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Saturday, Oct. 1

Maryland (1-2, 1-0 ACC)

vs.

Towson (3-0, 1-0 CAA)

Kickoff: 3:38 p.m. EDT
Location: College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000).

Gameday Information

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. The Comcast ticket office will be open from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. The ticket booths at Byrd will open at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

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: Regional Sports Networks (RSN) - Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Keith Jones (color) and Jenn Hildreth (sidelines) will call the action. Locally, the game can be viewed on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. In the ACC region, it will be shown on Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Carolina, Sun Sports and NESN. Outside the ACC footprint, the game can be viewed on FOX Sports Tennessee, FOX Sports Southwest Plus, FOX Sports Houston Plus and FOX Sports Arizona Plus. Click here for a complete list of affiliates. The game can also be viewed over the internet on ESPN3 or outside the region through ESPN Gameplan. CSN Mid-Atlantic will also air a replay of the telecast at 8 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 2:30 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 Radio Channel 134. The Terrapin Sports Radio Network (14 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-AM 1230 - Midland; WMSG-AM 1050 - Oakland; WWXT-FM 92.7 - Prince Frederick, Md.; WTGM-AM 960 - Salisbury.

Game Notes

First-and-10...
• The Maryland Terrapins will look to regroup after suffering a 38-7 home loss at the hands of the Temple Owls who controlled the clock and rushed for 285 yards in their first win in seven meetings between the teams. The Owls ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense (8.0 ppg) entering the game and held the Terps to 240 total yards of offense. The Terps welcome Towson University Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Tigers enter the game ranked as high as No. 23 in the FCS polls.
• Offensively, the Terps are led by quarterback Danny O'Brien, the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year, running back Davin Meggett and wide receiver Kevin Dorsey. O'Brien ranks 29th in the FBS in passing yards per game (263.3) and 34th in total offense (270.7 ypg), while Meggett, a Doak Walker Award candidate, is averaging 75.0 yards rushing per game which is seventh in the ACC. Dorsey has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the league. The junior is averaging 7.3 receptions (first in the ACC) and 88.0 receiving yards (seventh) per game. Matt Furstenburg is manning the tight-end position for the second-straight season. The sure-handed junior already has 12 receptions which matches his total from last season. His 4.0 reception-per-game average leads all ACC tight ends. Junior wide receiver Kerry Boykins had career highs with eight receptions for 76 yards vs. Temple (9/24). Boykins ranks second on the team in receptions with 14. Left guard Andrew Gonnella is the lone senior on an offensive line which has three starters back from a year ago. Joining Gonnella as returning starters are center Bennettt Fulper and right tackle R.J. Dill. The Terps did not yield a sack over the first two games of the season and despite allowing three vs. Temple they still rank tied for 25th in the FBS (1.0 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 eight turnovers (tied for 29th 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 (8.7 per game). Vellano, who mans the middle of the defensive line, has two fumble recoveries on the season. He returned one fumble 30 yards for a touchdown in the season opener vs. Miami (9/5). Sophomore safety Matt Robinson leads the team in tackles (36), though he is having shoulder surgery and is lost for the season. Junior Demetrius Hartsfield, who moved from Will LB to the Mike position in the off-season, ranks third in the ACC in tackles (11.0) per game after recording a career-high 17 stops 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. Junior LB Darin Drakeford was all over the field in his starting debut (vs. Miami), posting a game- and career-high 14 tackles, including one sack, and a forced fumble. Drakeford missed the West Virginia game (9/17) with an ankle injury and was hampered vs. Temple. Tate moved to outside linebacker in the off-season, a move made possible due to the emergence of Robinson and junior Eric Franklin, a pair of big, physical safeties. With the loss of Robinson, the Terps will lean on Franklin, the fourth-leading tackler (10.3 per game) in the ACC.
• 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 3.3 yards per return), but he has two career punt returns for touchdowns. Logan and freshman Justus Pickett are handling kickoff return. Pickett is averaging 17.8 yards on a team-high 10 kickoff returns. 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 leading the ACC in punting (45.8).

