Maryland Athletics - University of Maryland Official Athletic Site - Football
Previewing The Wake Forest Game....
University of Maryland Terrapins (2-4, 0-3 ACC)
versus
Wake Forest University Deamon Deacons (2-4, 0-4 ACC)
Oct. 19, 1996
Byrd Stadium, College Park, Maryland
2:00 p.m., ET; HOMECOMING
Notes of the Week
--Senior linebacker Ratcliff Thomas needs eight tackles to become the fourth Terp in school history to record 400 career tackles.
--Thomas has averaged 10.6 tackles in his 37-game career.
--Senior wide receiver Geroy Simon needs 22 yards receiving to move into second place on the school's all-time receiving yards list.
--Simon needs 182 all-purpose yards to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career.
--The Terps play three consecutive opponents that will have a bye week to prepare for their game with Maryland.
Quote of the Week
"Geroy Simon is one of Maryland's fastest and most accomplished receivers, who by season's end could replace former Terp and current Baltimore Raven Jermaine Lewis as the ACC's career leader in receptions."
Paul McMullen, Baltimore Sun
OGLE STARS
Redshirt sophomore Kendall Ogle is Maryland's most productive two-way player this season. In six games played this season, Ogle has six carries and one touchdown as a running back and is fourth on the team in tackles with 41 as a linebacker. On Maryland's first possession versus North Carolina, Ogle had one carry and made a special teams tackle after Maryland's first punt.
OGLE - GAME BY GAME
Carries Yards TD Tackles Sacks
Northern Ill 2 2 1 8 0
Alabama Birm 1 0 0 3 1 (-6)
Virginia 0 0 0 6 0
West Virginia 0 0 0 14 0
NC State 1 0 0 4 0
North Carolina 1 0 0 6 0
Totals 5 2 1 41 1 (-6)
TERPS MOST RECENT TWO-WAY PLAYERS
Redshirt sophomore Kendall Ogle is among a select few players who have earned considerable time as two-way players. Most recently Jamie Bragg (offensive line, running back and defensive line) in 1994 and Raphael Wall (defensive back and running back) in 1992 played both ways for head coach Mark Duffner. Duffner coached two-way player Gordie Lockbaum at Holy Cross to a third place finish in the Heisman Trophy Race in 1987 and a fifth place finish in 1986.
TERPS INCREASED EMPHASIS ON THE RUNNING ATTACK
Maryland rushed for 104 yards versus North Carolina, the third time this season that the Terps had rushed for 100 or more yards in a game. As a team, the Terps rushed for 100 yards or more in only five games last season. Despite the Terps' rushing performance versus North Carolina, Maryland rushed the ball a season low 20 times. The Terps became only the second team to rush for 100 yards or more versus the Tar Heels defense.
PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS
Maryland unveiled many pages of its offensive playbook last week. The Terps ran:
--Two reverses (one for a 60-yd touchdown)
--A flee flicker on the game's opening possession
--A halfback option thrown back to the quarterback
--A pass attempt on a fake punt.
AND YOU THOUGHT FLOUR WAS ALL-PURPOSE
Senior wide receiver Geroy Simon leads the team in all-purpose yardage (rushing+receiving+punt returns+ kickoff returns) with 536 yards through six games. He led the team in all-purpose yards in 1994 as a sophomore when he totaled a career-best 1,074 yards on 891 yards receiving, 121 yards on kickoff returns and 62 yards rushing. He needs 182 yards to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career. He averages an outstanding 78.3 all-purpose yards per game in 36 games played.
G Rec.YD RET YD RUSH YD TOTAL AVG./Game 1996 6 349 103 84 536 89.3 1995 11 440 549 25 1014 92.2 1994 11 891 121 62 1074 97.6 1993 8 194 0 0 194 24.25 Totals 36 1874 773 171 2818 78.3
SIMON CONTINUES TO CLIMB RECEPTIONS LIST
Senior Biletnikoff Award candidate Geroy Simon caught two passes for 45 yards versus North Carolina. His 22.5 yards per reception average marked the highest single game average of his career and the fourth time that he had averaged 20 or more yards per catch. He now has 173 career receptions for 1,874 yards. He is only 21 catches shy of becoming the all-time ACC career leader in receptions. Former Terp and current Baltimore Raven Jermaine Lewis holds both the ACC and Maryland records for career receptions with 193.
