Maryland Faces No. 8 Clemson Saturday
10/10/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
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Saturday, Oct. 15
Maryland (2-3, 1-1 ACC)
vs.
No. 8 Clemson (6-0, 3-0 ACC)
Kickoff: 7:02 p.m. EDT
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000).
Gameday Information
• Directions to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium• Parking
• Terp Town (Opens at 4 p.m.)
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Tickets...
Tickets are available for the game. Fans may call 1-800-IM-A-TERP from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or click here. Comcast ticket office will also be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The ticket booths at Byrd will open at 4 p.m.
Digital Ticketing...
Maryland Athletics introduced digital ticketing this season at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. This system will provide fans greater convenience and security by scanning bar-coded tickets. With the new system in place, Maryland Athletics requests that fans arrive early to the gates for the first few home games. Arriving early will ensure all fans quick access to their seats by avoiding the last-minute rush to the gates.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPNU - Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Brian Griese (color) and Allison Williams (sidelines) will call the action. The game will not be available on ESPN3. Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will air a replay of the ESPNU telecast at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Jonathan Claiborne (color), Tim Strachan (color) and Dave Preston (sidelines) have the call. The Toyota Tailgate Show with Gary Stein begins at 6 p.m. Stein also serves as host on the postgame show. Click here to listen on-line through Terps TV Premium. The game can also be heard on Sirius (136) or XM (191) radio. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network affiliates: WJZ-FM 105.7 - 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-AM 1230 - Midland; WMSG-AM 1050 - Oakland; WWXT-FM 92.7 - Prince Frederick, Md.; WTGM-AM 960 - Salisbury.
Game Notes
First-and-10...
• After rallying from an 18-point deficit and having the ball with a chance to take the lead late in Saturday's 21-16 loss at No. 13 Georgia Tech, the Maryland Terrapins now turn their attention to No. 8 Clemson. The Tigers come into this Saturday's contest riding a six-game winning streak and sitting atop the Atlantic Division standings with Wake Forest (3-0). The Terps, under first-year head coach Randy Edsall, will celebrate Homecoming as they play their second straight game against a top 15 opponent and look to keep pace in the division race.
• Offensively, the Terps are coming off two of their best rushing performances in recent years. Led by Davin Meggett (86) and C.J. Brown (career-high 124), the Terps rolled up a season-high 246 yards on the ground against Georgia Tech. Meggett, a Doak Walker Award, ranks fifth in the ACC in rushing (82.6 yards per game). Quarterback Danny O'Brien, the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year, has started the last 15 games, but was replaced by Brown in the second quarter of the Georgia Tech game. Either O'Brien or Brown could start against Clemson, Edsall said Sunday. Junior Kevin Dorsey leads the receiving corps with a team high 26 catches. Dorsey ranks seventh in the ACC in receptions (5.6 per game) and ninth in receiving yards (70.4 pg). Matt Furstenburg is manning the tight-end position for the second-straight season. The sure-handed junior already has 16 receptions which is four more than his 2010 total. His 3.2 reception-per-game average is second among ACC tight ends. Junior wide receiver Kerry Boykins had career highs with eight receptions for 76 yards vs. Temple (9/24) and ranks third on the team in catches (15). Senior wideout Ronnie Tyler and Meggett have 10 catches apiece. Left guard Andrew Gonnella is the lone senior on an offensive line which has three starters back from a year ago. However, Gonnella suffered a knee injury vs. Georgia Tech and is out for the season. The Terps have not yielded a sack in three of five games and rank tied for 13th in the FBS (0.80 per game) in that category.
• Senior LB Kenny Tate and junior DL Joe Vellano, two of four team captains, highlight a defense which has forced 13 turnovers (tied for 22nd in the FBS), including two returned for touchdowns. Tate, a 2010 first team All-ACC pick and national awards candidate, ranks 11th in the ACC in tackles (8.8 per game), but he missed the Georgia Tech game with an injury. Vellano, who mans the middle of the line, has two fumble recoveries on the season (30-yard return for TD vs. Miami, 9/5) and recorded a career-high 20 tackles vs. the Yellow Jackets who were held to a season-low 386 yards of total offense. Junior Demetrius Hartsfield, who moved from Will LB to the Mike position in the off-season, ranks third in the ACC in tackles (10.2) and had a career-high 17 vs. Temple (9/24). Senior Cameron Chism, who had 70 tackles and eight pass breakups last season, and sophomore Dexter McDougle man the cornerback positions. The Terps played without four of their defensive starters vs. Georgia Tech. In addition to Tate, LB Darin Drakeford, who had a career-high 14 stops vs. Miami (9/5), DE Isaiah Ross (injured in the opener) and safety Matt Robinson (gone for the year) were out of action. Tate moved to outside linebacker in the off-season, a move made possible due to the emergence of Robinson and junior Eric Franklin who ranks 10th in the ACC in tackles (8.4 per game).
