Maryland (2-1, 0-1 B1G) vs. Villanova (3-0, 1-0 CAA)
September 21, 2024
SECU Stadium
Noon
BTN
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland will play its final non-conference game of the season when it hosts the Villanova Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 21 at SECU Stadium. The game is set to kickoff at noon and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network. Maryland will host Family Weekend and it Mental Health Awareness Game.
Non-conference Success
- The Terps have won 14 straight games against non-conference opponents, the second-longest streak in the country (Georgia-24). Under head coach Michael Locksley, the Terps are 16-1 in non-conference games with wins over Virginia Tech, West Virginia, #23 NC State, #21 Syracuse, Virginia (twice) and Auburn. This is the longest such streak for Maryland in the last 40 years.
- In the Locksley era (2019-pres.), Maryland's average of 41.5 points per game in non-conference play ranks fifth in the nation, only trailing Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU. The Terps have scored 30-plus points in 14-of-17 non-conference games under Locksley.
- Maryland's six straight wins by at least 14 points against non-conference opponents is also the second-longest active streak in FBS (Tennessee-11). The Terps have committed no more than two turnovers in any of their last 23 non-conference games. The only FBS teams with longer active such streaks are LSU (29) and Ohio State (26).
- Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland is 7-0 against FCS teams with each win coming by at least 29 points. In those seven games, the Terps are averaging 56.6 points per game while allowing just 9.1 points per contest.
Maryland's 43-point win over UConn in the season opener was the school's largest in a season opener that was against an FBS school since Division I went to two distinctions in 1978.
Series History - Villanova
- The Terps are 9-2 all-time against Villanova and have won the last nine matchups. The teams have not met since 2007.
- In that 2007 game, Keon Lattimore ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, Jordan Steffy played exceptionally well in his first start as Maryland's quarterback, and the Terrapins wore down Villanova in a 31-14 victory Saturday night.
Maryland is 7-0 against FCS teams since joining the Big Ten.
Tremendous tai
- Senior WR Tai Felton has gotten off to a blistering start this season, posting stat lines of 7-178-2 (UConn), 11-152-1 (Michigan State) and 9-117-1 (Virginia) through the first three games.
- Felton is the first player in Maryland program history to have 100+ receiving yards in each of his team's first three games of a season. Additionally, he is one of just eight Big Ten players since 1996 to accomplish this feat and one of three FBS players to do so this season (Colorado's Travis Hunter and Ole Miss' Tre Harris).
- Felton sits inside the top-five nationally in several major statistical categories, ranking third in receiving yards (447), fourth in receptions (27) and tied for third in receiving touchdowns (four). All of those numbers rank first in the Big Ten.
- Felton scored his fourth touchdown of the season on a 19-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter against Virginia. With four touchdown receptions in three games, he has the most for a Terp in that span since D.J. Moore also had four in 2017. He is also the first Terp to have at least one touchdown reception in each of the first three games of a season since Tyler Mabry did it in 2019.
- Felton is the second Big Ten player this century to have at least 25 receptions, 400 receiving yards and four TD catches through his team's first three games of a season (Purdue's Charlie Jones in 2022).
The Ashburn, VA native is tied for 10th all-time on Maryland's career touchdown list with 12.
Dominating The Turnover Battle
- Through three games, Maryland leads the nation in turnover margin (+9). The Terps have created six interceptions and four fumble recoveries and only turned the ball over once themselves. That number is the highest for the Terps since 1995 (+11) and the highest by a Big Ten team since 2016 (Ohio State, +10) after three games.
- Maryland has forced 3+ turnovers in every game so far this season, marking the first time the program has accomplished this since doing so in the first three games of the 1996 season. This is just the third time since 1996 that the Terps have had three or more consecutive games with multiple interceptions.
- Including the Music City Bowl, Maryland has forced at least three turnovers in four straight games. That's the longest such streak by an FBS team since Louisville had five straight in the 2022 season (September 24 — October 29).
