Sept. 15, 1997
Terps Play Host to No. 7 North Carolina; Continue Acc Slate
Maryland returns home after playing at No. 5 Florida State last week to play host to No. 7 North Carolina on Family Weekend in College Park.
The game marks the second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference game for the Terps in a series which began in 1920 and has been continuous since 1977.
Maryland has won four of the last six meetings between the two teams in games played in Byrd Stadium and holds a 14-10 advantage over the Tar Heels in all-time games played in College Park.
Maryland plays host to no. 6 North Carolina; Terps have won four of the last six against Tar Heels in Byrd Stadium
Cummings takes over eighth place in career pass completion percentage; has thrown only four interceptions in his last 125 passes
MARYLAND'S HEAD COACH RON VANDERLINDEN
Ron Vanderlinden, who helped direct Colorado to the 1990 National Championship and Northwestern to back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1995 and 1996, is in his first season at Maryland. He coached the defensive line (1983-91) and served as the recruiting coordinator (1985-86) for the Buffaloes and helped them to six bowl games. At Northwestern, Vanderlinden was the defensive architect of the 1995 Rose Bowl and 1996 Citrus Bowl participants.
TERPS PLAY SECOND TOP-10 OPPONENT IN AS MANY WEEKS
When Maryland kicks off versus No. 7 North Carolina today, it will mark the second time in as many weeks that the Terps will play an opponent which is nationally ranked among the top-10. It marks the first time since the 1989 season that the Terps have faced two consecutive opponents which were ranked in the top-10 of the Associated Press poll. In 1989, the Terps played consecutive road games at No. 7 Clemson on September 23 and at No. 6 Michigan on September 30.
BACK TO BACK GAMES VERSUS TOP-10 OPPONENTS
Maryland's game versus No. 7 North Carolina today marks the third time in school history that the Terps will play two opponents which are ranked in the top-10 on consecutive weeks. North Carolina was one of the opponents the first time the Terps played back-to-back top-10 opponents during the 1983 season.
In an epic game, the Terps defeated the Tar Heels as darkness fell on College Park. A wild scene from the closing moments of the victory appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated following the game.
Sept. 23, 1989 Maryland 7, at No. 7 Clemson 31 (L)
Sept. 30, 1989 Maryland 21, at No. 6 Michigan 41 (L)
Oct. 29, 1983 No. 13 at Maryland 28, No. 3 North Carolina 26 (W)
Nov. 5, 1983 No. 7 Maryland 23, at No. 3 Auburn 35 (L)
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Buddy Rodgers
Career Total Touchdowns
18 (current)
+ 1 (needs)
19
(to tie Tommy Neal for 5th place all-time at Maryland)
Buddy Rodgers
Career 100 Yd Rushing Games
5 (current)
+ 1 (needs)
6
(to move into a tie for 6th place all-time at Maryland)
Buddy Rodgers
Career Yards Gained
1,361 (current)
+15 (needs)
1,376
(to move past Tommy Neal for 12th place all-time at Maryland)
Brian Underwood
Career Rushing Yards
949 (current)
+51 (needs)
1,000
(to become the 19th runner in school history to gain 1,000 career rushing yards)
Eric Ogbogu
Career Sacks
14.5 (current)
+1 (needs)
15.5
(to move into 8th place
all-time at Maryland)
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
1 Freshman Tony Jackson recorded the first interception of the Ron Vanderlinden era versus Florida State on September 13.
1 Senior quarterback Brian Cummings has thrown only one interception in 35 passes this season.
2 Maryland's 13 passes versus Florida State on Sept. 13 marked only the second time that the Terps had thrown less than 15 passes in game in the last two seasons.
2 Redshirt junior Russell Edwards averaged 41.4 yards per punt versus Florida State to mark the second time in his career that he had averaged 40 or more yards in two consecutive weeks. He averaged 44.5 yards per punt in the season opener versus Ohio.
3 Freshman LaMont Jordan's 44 yard touchdown run versus Florida State tied him for the third longest run by a freshman in school history.
3 Freshman tight end Mike Hull's two catches versus Florida State give the Terp tight ends three catches on the season - one more than the combined tight end catch total of 1995 and 1996 combined.