Quick Hitters...
• Head coach Randy Edsall announced Sunday that safety Matt Robinson will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. He's scheduled to have sugery this week and hopes to earn a redshirt. Robinson, who ranks seventh in the FBS in tackles (12.0 per game) played as a true freshman in 2010.
• Maryland had its streak of 139 games without a blocked punt (the longest in the nation) snapped vs. Temple when Malcolm Eugene broke through the line to block a Nick Ferrara first-quarter punt. The last punt blocked by an opponent occurred vs. Florida State (11/13/99).
• Despite the blocked punt, Ferrara had one of his best days punting. The junior punted six times for a career-best average of 47.2 yards per attempt (previous high 43.2 vs. Clemson, 10/3/09). He also put two punts inside the opponents' 10-yard line and had three over 50 yards, matching a career best.
• The Terps have won their last 15 meetings with current members of the Colonial Athletic Conference. The last loss occurred in 1971, when Villanova beat Maryland, 28-13.
• The Terps currently have four of the top 11 tacklers in the ACC. Matt Robinson is averaging 12.0 tackles per game (second), Demetrius Hartsfield is third (11.0), Eric Franklin is fourth (10.3) and Kenny Tate is 11th at 8.7 pg.
• Danny O'Brien became the 15th QB in school history to throw for more than 3,000 yards with his 289-yard performance vs. West Virginia (9/17). Despite just 13 starts, O'Brien ranks 12th in school history (3,228) in career passing yards.
• Tony Logan's career punt-return average of 13.1 yards ranks third in the FBS among active players.
• Despite starting just nine career games, Davin Meggett ranks 16th in school history (1,740) in rushing yards. He had a career-high 113 rushing yards vs. West Virginia (9/17).
• The Terps have just nine seniors (Andrew Gonnella, 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.
• Keith Bowers made his first-career start vs. WVU (9/17), becoming the first Maryland true freshman defensive lineman to start since Jeremy Navarre in 2005. Redshirt freshman Lorne Goree made his first career start vs. WVU, subbing for an injured Darin Drakeford, who returned vs. Temple, but is unlikely to play against Towson.
• Andre Monroe became the third freshman to start on defense this season when he opened the Temple game (9/24)at defensive tackle. However, Monroe suffered an ankle injury and missed most of the game. He is likely out of action against Towson.
• Senior Maurice Hampton had the most productive day of his career vs. Temple, subbing for an injured Monroe. The defensive tackle had career highs in tackles (five) and tackles for loss (2.0). He is now listed atop the depth chart at one of the defensive tackle spots.
• 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. Saturday's crowd was the fifth-largest in Byrd Stadium history. Maryland also had a sellout vs. Miami (9/5) with 52,875 fans in attendance.
• Following the Towson contest, the Terps are schedule to face three consecutive ranked opponents - Georgia Tech (No. 21 in AP), Clemson (No. 13) and Florida State (No. 23). Maryland last faced three straight top 25 foes in 2004 (No. 5 FSU, No. 12 Virginia and No. 15 Virginia Tech). The Terps faced only four ranked opponents during the 2009-10 seasons.
• Eight bowl teams from last year appear on the Terps' 2011 schedule: Miami (Hyundai Sun Bowl), West Virginia (Champs Sports Bowl), Georgia Tech (AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl), Clemson (Meineke Car Care Bowl), Boston College (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl), Notre Dame (Hyundai Sun Bowl), Florida State (Chick-fil-A) and NC State (Champs Sports Bowl).

Making His Mark...
Junior wideout Kevin Dorsey recorded 17 catches over the first two games of the season. Torrey Smith is the only other Terp in the last 16 years to post that many over a two-game span. Smith had a combined 21 receptions (seven vs. FSU, 11/20; 14 vs. NC State, 11/27) last season. Geroy Simon had 22 catches over the last two games of the 1995 season.

Youth Movement...
Freshmen are listed 18 times on Maryland's two deep, which is tied for the most in the ACC. On the offensive and defensive two deep there are 14 freshmen listed (second in the conference behind Boston College, 16) including three spots where a freshman is listed first (Tyler Cierski, fullback; Keith Bowers, defensive end; Titus Till, safety). Six are true freshmen: Bowers, Cierski, LB Cole Farrand, LB Alex Twine, RB Justus Pickett and S A.J. Hendy.

Sudden Change...
After going 41 games without scoring via a fumble or interception (Erin Henderson in 2006 vs. Virginia), Maryland has registered eight defensive touchdowns in the last 19 contests, including a pair vs. Miami (9/5). Joe Vellano returned a fumble 30 yards for a score and Cameron Chism had a 54-yard interception return for a TD. Late last season, Alex Wujciak had a 60-yard pick for a TD against Miami (11/6). Kenny Tate and Ryan Donohue both had interceptions for scores against Wake Forest (10/30/10). Demetrius Hartsfield's pick-six in the second quarter of the Morgan State game (9/11/10) was Maryland's first defensive score since Wujciak scored on a 70-yard interception return on 11/14/09 at NC State.

Cashing In...
Maryland ranks tied for 13th in the FBS in turnover margin (+1.0 per game). The Terps forced four turnovers vs. Miami (9/5) and surrendered the ball just once to the Hurricanes. Maryland scored 16 points off the four Miami miscues, but did not allow the Hurricanes to score off its lone turnover. Despite turning the ball over three times vs. West Virginia (9/17), the Terps allowed just seven points off those miscues. Conversely, WVU turned the ball over three times and the Terps scored 10 points. On Saturday, Temple scored a touchdown off a Danny O'Brien interception. Since the beginning of the 2010 season, Maryland has scored 126 points off turnovers (37), while the opposition has been held to 34 points (18).