• Maryland possesses an explosive performer in senior Tony Logan, a 2010 first team All-ACC selection and record-setting punt returner. Logan is off to a slow start (averaging 3.8 yards per return), but he has two career punt returns for touchdowns. Logan and freshman Justus Pickett are handling kickoff return. Pickett is averaging 17.5 yards on a team-high 11 kickoff returns. Logan averaged 26.5 yards on two kickoff returns vs. Towson (10/1). Nick Ferrara, who was a 2009 freshman All-American, is handling all three phases of the kicking game. The junior did an admirable job place-kicking, punting and kicking off for five games in 2009 when All-ACC performer Travis Baltz was unable to punt due to injury. Ferrara hit a career-best four field goals, including a 32-yard game winner, against Miami (9/5) and is second in the ACC in punting (44.1).
Quick Hitters...
• The Terps lost one of their four team captains Saturday when senior Andrew Gonnella suffered a season-ending knee injury. The senior, who had 26 career starts at left (18) and right guard (8), was carted off the field in the fourth quarter vs. Georgia Tech. He will have surgery later in the year. Sophomore Pete White replaced Gonnella in that game and is the likely starter at left guard vs. Clemson.
• QB C.J. Brown, who came on in relief vs. Georgia Tech, rushed for a career-high 124 yards (fifth most for a QB in school history) on just nine carries (13.8 ypc). He became the first Maryland QB to top 100 rushing yards since Jamarr Robinson had 129 against Virginia Tech (11/14/09). Brown also had a 77-yard touchdown that is Maryland's longest play from scrimmage this year, and the longest rushing TD for the Terps since Da'Rel Scott had a 91-yard gallop against East Carolina in the Military Bowl.
• Clemson is the highest ranked opponent to visit College Park since 2007. The Terps knocked off No. 8 Boston College, 42-35, on Nov. 10 of that season. The Tigers have not faced Maryland ranked among the top 10 since 2000 (No. 5 Clemson won 35-14 at home). This is the highest the Tigers have been ranked while visiting College Park since 1960 when unranked Maryland downed No. 8 Clemson, 19-17.
• Maryland combined to post 440 rushing yards over the last two games, including a season-high 246 vs. Georgia Tech (10/8). Since the middle of the 2005 season, the Terps have recorded that many yards just once in back-to-back contests (261 vs. Navy, 9/6/10; 221 vs. Morgan State, 9/11/10). Maryland's rushing total vs. Tech was its most since running for 291 in the Military Bowl last year.
• Senior Davin Meggett moved into 12th place on the Maryland career rushing list (1,928) with his 86-yard performance vs. Georgia Tech (10/8). Meggett has rushed for more than 85 yards in four of the team's five games this season. He posted his third career 100-yard game and second this season with his career-best 119-yard effort against West Virginia (9/17/11).
• The Terps currently have four of the top 13 tacklers in the ACC: Demetrius Hartsfield is ranked third (10.2 per game), Kenny Tate is ninth (8.8 pg), Eric Franklin is 10th (8.4) and Joe Vellano is 13th (7.6). Vellano is first among defensive linemen in the ACC in stops.
• Danny O'Brien became the 15th QB in school history to throw for more than 3,000 yards with his 289-yard effort vs. West Virginia (9/17). Despite just 15 starts, O'Brien ranks 12th in school history (3,368) in career passing yards.
• With the loss of Gonnella (season-ending knee injury vs. Georgia Tech, 10/8), the Terps have just eight seniors (Davin Meggett, Maurice Hampton, Kenny Tate, Austin Walker, Cameron Chism, Trenton Hughes, Ronnie Tyler and Quintin McCree) listed among the 44 players on the offensive and defensive two-deep. Seniors Tim Downs (long snapper) and Tony Logan (punt return) are listed as starters on special teams.