BILETNIKOFF AWARD CANDIDATE SIMON ON THE ACC AND MARYLAND CAREER RECEPTION LISTS
Rank Atlantic Coast Conference Recpts.
1. Jermaine Lewis, Maryland, 1992-95 193
2. Clarkston Hines, Duke, 1986-89 189
3. Ricky Proehl, Wake, 1986-89 188
4. Geroy Simon, Maryland, 1993-Present 173
5. Roger Boone, Duke, 1986-89 168
Rank University of Maryland Recpts.
1. Jermaine Lewis, 1992-95 193
2. Geroy Simon, 1993-Present 173
BILETNIKOFF AWARD CANDIDATE SIMON ALSO ADDS TO CAREER YARDAGE TOTAL
Senior Biletnikoff Award candidate Geroy Simon had two catches for 45 yards versus North Carolina. He now has 1,874 career receiving yards which places him in third place all-time at the University of Maryland in career receiving yards. Simon is only 22 yards away from passing former All-ACC performer Azizuddin Abdur-Ra'oof and moving into second place. Former Terp and current Baltimore Raven Jermaine Lewis holds the Maryland record for career receiving yards with 2,932.
SIMON ON THE MARYLAND CAREER RECEIVING YARDAGE LISTSRank University of Maryland Yards Needed 1. Jermaine Lewis, 1992-95 2.932 1,058 2. Azizuddin Abdur-Ra'oof, 1984-87 1,895 21 3. Geroy Simon, 1993-Present 1,874MAKING HIS POINT
Geroy Simon's 60-yard rushing touchdown versus Carolina represented the third way he has scored a touchdown in his career. In addition to his eight career touchdown receptions, he also returned a kickoff 94 yards in 1994 against NC State. His touchdown last weekend now gives him 64 total points in his career.Year Rec.TD KO Return TD Rush TD 2-Pt Conv. Tot Points 1996 1 0 1 1 14 1995 0 0 0 1 2 1994 5 1 0 0 36 1993 2 0 0 0 12 Totals 8 1 1 2 64THOMAS CONTINUES TO PILE UP TACKLES
Senior Butkus Award candidate Ratcliff Thomas enters the game versus Wake Forest with 392 career tackles. He is currently in fourth place all-time at Maryland and needs eight tackles to become only the fourth player in school history to record 400 or more tackles. After missing the first two games of the 1996 season, Thomas has returned with 45 tackles in four games, an average of over 11 per contest. Thomas is looking to become the first player in school history to lead the Terps in tackles over four consecutive seasons. He is currently in second despite missing the first two games of the season with a separated shoulder.THOMAS' TACKLES - YEAR BY YEAR Year UT AT Total Tackles Avg./game 1996 24 21 45 11.3 1995 63 40 103 9.4 1994 82 55 137 12.5 1993 77 30 107 9.7 Total 246 146 392 10.6 TERPS TOP ALL-TIME TACKLERS Rank Player, Year Tackles To Reach 1. Eric Wilson, 1981-84 481 89 2. Chuck Faucette, 1983-86 466 74 3. Mike Jarmolowich, 1989-92 414 22 4 Ratcliff Thomas, 1993-Pres 392 5. Brad Carr, 1974-77 386TERPS PENETRATE TOUGH TAR HEEL DEFENSE
Maryland became the first team to score a first quarter touchdown versus North Carolina this season. The Tar Heel defense was ranked as the fourth best in the nation and had allowed only an average of 5.8 points per game. The Tar Heels have pitched two shutouts this season and had held three of its first five opponents without a touchdown. In addition, the Terps became only the second team to rush for more than 100 yards versus the North Carolina rushing defense which had been allowing only 77.6 yards per game.TERPS BEGIN STRONG ON GROUND
The Terps compiled 88 yards rushing in the first half against UNC last week. The total represents the highest first half rushing mark since Sept. 16, 1995 when the Terps rushed for 124 yards in the first two quarters against WVA. The Terps played 12 games between WVA last year and UNC last Saturday and averaged 31.4 yards rushing in the first half over that span.1st Half Rush Yards Previous 12 Games (Avg.) 31.4 UNC 1996 88 Difference 56.6 yardsSUCCEEDING AT FIRST