9 Brian Cummings has completed over 60 percent of his passes in three of his last four games and in nine of his 18 games during which he has thrown at least one pass.
IT HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAINST FLORIDA STATE...
...The first career catch for tight end Mike Hull;
...The first career reception for freshman H-back Matt Kalapinski;
...The first career rushing attempt for freshman H-back Matt Kalapinski;
...The first career pass for redshirt junior punter Russell Edwards;
...The first career interception for freshman Tony Jackson;
...The first career touchdown for freshman LaMont Jordan;
...The first career kickoff return for senior Buddy Rodgers.
ESTABLISHING THE RUNNING GAME
Head Coach Ron Vanderlinden has often voiced his desire to develop a first-class running attack since his arrival at Maryland. Only two games into his Terp tenure, Vanderlinden is accomplishing one of the many things he set out to do. In Maryland's first two games of the season, the offense has run 113 total offensive plays - 76 (or 67.3 percent) of the plays have been rushing attempts. Maryland's rushing attempt percentage of 67.3 percent marks only the second time during the decade of the 90s that the number has been at 60 percent or above. During two seasons (1993 and 1994) the percentage was below 45 of the total number of offensive plays being called as rushing attempts.
Opponent Rush Pass Total % Rushing Attempts
Ohio 39 24 63 61.9
Florida State 37 13 50 74.0
Totals 76 37 113 67.3
Year Rush Pass Total % Rushing Attempt
1996 477 267 744 64.1
1995 385 362 747 51.5
1994 319 428 747 42.7
1993 381 473 854 44.6
1992 432 432 864 50.0
1991 399 363 762 52.3
1990 390 441 831 46.9
2,783 2,766 5,549 50.1
MORE TERPS BY THE NUMBERS
0 The number of times Maryland has fumbled the football this season.
.857 Maryland's first three opponents of the 1997 season, Ohio (2-1), Florida State (2-0) and North Carolina (2-0) hold a 6-1 combined record and a .857 winning percentage entering today's games.
1.00 Redshirt junior Brad Rhodes is a perfect 3-3 on point after touchdown attempts this season and is 4-5 during his career.
2 Consecutive seasons during which a true freshman (LaMont Jordan in 1997 and Harold Westley in 1996) had rushed for at least one touchdown.
7 Including North Carolina, Maryland holds an overall series advantage over seven of its 11 1997 opponents in games played in Byrd Stadium.
19 Kicker Brad Rhodes and former kicker Joe O'Donnell have combined to make 19 consecutive point after touchdown attempts dating back to August 31, 1996
72,237 The attendance at Doak Campbell Stadium on the campus of Florida State University on Saturday which was the largest crowd the Terps had played in front of since 95,818 saw Maryland play Penn State at State College, Pa. on Sept. 26, 1992.
TERPS AMONG TOPS IN TURNOVER MARGIN
One of the trademarks of a Ron Vanderlinden coached team is a positive turnover ratio. The 1997 Terps are no exception as they have held onto the football with a vice grip during the first two games of the season. Maryland is enjoying a +1.0 turnover ratio through its first two games.
The offense has surrendered the ball only once (one interception) while the defense has taken possession three times (one interception and two fumble recoveries). Vanderlinden's Northwestern defensive unit finished third in the nation in turnover margin (+1.82 per game) in 1995 and 19th in the country (+0.73 per game) in 1996. The Wildcats appeared in the Rose Bowl in 1995 and the Citrus Bowl in 1996.
Opponent Maryland Opponent Total
Ohio 0/1 2/0 +1/1.0 turnovers per game
Florida State 0/0 0/1 +1/1.0 turnovers per game
Totals 0/1 2/1 +2/1.0 turnovers per game
CUMMINGS ON TARGET
Senior co-captain Brian Cummings has thrown only one interception in 35 attempts in 1997 and enters today's game versus North Carolina with 21 consecutive attempts without having thrown an interception. If you extrapolate the numbers even further, Cummings has thrown only five interceptions in his last 185 attempts covering seven games.
