Maryland Welcomes Purdue for Homecoming
9/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football, Terrapin Athletics
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland football program opens Big Ten Conference play as it welcomes Purdue to Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium for the first time in history Saturday, Oct. 1, at 3:30 pm. Saturday also marks Homecoming for the Terps, which have posted a mark of 55-34-4 since the event was first notated in 1923.
Maryland fans will be STRIPING THE STADIUM Saturday! Click here to see if you should be wearing RED or WHITE!
Quick Hitters
- The Maryland football team has totaled 123 points through its first three games - the second-most in program history. Only the 1951 Terrapins scored more points (130) through its first three games, before going on to win the Southern Conference Championship with a 10-0 record. Additionally, Maryland has outscored its opponents 76-14 in first half play this season.
- The Terps are looking to jump out to a 4-0 record for the first time since 2013 and second time overall since Maryland's 2001 ACC Championship season. Maryland is coming off a win at UCF that marked just the second double overtime game in program history.
- Saturday's meeting marks the first matchup between Maryland and Purdue as Big Ten foes. The programs have met just once before, when the Terrapins defeated the Boilermakers, 24-7, in the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl. Sam Hollenbach threw two touchdown passes in the victory, including a 46-yard strike to Darrius Heyward-Bey.
- Maryland is the only Power-5 school and one of just two schools (Western Michigan) in the country yet to commit a turnover. It marks the first time since the 1999 season that Maryland has not thrown an interception through its first three contests.
- Maryland has won four of its last six conference openers dating back to 2010, including a 2014 victory over Indiana to open its tenure in the Big Ten Conference.
Maryland Offense: By the Numbers
0 - After a season in which Maryland struggled turning the ball over, the Terrapins have managed the ball with outstanding efficiency in 2016 as they have yet to commit a turnover. The Terps are one of just two teams in the entire FBS without a turnover, joining Western Michigan. It marks the first time since 1999 that Maryland has not thrown an interception through its first three games.
3 - True freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the first three games of his collegiate career. Harrison is the first true freshman to accomplish the feat at Maryland since Josh Allen scored a rushing touchdown in his first three collegiate games (although Allen did not play in the first three games of the 2002 season). He is looking to become the first player to score a rushing touchdown in the first four games to open the season since quarterback C.J. Brown, who scored six rushing touchdowns in the first four games in 2013.
3 - Maryland's three-headed monster of Lorenzo Harrison, Trey Edmunds and Ty Johnson has had immense success in 2016 rushing the ball, with each player carrying the ball at least 21 times. The trio has collectively rushed for 485 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per rush. Harrison's 6.5 yards per rush currently ranks second in the Big Ten. He also ranks fourth nationally among freshman with 69.3 rush yards per game.
6 - Sophomore wideout D.J. Moore had a career-day against FIU, posting career-highs with six catches, 147 yards and two touchdown receptions. It was the most receiving yards for a Maryland player since Levern Jacobs had 158 against Clemson on Oct. 26, 2013. Moore also completed a 21-yard pass to quarterback Perry Hills against FIU. The first completion (second attempt) of his career.
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.
11 - Sophomore D.J. Moore currently leads all Maryland receivers with a reception in 11 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 3, 2015. Moore has been excellent since the streak began, posting 31 catches, 454 yards (14.6 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.
93 - The Terrapins have had great success in the red zone this season, scoring on 93 percent (13-of-14) of their opportunities. The percentage ranks second in the Big Ten Conference. Of the red zone chances, Maryland is scoring touchdowns at a 64 percent clip (9-of-14).
266.7 - The Maryland running attack is averaging 266.7 yards per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten Conference and 11th nationally. The Terps have racked up 800 yards on the ground through three games, last racking up at least 795 rushing yards through three games in 1999 (796) - largely on the back of LaMont Jordan.
Maryland Defense/ST: By the Numbers
1 - Junior defensive back Josh Woods is slated to make the first start of his career Saturday against Purdue as he lines up at safety in place of Denzel Conyers, who was injured at UCF. Woods, who has had an active role on special teams throughout his career, made a career-high seven tackles in the Terps' season-opening win against Howard.
1.5 - Junior defensive lineman Jesse Aniebonam currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1.5 tackles for loss per game after accumulating a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss at UCF. Aniebonam is off to a career-best start through three games, leading the Terps with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
1.67 - Maryland has yet to lose the turnover battle in any of its three games this season, ranking second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally with a +1.67/g turnover margin. While the offense has yet to turn the ball over, the defense stepped up its game at UCF with four caused turnovers. Sophomore cornerback JC Jackson recorded his first career interception in the win, while the Terps also pounced on three fumbles.
7.7 - The Terrapins have had great success disrupting the backfield so far in 2016, ranking fifth in the Big Ten Conference with 7.7 team tackles for loss per game. Jesse Aniebonam leads the way with 4.5 tackles for loss on the season, while William Likely (4.0) and Jermaine Carter, Jr. (3.0) are close behind.
8.3 - Junior WILL Shane Cockerille has impressed through three games, leading the Terps with 25 tackles and ranking fifth in the Big Ten Conference with 8.3 tackles per game. Cockerille was outstanding against UCF, posting a career-high 14 tackles, including 1.0 TFL. The strong start to the season is pretty remarkable considering Cockerille played both quarterback and fullback during his first three seasons in College Park.
9 - Freshman punter Wade Lees has been outstanding for the Terps, pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line on nine of his 16 career punts. A former Australian Rules Football player, Lees is the oldest freshman across the nation in the FBS at 28-years-old, and the second-oldest player overall.
14 - Senior defensive back William Likely recorded a career-high 14 tackles, including 2.0 TFLs, in one of the best performances of his career at UCF. The two-time First Team All-Big Ten defensive back is Maryland's active leader in tackles (217), PBUs (35) and interceptions (7). He has also started on both offense and defense in two games this season - the only player to start on both sides of the ball in both 2015 and 2016.
64 - Senior William Likely was finally given a chance to return his first kickoff of the season at UCF, and made the Knights pay with a 64-yard return. Likely has just one kick return and one punt return so far this season, as teams have done everything in their power to kick away from the All-American.
-TERPS-