Geroy Simon's six points on a 60-yard rushing touchdown off of a reverse were the first points the Tar Heels yielded at home in 1996. Clemson and Georgia Tech were unable to score against UNC and were shut out 45-0 and 16-0, respectively. It was also Maryland?s first touchdown in the first quarter this year. The Terps had previously put a field goal on the board in the first stanza in the season opener against Northern Illinois.UNDERWOOD CONTINUES TO CARRY THE LOAD
Redshirt junior Brian Underwood rushed for 40 yards on four carries, a 10.0 yards per carry average, versus North Carolina Saturday night in Chapel Hill. Underwood has rushed for a team-high 88 yards in the Terps' last two games and averages 4.3 yards per carry in those two games. Underwood currently leads the Terps in rushing this season with 213 yards. He is averaging a career-high 4.7 yards per carry and a team-leading 35.5 yards per game. Underwood has now rushed for 683 yards in 159 career carries, for a career average of 4.3 yards per carry.Season Yards Carries RPC 1995 290 73 4.0 1994 180 41 4.4 1996 213 45 4.7 Totals 683 159 4.3UNDERWOOD'S EMERGENCE BUOYS RUSHING GAME
Redshirt junior Brian Underwood has gained 88 of his 213 rushing yards (41 percent) on the season in the last two weeks. Underwood gained 133 yards versus Northern Illinois and Alabama Birmingham. His 213 rushing yards this season is the second best single season total of his career. He gained a career -high 290 yards in 1995.UNDERWOOD ADDS TO RUSHING GAME Opponent Underwood Yds Team Yds Pct. of Rush Yards Northern Illinois 74 288 26 Alabama Birmingham 59 216 27 Virginia -8 115 0 West Virginia 0 39 0 NC State 48 119 40 North Carolina 40 133 30 Total 213 910 23.4EDWARDS PUTTING HIS FOOT INTO HIS WORK
Redshirt sophomore Russell Edwards punted for a 40.7 yards per punt average versus North Carolina. It marked the third time in the last four games and fourth time during his career that he had punted for better than a 40 yard average in any single game. Edwards averaged 42.3 yards per punt versus West Virginia in the cold rain of Byrd Stadium on September 16, 1995. He has kicked at least one punt of 40 yards or more in five of his six games this season.EDWARDS GAME-BY-GAME IN 1996 Opponent Punts Average Long Northern Illinois 4 37.3 43 Alabama Birmingham 7 36.4 48 Virginia 9 43.0 76 West Virginia 8 42.0 60 NC State 7 30.6 37 North Carolina 9 40.7 53 Totals 44 38.8 76O'DONNELL KICKOFFS HELPING DEFENSE
Through the first six games of the season, eight of kicker Joe O'Donnell's 17 kickoffs (42 percent) have been unreturnable, allowing the defense to gain a foot hold against its opponent deep in its own territory.O'DONNELL KICKING UP HIS HEELS
Senior place-kicker Joe O'Donnell, with an 80 percent success rate on his field goals during his three-year career at Maryland, is the most accurate kicker in school history. He has connected on 20 of 25 attempts during his 21-game career in College Park. He became only the eighth kicker in school history to kick 20 or more fields goals during his career as he split the uprights in the third quarter of Maryland?s game versus Virginia on September 7. He ranks eighth on the all-time list of field goals made while his 25 career attempts rank him 10th all-time.Rank Player, Years FGM FGA .PCT 1. Joe O'Donnell (1994-Present) 20 25 .800 2. Dan Plocki (1985-88) 47 63 .746 3. Dan DeArmas (1988-91) 32 43 .744 4. Jess Atkinson (1981-84) 60 82 .731 5. Kambiz Behbahani (1970-71) 12 19 .631 6. John Hannigan (1961-62) 22 36 .611 7. Mike Sachko (1975-76) 17 28 .607 8. Dale Castro (1979-80) 27 39 .692 9. Ed Loncar (1976-78) 22 41 .537 10. Steve Mike-Meyer (1972-74) 37 71 .521SIMON GOES 60 YARDS ON THE GROUND
Senior Geroy Simon's 60-yard touchdown run versus North Carolina was 1) the longest running play of his career; 2) the first rushing touchdown of his career; 3) the longest rushing play by a Maryland player since Mark Mason went 71 yards versus Syracuse on September 14, 1991; 4) the longest Maryland scoring play since Simon returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown versus NC State on November 11, 1994.MORE ON SIMON'S 60-YARD RUN