CUMMINGS KEEPING HIS INTERCEPTIONS DOWN
Senior co-captain Brian Cummings has worked diligently on cutting down on the number of interceptions he throws. In his last seven games, he has thrown only one interception for ever 37 passes as compared to his career when he has thrown one interception for every 28.8 passes.
No. of Games Int/Att. ratio
Last 2 Games 1 interception every 35 passes
Last 7 games 1 interception every 37 passes
Career (23 games) 1 interception every 28.8 passes
EDWARDS KICKING UP HIS HEELS
Redshirt junior Russell Edwards averaged 41.4 yards per punt (7 punts/290 yards) versus Florida State. It marked the second consecutive game that he had average more than 40 yards per punt as he averaged 44.5 yards in the season opener versus Ohio. He also produced back-to-back 40 or more yard averages versus Virginia (45.5 yards per punt) on September 14, 1996 and West Virginia (42.0 ypp) on September 28, 1996.
EDWARDS CAREER NUMBERS KICKING UPWARDS
Redshirt freshman Russell Edwards enters today's game versus North Carolina with a career-high 42.1 yards per punt average through the first two games of the season. He has 98 career punts for a career punting average of 37.1 yards per punt. Edwards is averaging nearly six more yards per punt this season than he had during his first two seasons.
Years Punts Yards Average
1995-96 89 3,253 36.6
1997 9 379 42.1
Career 98 3,632 37.1
QUOTING MARYLAND FOOTBALL
1) "The consensus in college football is that Maryland made one of the best hires in the nation in nabbing Vanderlinden."
Michael Wilbon
Washington Post
September 6, 1997
2) "Vanderlinden, who likes to accentuate the positive, dwells at length on Maryland's defensive line and linebackers. Ends Eric Ogbogu and Eric Hicks, tackle Johnnie Hicks and linebackers Eric Barton and Kendall Ogle are prime-time ACC players."
Larry Keech
Greensboro News and Record
August 23, 1997
3) "You can be sure that the other coaches in the ACC and the East are looking at the Terps differently now, with more respect. Vanderlinden and his first rate staff of assistants command that, with 44 bowls and three Super Bowl appearances among them."
John Eisenberg
Baltimore Sun
August 22, 1997
4) "I've been very fortunate to have been successful everywhere I've been at. I don't think about failure. I just see challenges and get excited about tackling them."
Ron Vanderlinden
Head Coach
University of Maryland
5) "I think his mindset is progressive, his mindset is one slanted toward winning."
Deborah A. Yow
Director of Athletics
University of Maryland
CUMMINGS CONTINUES TO SHOOT UP ALL-TIME PERCENTAGE CHART
Senior co-captain Brian Cummings enjoyed his second consecutive passing completion game of 60 percent or more versus Florida State last week. His current 65.7 percent completion rate in two games this season has moved him into sole possession of eighth place on Maryland's all-time career list. In his last four starts (Georgia Tech and Florida State in 1996 and Ohio and Florida State in 1997), Cummings has completed 63.7 percent of his passes (58/91).
TERPS TOP CAREER COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
Senior co-captain Brian Cummings enters today's game versus North Carolina in eighth place on Maryland's all-time pass completion list.
Rank Rate Comp./Att. Player, Years
1. .6623 261/394 Bob Avellini, 1972-74
2. .6619 650/982 Scott Milanovich, 1992-95
3. .629 132/210 Frank Reich, 1983-84
4. .5882 180/306 Larry Dick, 1975-77
5. .5881 387/658 Neil O'Donnell, 1987-89
6. .582 127/218 Dale Betty, 1958-60
7. .571 52/91 Ben Kinard, 1973-74
8. .569 213/374 Brian Cummings, 1994-Present
9. .56897 305/537 John Kaleo, 1991-92
10. .553 251/454 Stan Gelbaugh, 1981-85
THE CLASSY FRESHMEN CLASS
Maryland's talented freshmen class, Ron Vanderlinden's first at the University of Maryland, has already made major contributions in the first two games of the season. Of the 22 players who signed national letters of intent in February, seven of them (31.8 percent) have seen action in the first two weeks of the season. Matt Kalapinski (H-back) was a starter against Florida State while Doug Patterson (flanker) has started both games this season.
