Nov. 10, 2001
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
No. 11 Maryland tromped to a 37-20 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Clemson on Saturday to push its record to 9-1 and earn at least a share of the ACC title, after Florida State's loss to NC State earlier in the evening. Currently in sole possession of the ACC lead, the Terrapins can win the title outright, their first since 1985, with a win at NC State next weekend.
* With tonight's 37-20 win over Clemson, Maryland (#13 AP, #11 ESPN/USA Today) moves to 9-1 on the season (6-1 in the ACC). With Florida State's loss earlier in the evening to NC State, the Terrapins now hold sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with one game remaining in the regular season.
* Maryland has clinched at least a share of its first ACC title since 1985.
* Maryland finishes this season with a 7-0 record at Byrd Stadium marking the first time in school history that it has won seven games at home. The previous best was a 6-0 record at home in 1976.
* The Terps' ninth victory of the season ties the Terps' 9-win total of 1985. The last time that Maryland won more than nine games in a season was in 1976 when the Terps finished 11-1 with an ACC title before falling to Houston in the Cotton Bowl.
* The Terrapins are 9-1 after 10 games for the first time since 1978 (finished 9-3) and just the third time since 1955. It is just the seventh time in school history (2001, 1978, 1976, 1955, 1953, 1951, 1949) that Maryland has won nine of its first 10 games.
* The Terrapins' win tonight was the first in the Clemson series since 1992 and just its second in the last 16 meetings with the Tigers. The Terps' 37 points against the Tigers was the most since that 53-23 win in 1992.
* With one regular season game remaining, Maryland's 367 points already are a single-season school record. That total is the most in school history, breaking the mark of 353 set by the 1951 and 1982 teams. (Note: the 1951 team accomplished the feat in nine games, the 1982 team in 11).
* Maryland's rushing tandem of Bruce Perry and Marc Riley is the first duo of Terrapin backs with at least 10 rushing touchdowns, apiece, in the same season. Against Clemson, Riley had 59 yards on 16 carries, with two touchdowns to push his season total to 10 and match Perry. Perry, the ACC's leading rusher who ranks 17th nationally, finished with 90 yards on 21 carries.
* Maryland finished the game with 218 rushing yards, it's seventh 200-yard game of the season and fourth straight.
* The Terps' three interceptions of Clemson's Woodrow Dantzler are the most by any team in Dantzler's career. Dantzler had five interceptions total coming into tonight's game. Dantzler was limited to 30 rushing yards on 11 carries, his lowest rushing production of the season.
* With four tackles for loss today, E.J. Henderson now has 25 on the season, breaking Maryland's all-time single season mark of 24 set by Terrapin legend Randy White in 1974.
* Henderson finished the game with 13 tackles (unofficial) with eight solos, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection and a fourth-quarter interception which was the first of his career.
* Henderson in the third quarter alone: two solo tackles, two assisted tackles, two TFL to break White's single-season record, and a sack.
* Guilian Gary, in his final game at Byrd Stadium, had five catches for 93 yards, all in the first half.
* Gary has led or tied for the team lead in seven games this season.
* Curome Cox's third quarter interception -- which was set up by a big hit on Woodrow Dantzler by LB Leon Joe -- was the third of his career and set up the Terps' third touchdown of the game, a seven-yard pass from Shaun Hill to Bruce Perry.
* Sophomore placekicker Nick Novak was 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, missing only on a 62-yard attempt at the end of the first half - which missed only by two yards. Overall, Novak has made nine of his last 10 attempts and nine straight from inside of 60 yards. Included in the streak was a career-long 51-yarder at Florida State, and a 50-yard drive last week against Troy State. Since the Terps' Oct. 11 win at Georgia Tech, Novak has converted 11 of his last 13 attempts, missing only from 50 and 62 yards. His 46-yard kick to start the streak was then a career-long and sent the Terps to overtime at the end of regulation.
* With his start at cornerback tonight, Domonique Foxworth became the first true freshman to start a game since Dennard Wilson started as a true frosh a year ago -- also against Clemson. As it turns out, Foxworth started tonight's contest in place of an injured Wilson and made numerous big plays on pass defense. Foxworth was credited with five tackles (four solos), a tackle for loss and two break-ups.
* Derrick Hamilton's 100-yard kickoff return with 10:26 remaining in the game cut into a 34-6 Maryland lead. It was Clemson's first kickoff return for touchdown since Sept. 15, 1990 vs. Maryland at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. It tied the Clemson record for the longest in history.
* Tonight's attendance of 52,462 marks the first sellout at Maryland since 1995. It is also the largest crowd at Byrd Stadium since September 14, 1974 (vs. Alabama), and is the fourth-largest crowd in Byrd Stadium and Maryland football history.
* Top five crowds in Byrd Stadium history are as follows: 1) 58, 973 - November 1, 1975 (vs. Penn State), 2) 54,715 - September 17, 1983 (vs. West Virginia), 3) 54,412 - September 14, 1974 (vs. Alabama), 4) 52,462 - Tonight (vs. Clemson), 5) 52,348 - October 6, 1979 (vs. Penn State).
* The Terps' first sellout since 1995 pushed Maryland's season average attendance to 43,564 in seven home dates. It is Maryland's best season average since 1986 when the Terps averaged 43,806. Maryland's season average is the fifth-best in Byrd Stadium history.