Home Cooking...
The Terps do not have to leave Maryland to play a game until the second weekend of October and play eight of their 12 regular-season contests in the state. Maryland is playing its opening four games at home for the first time in the modern era (first seven at home in 1911). In addition to the seven games in Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, the Terps face Notre Dame at FedExField in Landover, Md., on Nov. 12 (a Fighting Irish home game). The Terps went 5-1 at home last season and 6-1 in the state of Maryland (victory over Navy in Baltimore).

Towson At-A-Glance...
• Head coach Rob Ambrose is in his third season with the Tigers, posting a 6-18 record his first two years. Before taking the Towson job, Ambrose spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for Randy Edsall at the University of Connecticut.
• Towson is 3-0 (1-0 Colonial Athletic Association) this season with wins over Morgan State, Villanova, and a 42-17 victory over Colgate last weekend.
• Under center for the Tigers is sophomore Grant Enders, who has thrown for 527 yards and five touchdowns in his first year as the starter. He's completed 73.3 percent of his passes (44 of 60), while adding 113 yards on the ground with two rushing scores. He ranks fourth in the FCS in passing efficiency (167.95 rating).
• Junior Dominique Booker and freshman Terrance West lead the Towson rushing attack, with both averaging over five yards a carry this season. Booker has seen the end zone twice on the year while West has five touchdowns, including a three-score day against Colgate.
• Junior Tom Ryan leads the Tigers' receivers with 10 receptions for 116 yards. Also in the mix in the passing game is senior Tyler Wharton, who has caught four passes for 91 yards and three touchdowns.
• The Tigers have averaged 460.0 yards of total offense which ranks eighth in the FCS.
• Towson has surrendered just 30 points in three games this season, accumulating seven sacks, five fumble recoveries and three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers are first in the FCS in scoring defense (10.0 ppg) and 12th in total defense (288.3 ypg).
• Junior safety Jordan Dangerfield leads the team in tackles with 25. He also has one interception. Junior Romale Tucker has added 20 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

What to Look for vs. Towson...
• Danny O'Brien (3,228) needs 183 passing yards to move from 12th to 11th on the Maryland career list. Dick Shiner (3,410/1961-63) is currently 11th. • Davin Meggett, who ranks 15th in school history in career rushing yards (1,740), needs five yards to pass Keon Lattimore (1,744/2004-07) • Nick Ferrara, who has 100 career points, needs 10 more to reach No. 13 on the Maryland all-time kick scoring chart. • Ferrara, who has 23 career field goals (11th in school history) needs four more to reach the all-time top 10. Dale Castro (27/1979-80) ranks 10th on the Maryland career chart.

Streaks and Trends...
• The Terrapins have averaged 34.6 points over their last nine home games.
• Since the beginning of the 2010 season, Maryland is 9-2 when winning the turnover battle.
• Danny O'Brien has averaged 278 passing yards over the last seven games.
• CB Cameron Chism has started 26 consecutive games which leads the team. OT R.J. Dill has started 21 straight times which leads the offense.
• The Terps have recorded 28 picks over the last 20 games. They had at least one interception in 11 of 13 games last season, two in the season opener vs. Miami (9/5) and one vs. West Virginia (9/17).
• The Terps turned the ball over just 14 times (10 interceptions/four fumbles) in 2010 and just four of those (two vs. Navy, 9/6; one vs. Miami, 11/6; one vs. FSU, 11/20) occurred in the red zone. Maryland was tied for fifth in the FBS in fewest turnovers. The Terps have five turnovers so far this season, fourth-fewest in the ACC.

By The Numbers...
0... Number of games running back Davin Meggett has missed in his career.

1... Andrew Gonnella is the only senior offensive lineman on the Maryland roster.

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... Number of full-time punters (Brooks Barnard, Adam Podlesh and Travis Baltz) the Terps have employed in the last 10 years. Baltz started the last four seasons with Nick Ferrara taking over in 2011.

4... The Terps had just four penalties vs. Miami (9/5), marking the fewest since the 2010 season opener vs. Navy (also four). They also had four penalties vs. Temple (9/24).

4... Joe Vellano has recovered a pair of fumbles this season. His average of 1.0 per game is tied for fourth in the FBS.

4... Randy Edsall has taken his teams to bowl games in each of the last four seasons.

4... The Terps scored four times on defense in 2010 which was tied for sixth in the FBS.

4... Maryland tied for fourth nationally in turnover margin (+1.15 pg) last season. The Terps, plus-15 on the year, won the turnover battle in 10 of 13 games. They are +1.50 through two games.

7... Matt Furstenburg's career-high seven receptions vs. WVU (9/17) were the most by a Maryland tight end since 2008 (eight by Joey Haynos vs. WVU, 9/14).

10... The Terps have 29 former players on active NFL rosters, a number which ranks 10th nationally (see chart on page 5).

13... D.J. Adams has scored 13 rushing touchdowns in just 11 career games. He is already tied for 19th on the Maryland career rushing TD chart.

15... Number of seniors on Maryland's 96-player roster.

16... Number of freshmen (11 redshirts; five true) who have played this season.