YOUNG GUNS
A total of 12 freshmen (seven true freshmen and five redshirt freshmen) have been part of the Terps game plan through the first two games of the season. Three of the first-timers - Ben Thomas (C), Doug Patterson (FL) and Moises Cruz (SE) have started both Terps' games against Ohio and Florida State.
True Freshmen Redshirt Freshmen
LaMont Jordan Omar Cheeseboro
Tony Jackson Sean Starner
Matt Kalapinski Ben Thomas
Jason Hatala Moises Cruz
Kris Jenkins Mike Hull
Doug Patterson
Scott Rudolph
MARYLAND'S FIRST THREE OPPONENTS
Maryland's first three opponents -- Ohio (2-1), Florida State (2-0) and North Carolina (2-0) have a combined record of 6-1. The only loss by the bunch was Ohio's 23-20 loss at No. 20 Kansas State (a game which the Bobcats led late in the fourth quarter) this past Saturday.
CURRENT STREAKS
18 Left offensive tackle Darryl Gilliam has started in 18 consecutive games dating back to October 21, 1995. All of his starts have come from the left offensive tackle position.
16 Right offensive tackle John Feugill has started 16 consecutive games dating back to November 4, 1995. He started all 11 games at right offensive tackle in 1996 and the final three games of the 1995 season at tight end.
13 Linebacker Eric Barton has made 13 consecutive starts dating back to August 31, 1996. He has led the Terps in tackles in four of the last nine games and started every game in 1996.
13 Linebacker Kendall Ogle has started 13 consecutive games dating back to August 31, 1996. He was the season-long starter at his position during the 1996 season.
5 Brian Cummings has made five consecutive starts. He started the 1997 season opener versus Ohio, the Terps' victory against Georgia Tech, the Terps contests against Clemson and Florida State to close out the 1996 season. He has started 12 of the last 18 and 16 of the last 24 Terp games at quarterback.
RODGERS NAMED TO DOAK WALKER AWARD LIST
Senior tailback Buddy Rodgers, who has accumulated 117 all-purpose yards and one touchdown in the first two games of the season (66 rushing/32 receiving/19 kickoff return yards) is a candidate for the Dr. Pepper/Doak Walker Award. The Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 by a partnership of Southern Methodist University and GTE to recognize and celebrate the goodness in college athletics. The partnership established the Doak Walker Award, "The National Running Back Award." In 1996, Dr. Pepper joined SMU and GTE in the partnership.
CUMMINGS, E. HICKS AND OGBOGU NAMED AS CAPTAINS
Seniors Brian Cummings, Eric Hicks and Eric Ogbogu have been chosen by their teammates to serve as captains for the 1997 season. The captains were selected Friday, August 29. Cummings will start for the third consecutive season at quarterback, while Hicks and Ogbogu have been mainstays on the defensive line since their arrival together in 1994.
RODGERS' RANKINGS
Senior Buddy Rodgers, a Doak Walker Award candidate as the nation's top running back, is one of the most prolific running backs in school history.
Rank Category Career Total
6th Rushing Touchdowns 17
10th Yards Per Attempt 4.21
11th Rushing Attempts 323
13th Rushing Yards 1,361
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior Buddy Rodgers, a Doak Walker Award candidate as the nation's top running back, needs only 15 yards to surpass Tommy Neal and become the 12th all-time leading career rusher in school history. In addition, he is in striking distance of becoming a member of the schools top-10 list.
Rank Player, Year Yards Rodgers Needs
10th Art Seymore, 1970-72 1,656 +301
11th Bren Lowrey, 1986-89 1,636 +281
12th Tommy Neal, 1983-86 1,375 +15
OGLE ON BUTKUS AWARD WATCH LIST
Redshirt junior linebacker Kendall Ogle, who has recorded a team leading 25 tackles in the first two games of the season (13 against Ohio and 12 against Florida State), is a candidate for the Butkus Award. Ogle recorded a career-high 75 tackles in 1996 and was recently named as the 18th-best linebacker in the nation by Lindy's Magazine. His 75 stops last season placed him third on the team and he recorded a career-best 14 tackles against West Virginia. Ogle is one of 52 players named to the initial watch list for the Butkus Award presented annually by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. to the nation's outstanding collegiate linebacker. The list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 16 and three finalists will be named on November 13. The winner will be announced on December 13 in Orlando.