Geroy Simon's 60-yard touchdown run ties the longest Maryland score from the line of scrimmage since Scott Milanovich and Jermaine Lewis hooked up for a 60-yd touchdown pass play on Oct. 22, 1994 versus Georgia Tech.SIMON HAS AT LEAST ONE RECEPTION IN 31 CONSECUTIVE GAMES
Senior Biletnikoff Award candidate Geroy Simon has caught at least one pass in 31 consecutive games and in 35 of 36 career games overall. The only time Simon did not catch a pass was versus Clemson on October 30, 1993. He has caught a pass versus each team in the ACC.SIMON'S FIRST DOWN RECEPTIONS
Senior wide receiver Geroy Simon continued his extraordinary possession receiving versus North Carolina as both of his catches during the game were long enough for first downs. For the season, Simon has caught 23 passes and 17 have resulted in a first down for the Terps.Recpts 1st Dns Pct. vs. Northern Illinois 2 1 .500 vs. UAB 9 7 .778 vs. Virginia 4 3 .750 vs. West Virginia 3 1 .333 vs. NC State 3 3 1.00 vs. North Carolina 2 2 1.00 23 17 .740SCOTT ALL OVER THE FIELD
Senior safety Chad Scott was all over the field last weekend against UNC. He knocked out Carolina QB Chris Keldorf for several plays on a safety blitz with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter. In that same quarter, he provided a tremendous hit on a Carolina punt return that caused a fumble. Teammate Mancel Johnson eventually recovered the ball, but the officials ruled Johnson's shoulder pads were out of bounds when he came down. Scott returned three punts for 61 yards including a long of 26. Also, he registered his third sack of the season. He totaled seven tackles on the night.SCOTT HELPING OUT ON DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior co-captain Chad Scott is the team leader in kickoff returns with a 21.3 yards per return average on 12 kickoff returns. He averaged a career-high 23.0 yards per return on three returns versus West Virginia. He returned a career-high four kicks for a career-high 84 yards versus Georgia Tech on September 28, 1995.TERPS TOP ALL-TIME KICK-OFF RETURNERS* Rank Player, Years No. Yds. Avg. 1. Timmy Quander, 1981-82 28 714 25.5 2. Larry Marshall, 1969-71 65 1,507 23.2 3. Louis Carter, 1972-74 45 1,113 22.2 4. Jermaine Lewis, 1992-95 34 723 21.3 5. Bren Lowery, 1986-89 51 1,091 21.3 6. Chad Scott, 1995-Pres 38 804 21.2 7. K. Covington, 1983-86 75 1,520 21.1 (* Minimum 25 career returns)SCOTT LOOKING FOR RARE DOUBLE
Senior Chad Scott is looking to become only the sixth player in school history to lead the team in kick-off returns in back-to-back seasons. Keeta Covington (1984-86) is the last player to lead the Terps in kickoff returns in consecutive season as he led the Terps in kickoff return yardage over the course of three consecutive seasons.CONSECUTIVE YEAR KICKOFF RETURN LEADERS Player Years Bob Shemonski 1949-50 Larry Marshall 1970-71 Louis Carter 1973-74 Timmy Quander 1981-82 Keeta Covington 1984-86THREE THROWS
Russ Edwards became the first Maryland punter to attempt a pass since Darryl Wright went air born against Miami on Oct. 10, 1987. In all, three Maryland players were credited with pass attempts versus North Carolina last weekend. It marked the first time since Sept. 26, 1992 that three different Terps attempted passes. John Kaleo, Scott Milanovich and Tom Marchese each attempted passes against Penn State in Mark Duffner's first year at Maryland. The Terps would have set a school record with four players attempting at least one pass in a game, but Buddy Rodgers' completion to quarterback Brian Cummings on a halfback option was called back after a holding penalty.BUDDY RODGERS: THE NEXT GREAT MARYLAND QB?