• A sell-out crowd of 53,627 attended the West Virginia game (9/17), marking the largest turnout at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium since Oct. 20, 2005, when 54,838 saw the Terps play Virginia Tech. The WVU crowd was the fifth-largest in Byrd Stadium history. Maryland also had a sellout vs. Miami (9/5) with 52,875 fans in attendance.
Tough Opening Stretch...
Until Florida State fell out of the top 25 Sunday, the Terps were scheduled to face three ranked teams in a row for the first time since 2004 (No. 5 FSU, No. 12 Virginia and No. 15 Virginia Tech). However, Maryland will play three ranked teams (AP poll) among its first six games of the season for the first time since 1998 when it faced No. 12 Virginia (week two), No. 19 West Virginia (week three) and No. 9 Florida State (week five). The Terps have faced three or more ranked teams in the opening six weeks eight times (1957, 1980, 1989, 1990 [4], 1992 [4], 1996, 1998).
Closing Their Options...
Maryland's defense performed well against the high powered triple-option attack of Georgia Tech Saturday. The Terps held the Yellow Jackets well below their season averages in points (21 - GT averaged 51.6 ppg); rushing (272 - GT averaged 378.2 pg); and total offense (386 - GT averaged 587 pg). Maryland held Tech scoreless over the last 27:51 of the game. Georgia Tech's 272 rushing yards and 386 total yards were season lows (previously 296 rushing vs. NC State; 413 total offense vs. NC State).
Head of the Class...
With his career-best 20-tackle output vs. Georgia Tech (10/8), Joe Vellano moved into a tie for first in the FBS in tackles for defensive linemen. Vellano is averaging 7.60 stops per game which is tied with Brett Roy of Nevada.
One for the Record Books...
Despite losing the Georgia Tech game, Joe Vellano had one of the most impressive defensive performances (20 tackles, including 14 solo stops and one TFL) for a Terp in quite some time. He is just the sixth player since the start of the 1990 season to post 20 or more tackles in a game and the only defensive lineman to reach that mark. In addition, he is one of just two players (E.J. Henderson - four times) to record 14 or more solo stops since the start of 1990. Vellano's 20 tackles rank fifth on the 2011 single-game FBS chart and are the most by a defensive lineman this year.
D-Line Adjustments...
With Isaiah Ross, Justin Anderson and Andre Monroe on the shelf with injuries, the Terps have adjusted the rotation along the defensive line. Junior and team captain Joe Vellano and sophomore David Mackall have started all five games, but the other two spots have changed hands. After posting a career-high five stops as a replacement for Monroe vs. Temple, Maurice Hampton, the lone senior on the defensive line, earned the first start of his career at tackle against Towson (10/1). He also started vs. Georgia tech (10/8). The Terps also moved sophomore Cody Blue from the offensive to defensive line after the Temple game (9/24) to serve as the backup to end Keith Bowers who became the first Maryland true freshman defensive lineman to start since Jeremy Navarre in 2005. Bowers started in place of Ross vs. West Virginia (9/17) and has remained in the starting lineup the last three games.
Did You Know?...
Since the start of the 2005 season (when the NCAA began compiling single-game tackles on its web site), Joe Vellano's 20 tackles vs. Georgia Tech (10/8) are the most by a defensive lineman in the FBS. In fact, just five linemen have more than 15 tackles in that six-plus year span: Jermaine Cunningham of Florida (17 vs. LSU, 10/6/07), Trevor Laws of Notre Dame (17 vs. Air Force, 11/10/07), Jeremiah Chapman of North Texas (16, vs. Western Kentucky, 11/24/07), Nate Collins of Virginia (16 vs. Georgia Tech, 10/24/09) and Abry Jones of Georgia (16 vs. Georgia Tech, 11/27/10).
Wet Behind the Ears...
With Tyrek Cheeseboro, A.J. Hendy and Cole Farrand all seeing their first-career action against Towson (10/1), the Terps have played eight true freshmen this season (also Keith Bowers, Tyler Cierski, Marcus Leak, Alex Twine and Justus Pickett). The Terps played as many as eight true freshmen (high of nine) during six of the last seven games in 2009. Prior to that, Maryland hadn't played as many as eight true freshmen since 2002 (also eight vs. UNC, 11/2).
Freshmen Starters...