TERPS' DEFENSE BY THE NUMBERS
1 Sack against Florida State by defensive end Rasheed Simmons -- the first of his Maryland career and the second of his collegiate career.
1 Tackle by kicker Brad Rhodes versus Florida State.
2 Sacks by junior Eric Barton versus Florida State. It marked the first time during his career that he had recorded two sacks in a game.
2 Tackles by redshirt senior Ryan Gick on special teams to lead the Terps versus Florida State.
3 Tackles for minus yardage by against Florida State by defensive end Rasheed Simmons for a total of 21 negative yards.
3 Tackles by Johnnie Hicks and Delbert Cowsette against Florida State to lead the down lineman.
4 Maryland's four sacks was the most by the Terps' defense since it recorded five versus Georgia Tech on November 14, 1996
13 Tackles by Kendall Ogle versus Florida State to lead the Terps for the second time in two games this season.
13 Defensive back Lynde Washington recorded a career high 13 tackles (11 solo and 1 assisted) versus Florida State.
JORDAN'S TOUCHDOWN RUN VERSUS FLORIDA STATE WAS THIRD LONGEST BY A FRESHMAN
True freshman LaMont Jordan's 44-yard touchdown run versus Florida State tied him for the third longest run by a freshman and was the third longest touchdown run by a true freshman in school history.
1. 71 yards by Bren Lowrey vs. Virginia (Nov. 28, 1996) (TD)
2. 60 yards by Steve Atkins vs. Virginia (Nov. 22, 1975) (TD)
T3. 44 yards by LaMont Jordan vs. Florida State (Sept. 13, 1997) (TD)
44 yards by Bren Lowrey vs. Penn State (Nov. 8, 1986)
TRUE FRESHMAN JACKSON RECORDS FIRST CAREER INTERCEPTION
True freshman Tony Jackson recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter of Maryland's game versus Florida State. He became the first Terp true freshman to record an interception since Andreal (A.J.) Johnson versus Virginia Tech on September 25, 1993.
RECENT FRESHMEN WITH INTERCEPTIONS
True freshman Tony Jackson became the first true freshman to record an interception since A.J. Johnson picked off a pass in the Terps' 1993 game versus Virginia Tech. The most recent first-year player to record an interception was linebacker Rashad Smith versus Alabama-Birmingham last season.
Name Class Opponent Date
Rashad Smith (RFr.) vs. Alabama-Birmingham Sept. 6, 1996
Andreal (A.J.) Johnson (TFr.) vs. Virginia Tech Sept. 25, 1993
Ron Reagan (RFr.) vs. Michigan, N. Carolina 1989
Mike Jarmolowich (RFr.) vs. North Carolina, Wake 1989
MAKING USE OF THE TIGHT END
Redshirt freshman Mike Hull recorded two catches for 17 yards versus Florida State in his first career start. The two catches and 17 yards tied the Terps recent four-year record for catches in a season by a tight end and surpassed the 26 yards in receptions by the 1994 tight end group. Maryland tight ends have caught only eight passes for 62 yards in the last four years.
Season Catches by TE Yards
1997 3 28
1996 2 8
1995 0 0
1994 3 26
MASTROLE UNDER CENTER VERSUS FLORIDA STATE
Redshirt sophomore Ken Mastrole was the quarterback for the final two offensive series of the game against Florida State. He completed one pass for nine yards and was credited with two rushing attempts. It was the first time he had seen action in a regular season game since October 26, 1996 when he started versus Duke in Durham. Though the Terps won that contest, Mastrole suffered a broken clavicle and was lost for the remainder of the season.