- Maryland's six interceptions have come from Glendon Miller (two), Jalen Huskey (two), Dante Trader Jr. and Ruben Hyppolite II. That total ranks tied for third among FBS teams and tied for first in the Big Ten (Illinois). The six interceptions through three games are the most by a Maryland team since 2013.
- Maryland has multiple defensive interceptions in each of its first three games of a season for the first time since 1995. This is just the third time since 1996 that the Terps have had three or more consecutive games with multiple interceptions at any point in the season (2010, 2013). Maryland is one of three FBS teams with multiple defensive interceptions in all three games this season (San Jose State and California).
- The Terrapins' seven straight games intercepting at least one pass is the third-longest active streak in FBS (Oklahoma—9, Charlotte—8). The team's four straight games with multiple interceptions are the longest active streak among all FBS teams.
- The Terps have also recovered four fumbles this season, one each by Glendon Miller, Quashon Fuller, Donnell Brown and Ricardo Cooper Jr. Kellan Wyatt leads the way with two fumbles forced.
- The Terps' six fumbles gained rank tied for third in the nation and tied for first in the Big Ten.
In total, 10 different Terps have had a hand in forcing a takeaway this season.
Billy Ball
- Redshirt junior QB Billy Edwards Jr. is 5-1 as a starter at Maryland across three seasons, with wins over Northwestern, NC State, Auburn, UConn and Virginia. Virginia marked the first road win for Edwards as a starter.
- Through three games, Edwards Jr. is the ninth highest-graded quarterback in the nation, per PFF. With a 90.4 overall grade to his name, he is also the second-ranked among Big Ten QBs, only trailing USC's Miller Moss.
- He has accounted for 20 total touchdowns (10 rushing and 10 passing) in 18 games as a Terp.
- Edwards Jr. is one of two FBS quarterbacks this season with a completion percentage of at least 70.0% on at least 100 passes while also not having multiple interceptions thrown.The other is Georgia Tech's Haynes King.
- The 2023 TransPerfect Music City Bowl MVP is the second Maryland QB over the last 30 seasons to have at least 500 passing yards and 50 net rushing yards through the team's first two games of a season. The other was C.J. Brown in 2013.
Edwards Jr. has eight total touchdowns through two games this season (six passing, two rushing).
Second-half Adjustments
- On Saturday, Maryland shutout Virginia in the second half and outscored the Cavaliers 20-0. The Terps also dominated time of possession in the second half, 21:39-8:21, outgained the Cavaliers 250-82, outpassed them 168-58, and outrushed them 82-24. The Terrapins also recorded 15 first downs in the half, 10 more than the Cavaliers' five. The Terps converted 50% of their third downs and even went 2-for-2 on fourth down attempts. Virginia converted just 14% of its third downs and went 0-of-1 on fourth down.
- Defensive adjustments at halftime have become a calling card of defensive coordinator Brian Williams. Since 2022, the Terps are averaging just 9.38 points allowed in the second half compared to 12.69 in the first. That 3.31 differential ranks sixth among power conference teams.
The Terps held Virginia without a point in the second-half as part of their 27-13 win. It marked the sixth time the Terps put together a second-half against a power conference team in the Locksley era.
Quick hitters
- RB Roman Hemby is one of just nine active FBS players who have recorded 1000+ scrimmage yards in each of the last two seasons. Of that group, only one other player resides in the Big Ten (Penn State's Nicholas Singleton).
- Notre Dame transfer P Bryce McFerson has made an immediate impact for the Terps. His 46.7 punting average through three games ranks eighth among FBS punters and second in the Big Ten (Purdue's Keelan Crimmins, 47.4). McFerson has been named to the Ray Guy Award's Ray's 8 in all three weeks this season for this efforts, the only punter in the nation to do s
- Redshirt senior defensive back Glendon Miller had an interception in both of the first two games of a season, giving him a streak of four consecutive games with an interception, dating back to the final two games of the 2023 season. Miller is the first Terp with a streak that long since Lewis Sanders had interceptions in five straight games from Sept. 2-Oct. 9, 1999.
With a win, the Terps will move to 14-2 in September games over the last four seasons.
Click here for this week's game notes.