Junior tailback/fullback Buddy Rodgers took to the air for the second time in his career last week against Carolina. Rodgers completed a halfback option to Cummings and the play would have gone for more than 30 yards, but the play was called back due to a Maryland hold. If the play stood it would have resulted in a first down and left the Terps at the Tar Heels' 16-yard line. Rodgers completed a 32-yard touchdown strike to Mancel Johnson last year against the Tar Heels for his only official career pass attempt.CUMMINGS IN THE ALL-TIME COMPLETION PERCENTAGE TOP 10
Quarterback Brian Cummings is currently ranked eighth in pass completion percentage in school history.Rank .Pct Comp./Att. Player, Years 1. .662 650/982 Scott Milanovich (1992-95) 2. .629 132/210 Frank Reich (1983-84) 3. .590 231-394 Bob Avellini (1972-74) 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) 6. .571 52-91 Ben Kinard (1973-74) 7. .568 305-537 John Kaleo (1991-92) 8. .554 138-249 Brian Cummings ('94-96)TERPS VERSUS WAKE FOREST THE LAST 10 YEARS Maryland boasts a 7-3 record versus Wake Forest over the last 10 years. The Terps are in the midst of a three-game winning streak in the series. Maryland has outscored the Deacons 246-171 over the last decade. The average margin of victory in the Terps? last seven wins in the series is 13.
1995 Away W, 9-6 1990 Home W, 41-13 1994 Home W, 31-7 1989 Away W, 27-7 1993 Away W, 33-32 1988 Home L, 24-27 1992 Home L, 23-30 1987 Away W, 14-0 1991 Away W, 23-22 1986 Home L, 21-27DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Senior defensive end and co-captain Al Wallace was carried off the field on a stretcher late in the fourth quarter against Carolina. X-rays later revealed no broken bones and Wallace returned to College Park on the team?s charter flight that evening. Team physician Dr. Stan Lavine said the injury is a severe contusion of the lower back and Wallace is listed as day-to-day. Wallace was injured while making his eighth and final tackle of the night. Two of his tackles were recorded as tackle for losses, including a 14-yard loss in which he stuffed an attempted Carolina reverse. That play is Maryland's longest tackle for loss on the season.OVERALL: Maryland leads, 32-11-1 LAST YEAR: Maryland, 9-6 LAST MARYLAND WIN: 1995, 9-6 LAST MARYLAND WIN AT BYRD: 1994, 31-7 Maryland 0 3 6 0 9 Wake Forest 0 3 0 3 6 Passing: Cummings- 20-30-0, 222 yds, 0 TD; Milanovich- 5-12-0, 33 yds Wake LaRue- 18-34-2, 152 yds, 0 TD Rushing: Rodgers- 19-47, 1 TD; Cummings- 6-12, 0 TD Wake Lewis- 19-63, 0 TD; Shaw- 2-9, 0 TD Receiving: Lewis- 7-87, 0 TD; Johnson- 7-84, 0 TD Wake Braswell- 9-82, 0 TD; Clark- 2-23, 0 TD Att: 19,107 MARYLAND WFU Record 2-4 2-4 Points Scored 87 80 Points Allowed 127 178 Rushing Attempts 230 205 Yard Rushing 637 658 Yards Rushing Per Game 106.2 70.5 Touchdowns Rushing 8 2 Pass Completions 69 108 Pass Attempts 147 212 Passes Had Intercepted 9 7 Touchdown Passes 2 6 Yards Passing 707 1497 Yards Passing Per Game 117.8 249.5 Total Yards 1344 1920 Total Yards Per Game 224 320 First Downs 71 100 First Downs Rushing 35 31 First Downs Passing 34 64 Field Goals 3-5 8-13 Punting 37.9 36.9 QB Sacks By 18 7 Defense Yards Rushing Allowed 862 1409 Yards Rushing Per Game Allowed 143.7 234.8 Yards Passing Allowed 1080 1354 Yards Passing Per Game Allowed 180.0 225.7 Total Yards Allowed 1942 2763 Total Yards Per Game Allowed 323.7 460.5 First Downs Allowed 98 134 First Downs Allowed Rushing 44 68 First Downs Allowed Passing 50 62