BRIAN CUMMINGS AS THE TERPS' STARTING QUARTERBACK
1995
Sept. 2 Tulane W, 29-10
Sept. 9 N. Carolina W, 32-18
Sept. 16 W. Virginia W, 31-17
Sept. 23 Duke W, 41-28
Oct. 21 Clemson L, 0-17
Oct. 28 at L'Ville L, 0-31
1996
Aug. 31 N. Illinois W, 30-6
Sept. 7 Ala.-Birm W, 39-15
Sept. 14 at Virginia L, 3-21
Oct. 12 at N. Car L, 7-38
Oct. 19 Wake For. W, 52-0
Nov. 2 at Clemson L, 3-35
Nov. 14 Ga. Tech W, 13-10
Nov. 23 at Fl. State L, 10-48
1997
Sept. 6 Ohio L, 14-21
Sept. 13 at Fl. State L, 7-50
Cummings has an 8-8 record (50.0 winning percentage) and has started eight of the Terps' 11 victories in the last two seasons.
Terps in the ACC Statistics
September 14, 1997
B. Rodgers Rushing 13th
D. Boone Rushing 15th
L. Jordan Rushing 17th
B. Cummings Pass Eff. 5th
Tot. Off. 13th
M. Cruz Recp/Yds 15th
Recp/Gm 16th
L. Sanders KO Ret T6th
T. Jackson Int T4th
R. Edwards Punt 3rd
44 BOWLS AND 3 SUPER BOWLS
Ron Vanderlinden and his staff have participated as coaches or players in 44 collegiate bowl games and three super bowls.
Defensive line coach Rubin Carter played in SB XXI and XII and coached in SB XXII with the Denver Broncos.
ALL PURPOSE YARDAGE BY THE FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS
Maryland's eight first-year players who have earned statistics on offense have accounted for 322 of Maryland's 490 yards of total offense in the first two games of the season. Redshirt freshman Moises Cruz (91 total yards), sophomore Damone Boone (76 total yards) and true freshman LaMont Jordan (75 total yards) rank one, two and three among first year players and two, three and four overall behind only senior Buddy Rodgers (117 total yards).
G Rush Rec PR KOR Yds Plays
Moises Cruz 2 0 91 0 0 91 6
Damone Boone 2 56 20 0 0 76 12
LaMont Jordan 2 54 5 0 16 75 9
Omar Cheeseboro 2 0 22 0 0 22 3
Tony Jackson 2 0 0 15 0 19 2
Mike Hull 2 0 17 0 0 17 0
Matt Kalapinski 2 1 15 0 0 16 2
Doug Patterson 2 0 6 0 0 6 0
2 111 176 15 16 322 34
TERPS ON THE AIR
All Maryland games are heard on the Learfield/Maryland Radio Network. Johnny Holliday, in his 19th season as the Voice of the Terps, handles the play-by-play while Ken Broo joins the broadcast team this season as the color analyst. WBAL (1090-AM) serves as the flagship station for the 12-station network. The Terps can be heard on WJFK - FM (106.7) in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
RON VANDERLINDEN'S WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Ron Vanderlinden will meet the media each Monday at Noon on the second floor of the Tyser Tower Press Box.
ACC COACHES TELECONFERENCE
Ron Vanderlinden will be among the nine ACC coaches featured on the weekly teleconference each Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Coach Vanderlinden can be heard from 11:40-11:50. Each coach will make an opening statement and take questions during the 10 minute period. The number for media access only is (212) 547-0297.
TERP GAMES ON TEAMLINE
Maryland fans can hear the live play-by-play of all 11 Terp games this season from any telephone in the world on TEAMLINE. Fans in the United States can dial 1-800-846-4700 and enter the Maryland Terrapins team code 5517 to access the games with a Visa or Mastercard.
TERPS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
All of the latest and most up-to date information on every aspect of Maryland athletics can be found on the World Wide Web at www.umterps.com. Net users can find the latest information of each of Maryland's 24 athletic teams, purchase tickets to upcoming events and find information on many other aspects of the Department of Athletics at Maryland.
RON VANDERLINDEN ON MARYLAND'S RADIO SPORTSLINE
John Wagner, University System Radio-TV Director, provides actualities and interviews for radio with Maryland football coach Ron Vanderlinden. Stations can access these sound bites by calling the Sportsline at (301) 779-6397.
