Maryland-Minnesota Game Preview
10/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football, Terrapin Athletics
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland football program looks to stay unbeaten at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium in 2016 as it welcomes Minnesota to College Park for the first time in history Saturday, Oct. 15. The Terps and Golden Gophers are set for a noon kickoff on ESPNU.
Quick Hitters
- The Maryland football team has totaled 187 points through its first five games, the most in program history to open a season. Additionally, Maryland has outscored its opponents 119-38 in the first half this season.
- Maryland defeated Minnesota, 17-7, in the only meeting between the programs on Dec. 22, 1977, in Birmingham, Ala., to win the Hall of Fame Bowl. The Terps' George Scott had 77 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while Charles White racked up 126 receiving yards. Head coach Jerry Claiborne pointed to Marion Barber, Jr.'s first quarter fumble as the turning point.
- The Terps have totaled 102 points in their two home games this season, eclipsing the 50-point mark in each contest. It marks the first time Maryland has had 50 points in back-to-back home games since the 1951 Southern Conference Championship season.
- Maryland continues to rank among the best protecting the ball, ranking first in the Big Ten and third nationally with just four turnovers in 2016. Not including quarterbacks, Maryland's ball carriers and receivers have totaled 219 touches without a fumble.
- True freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison ranks second nationally among true freshmen with 72.4 rushing yards/game. He is currently on pace to break LaMont Jordan's freshman record of 689 rushing yards in a single-season, set in 1997.
Maryland Offense: By the Numbers
1 - True freshman Terrance Davis (DeMatha) lined up at guard against Penn State, making his first career start. Davis is the first true freshman to start on the offensive line since Moise Larose made a start against Syracuse on Nov. 9, 2013. Davis is also the cousin of Maryland freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison.
4 - Sophomore running back Ty Johnson has displayed incredible big-play ability, exploding for four plays of more than 45 yards over the last two games. The Cumberland, Md., native had separate rushes of 56, 76 and 48 yards two weeks ago against Purdue, before breaking loose for a 66-yard touchdown reception at Penn State.
7 - Senior quarterback Perry Hills scored a rushing touchdown in overtime at UCF to become the seventh Terrapin to score a rushing touchdown this season through only three games (six different players scored in the opener). It is a remarkable feat for the team considering Maryland last had seven players score a rushing TD in an entire season in 2002. That 2002 team would go on to score 32 rushing touchdowns. This year's team has 16 rushing touchdowns through five games.
9.1 - While Maryland has been prone to spread the ball across its bevy of running backs, its top-two ball carriers, Lorenzo Harrison and Ty Johnson, have made the most of their carries by averaging 9.1 yards collectively. The freshman Harrison is averaging 8.2 yards/carry, while Johnson is averaging an astounding 10.4 yards/carry.
13 - Sophomore D.J. Moore currently leads all Maryland receivers with a reception in 13 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 3, 2015. Moore leads all offensive players with 15 consecutive starts, and leads the team in receptions (17), receiving yards (239), yards-per-catch (17.2) and receiving touchdowns (2).
66 - Senior quarterback Perry Hills completed the longest pass of his career against Penn State, a 66-yard strike to Ty Johnson. Hills found Johnson in open space, and the running back did the rest with a long scamper down the sideline. Hills' previous long came as a true freshman against Wake Forest in 2012 on a 63-yard pass to Stefon Diggs.
204 - Sophomore Ty Johnson was spectacular against Purdue, posting a career-high 204 rushing yards on just seven carries, in addition to two touchdowns. Johnson's unbelievable 29.1 yards/carry were the most for a 200-yard rusher in FBS over the last 20 seasons (see table below). The 204 yards is also the single-game high in the Big Ten Conference this season.
344 - Freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison has totaled 344 rushing yards through his first five games, and is currently on pace to smash LaMont Jordan's Maryland freshman record of 689 rushing yards set in 1997. For comparison's sake, Jordan had 294 rushing yards through his first five career games.
Maryland Defense/ST: By the Numbers
1 - Head coach DJ Durkin has proclaimed numerous times that the best players will play special teams. That sentiment rang true against Penn State when star freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison broke through for his first career punt block. The Terrapins are one of just seven teams nationally with two blocked punts this season.
4 - Junior WILL linebacker Shane Cockerille continues to pile up tackles for the Terrapin defense, ranking fourth in the Big Ten with 9.0 tackles/game. Cockerille was one tackle short of his career-high with 13 tackles at Penn State, including a pass breakup and a tackle for loss. This is Cockerille's first season playing defense for Maryland, having played both quarterback and fullback during his first three seasons in College Park.
5.5 - Junior defensive lineman Jesse Aniebonam has taken full advantage of his first season as a full-time starter for the Terps, tying for the Big Ten lead in sacks (and fifth nationally) with Wisconsin's T.J. Watt with 5.5 sacks. He also ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally with 1.7 tackles for loss/game. Aniebonam, who is the cousin of former great New York Giants pass rusher Osi Umenyiora, has a sack in every game this season.
9 - The Maryland defense has held strong in the red zone this season, ranking ninth in the Big Ten conference in red zone defense. The Terrapins are holding opponents to points on just 67 percent (10-of-15) of their red zone chances. William Likely had one of the biggest defensive plays against Penn State, forcing and recovering a Saquon Barkley fumble at Maryland's own 15-yard line.
10 - While the Maryland offense scampered for 400 rushing yards against Purdue, it was its defense that might have been even more impressive as it held the Boilermakers to just 10 rushing yards in the game. Prior to a Purdue 13-yard rush with less than three minutes to play, the Boilermakers had mustered -3 rushing yards in the game. The last time Maryland held an opponent under 25 rushing yards was Oct. 27, 2012, when Boston College managed just eight rushing yards.
17.5 - The Terrapins' defensive special teams unit has been excellent this season, ranking second in the Big Ten in kickoff return defense (17.5 yards/KO) and third in punt return defense (4.5 yards/PR). Danny Sutton performed kickoff duties for the first time in his career against Penn State.
36 - All-American return stalwart William Likely needs just 36 more punt return yards to reach 900 yards for his career. Likely would be just the second player in Maryland history to achieve the mark, joining legendary return-man Steve Suter (2001-04), who had 1,271 career punt return yards.
200 - Maryland ranks eighth in the Big Ten allowing just 195.4 passing yards/g to opponents this season, having held teams under 200 yards passing in 3-of-5 games. The Terps have yet to allow a 300-yard passer in 2016 after giving up more than 300 yards passing five times in 2015.
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