So far this season, five freshmen (DL Keith Bowers, LB Lorne Goree, DL Andre Monroe, LB Mario Rowson and DB Titus Till) have started for the Maryland defense, including three vs. Towson (10/1) and four vs. Georgia Tech (10/8). Over the last 11 years, the Terps never had more than three freshmen in the defensive starting lineup. On Nov. 11, 2000, cornerback and current graduate assistant Curome Cox, LB Michael Whaley and DT Scott Smith started vs. North Carolina. Earlier that year against Wake Forest (10/21), Cox, Whaley and DE Landon Jones were in the starting lineup.
No Laundry on the Field...
After setting a school record for most penalties (102) last season, Maryland has been one of the least flagged teams in the nation this season. The Terps rank third in the FBS in penalties per game (3.60) and sixth in yards penalized (33.2 per game). They had just two penalties for 11 yards against Towson (10/1) and one for 5 yards vs. Georgia Tech (10/8), the fewest flags the Terps have received in a contest since 2009 (one for 5 yards vs. Virginia Tech, 11/14).
What to Look for vs. Clemson...
• Davin Meggett, who ranks 12th in school history in career rushing yards (1,928), needs 72 more to become just the 11th back in school history to reach 2,000-yard plateau.
• Kenny Tate needs three tackles to reach 200 in his career.
• Danny O'Brien (3,368) needs 43 passing yards to move from 12th to 11th on the Maryland career list. Dick Shiner (3,410/1961-63) is currently 11th.
• Nick Ferrara, who has 108 career points, needs two more to reach No. 13 on the Maryland all-time kick scoring chart.
• Ferrara, who has 24 career field goals (11th in school history) needs three more to reach the all-time top 10. Dale Castro (27/1979-80) ranks 10th on the Maryland career chart.
• Tony Logan (732) needs 76 yards to crack the top 15 on the ACC's career punt return yards list.
• After facing the second-ranked offense in the nation last week in Georgia Tech, the Terps gear up for the 19th-ranked offense (472.3 yards per game) in the FBS in Clemson. While the Yellow Jackets averaged nearly 400 yards a game on the ground, the Tigers have a more balanced attack. The Maryland defense ranks 98th against the run (196.4 ypg), but held Georgia Tech more than 100 yards below its season average. The Terps also have the 46th-ranked pass efficiency defense (122.7 rating).
• After posting a season-high 246 rushing yards last week the Terps moved up to No. 51 nationally in rushing (165.6 ypg). Maryland will face Clemson's 72nd-ranked rushing defense (160.3 ypg).
By The Numbers...
0... Number of games running back Davin Meggett has missed in his career.
0... Now that Andrew Gonnella is on the shelf with a season-ending knee injury, the Terps are without a senior on the offensive line.
2... So far this season Maryland has seen two of the top eight crowds in the history of Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. There were 52,875 fans in stands for the Miami game (No. 8) and 53,627 for the West Virginia contest (No. 5).
2... Former head coaches (Gary Crowton, Greg Gattuso) on Randy Edsall's staff.
3... The Terps have held the oppostion without a sack in three games this season (three vs. West Virginia, 9/17; one vs. Georgia Tech, 10/8).
4... Number of full-time punters (Brooks Barnard, Adam Podlesh, Travis Baltz and Nick Ferrara) the Terps have employed in the last 13 years. Barnard (1999-02), Podlesh (2003-06) and Baltz (2007-10) were all four-year starters. Ferrara punted for an injured Baltz in 2009 and took over the starting job this year.
4... Tony Logan became the fourth non-quarterback (Da'Rel Scott in 2008 and 2010; Danny Oquendo in 2008; Josh Allen in 2006) since the beginning of 2004 to complete a pass with his 34-yard toss to Kevin Dorsey vs. Georgia Tech (10/8).
4... Randy Edsall has taken his teams to bowl games in each of the last four seasons.
11... The Terps have 27 former players on active NFL rosters, a number which ranks 11th nationally (see chart on page 5).
14... D.J. Adams has scored 14 rushing touchdowns in just 11 career games. He is already tied for 18th on the Maryland career rushing TD chart.
15... Number of seniors on Maryland's 96-player roster.
17... Seventeen of the season-high 57 players who saw action vs. Towson (10/1) were freshmen. Since the start of the 1999, the Terps have played 17 or more freshmen in a game just seven times (20 vs. Virginia Tech, 11/14/09; 17 vs. NC State, 11/7/09; 17 vs. Clemson, 9/10/05; 18 vs. The Citadel, 9/13/03; 18 vs. Eastern Michigan, 9/8/01; 20 vs. Wake Forest, 10/21/00)
21... Number of freshmen (13 redshirts; eight true) who have played this season.
