Maryland to be successful this season it must do a better job of holding onto the ball. The Terps struggled overall in the turnover department in 2009, but improved during the latter half of the year. The Terps were tied for 97th in the nation in turnover margin (-0.55 per game), but were +7.0 over the last five games. The defense forced 10 turnovers in the last five games (also one on special teams vs. N.C. State) after inducing seven in the first seven contests. A key to the second-half improvement was Jamarr Robinson who did not thrown an interception in his 85 pass attempts which all came in the final four games of the year. However, Robinson tossed a pick in his first attempt vs. Navy (9/6) and the offense also fumbled the ball once. But the Maryland defense forced two Midshipmen turnovers and forced two other fumbles which were recovered by Navy. The Terps were +2.0 in the turnover dept. against Morgan State (9/11) and West Virginia (9/18) and rank 16th nationally in turnover margin (+1.33 pg).
Green Team...
Maryland played 24 freshmen (10 true/14 redshirts) last season, which was the most during Ralph Friedgen's first nine seasons. The Terps played 20 freshmen in both the 2001 and 2004 seasons. Last year's freshmen are now sophomores, but the Terps are still relatively young, though more experienced. Of the 111 players on the roster, 67 are freshmen or sophomores, but just 16 are seniors. Maryland also had a relatively low senior class (14) last season. There were 12 Maryland players who saw action for the first time in their careers against Navy (9/6), including nine freshmen. Seeing action were true freshmen Matt Robinson and David Mackall, redshirt freshmen Dexter McDougle, Danny O'Brien, D.J. Adams, Avery Graham, Marcus Whitfield, Bradley Johnson and Dave Stinebaugh; sophomore Ryan Schlothauer; and juniors Nick Peterson and Herbert Law.
All Hands on Deck...
There were 75 players who saw action against Morgan State (9/11) which is the most in Ralph Friedgen's tenure. The Terps had 70 players take the field vs. The Citadel on 9/13/03. After 12 players saw their first career action in the season opener vs. Navy, another 14 Terps got their feet wet vs. Morgan State (9/11). The list included Louis Berman, Cody Blue, C.J. Brown, Josh Cary, Pete DeSouza, Anthony Green, Trenton Hughes, Desmond Kearse, Nick Klemm, Paul Lariviere, Joey McQueeney, Chris Rhodes, Mike Salvatico and Pete White. There were two more players - TE Will Yeatman and DL De'Onte Arnett - who saw their first career action as Terps in the WVU game (9/18). In addition, RB Taylor Watson hit the field for the first time this season in that contest.
FIU At-A-Glance...
• FIU enters Saturday's matchup 0-2 after losing to Rutgers and Texas A&M by a combined margin of 12 points.
• Wes Carroll anchors the FIU offense at quarterback averaging 141.5 yards per game with two touchdowns. He has completed 47.3 percent of his passes for 283 yards.
• T.Y. Hilton is the Panthers top receiver with nine catches for 96 yards on the season. Hilton also handles kickoffs and is averaging 19.9 yards per return.
• The Pathers rank 28th in the nation in total defense. They have allowed just 145 yards per game through the air, which ranks 20th in the country.
• FIU ranks ninth in the nation with 17 tackles for loss on the year. Linebackers Greg Hickman and Aaron Davis lead the attack with three TFL apiece.
• Sophomore defensive back Jonathan Cyprien leads FIU with 20 tackles.
• The FIU defense ranks ninth in the nation in passes intercepted with five. Three of those came in the third quarter alone against Texas A&M (9/18).
MD-FIU Series History...
• Saturday's game will be the third all-time meeting between the teams and the culmination of a three-game series that started in 2006.
• Maryland's 14-10 victory over Florida International in 2006 was the first 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.
• Keon Lattimore ran for 111 yards and two early touchdowns, and Maryland held off FIU, 26-10, in 2007. Jordan Steffy completed 18 of 25 passes for 135 yards and Lance Ball had a 1-yard scoring run with 53 seconds left to seal the win for Maryland.
By The Number...
0... Number of points the oppostion has scored off four Maryland turnovers this season. In contrast, the Terps have scored 24 points of eight opponent turnovers.
1... Adrian Moten is Maryland's active career leader in tackles for loss (20.0) and sacks (13.0). He also entered the season third among active players in the ACC in sacks and sixth in TFLs.
2... Alex Wujciak is one of only two players in the nation (also Nick Bellore, CMU) to post 130 or more tackles each of the last two seasons.
3... Number of full-time punters (Brooks Barnard, Adam Podlesh and Travis Baltz) the Terps have employed in the last 10 years. Nick Ferrara started for Baltz in five games last season due to injury.
4... Four of Maryland's last 11 opponents (37, Morgan State, 9/11/10; 23 by Duke, 10/24/09; 63 by Virginia, 10/17/09; 81 by Clemson, 10/3/09) have failed to rush for 100 yards.
6... Number of graduates on the 2010 roster. Michael Carter, Emani Lee-Odai, Adrian Moten, Joey McQueeney, Antwine Perez and Da'Rel Scott have each earned a degree.
7... Number of players who scored against Morgan State. Demetrius Hartsfield, Matt Furstenburg and D.J. Adams had their first career touchdowns.
9... The Terps have placed a punter on the Academic All-ACC team in each of the last nine seasons. Travis Baltz has been a member for the last three years (Adam Podlesh 2003-06; Brooks Barnard 2001-02).
18... Alex Wujciak's 18 tackles vs. Navy (9/6) are tied for the most in the country during one game this season (also Lance Mitchell, Oregon State).
27... The Terps have 27 players on NFL rosters (plus 3 on practice squads), which ranks tied for 2nd among ACC squads (also FSU), trailing just Miami (42). See list on page 17.
28... Alex Wujciak has started the last 28 games, the longest streak on the team.
62... The Terps scored 62 points vs. Morgan State (9/11), the highest total since a 62-24 win over Virginia (11/22/75). It was also the sixth-highest total in school history.
126... The Terps have not had a punt blocked since the Florida State contest on 11/13/99, a stretch of 126 games, which is the longest active streak in the nation.
