COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 1 Maryland (4-0) men’s lacrosse team returns to College Park after finishing a three-game road trip with a Wednesday evening game vs. UMBC. The Terps and the Retriever are slated for a 5 p.m. start at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

• The game is the debut of ESPNU’s Wednesday Game of the Week. Eamon McAnaney will be handling the play-by-play duties, while Quint Kessenich and Paul Carcaterra will provide the analysis.

• Maryland opened its conference schedule with a 16-7 dismanteling of then-No. 19 Duke on Saturday in Durham. Junior Mike Chanenchuk set his career high with six point on four goals and two assists vs. the Blue Devils, while senior Kevin Cooper had three points on two goals and an assist. Maryland’s starting close defense of junior Michael Ehrhardt and sophomores Casey Ikeda and Goran Murray held the Blue Devils’ starting attack to no goals while the starters were in the game. Junior Niko Amato had eight saves in the win, while sophomore Charlie Raffa won 11-of-17 faceoffs with eight groundballs and the game-winning goal. On the season Cooper leads the Terps with 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists), just one point ahead of senior John Haus (7-7=14).

• UMBC enters Wednesday’s game with a 1-3 mark and is coming off of a 14-9 loss at No. 14 Fairfield. Senior attackman Scott Jones leads the Retrievers in goals and points with seven and eight, respectively. Jones scored the go-ahead and game-winning goals vs. the Terps last season at UMBC StadiumSenior attackman Joe Lustgarten is UMBC’s leading distributor with six assists. Senior golie Adam Cohen has started all four games in cage for the Retrievers and has a .412 save percentage. Junior midfielder Phil Poe has been solid at the faceoff X, winning .539 percent of his draws with 20 groundballs.

Event Information
Ticket Information: Admission to the Maryland-UMBC game will be FREE. Gate I (main south gate) will be the lone access point into Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and it will be open 60 minutes prior to face-off.

Event Media: In addition to the ESPNU broadcast, the game, fans can also watch the game on their wireless device with theWatchESPN app. Gametracker will also be available for the game and can be accessed by clicking here. Updates will also be posted to the Maryland Men’s Lacrosse Facebook and Twitter pages.

Parking: General Information: After 4 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, there is no charge for parking in Lots Z1 or 1b or in Regents Drive Garage. Lots R2 and R3 are limited to vehicles displaying current valid permits for the respective lots at all times. Weekdays Before 4 p.m.: Fans arriving on campus before 4 p.m. on weekdays should park in Union Lane Garage (located between Cole Field House and Stamp Student Union). Rates are $2.00 per hour ($10.00 per day maximum). The garage may only be accessed via Campus Drive and Union Lane, at the top level of the garage. The exit lanes are located at the bottom level of the garage. If the Union Lane Garage is unavailable, fans should park in the Stadium Drive Garage located behind Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. Regulations at the Stadium Drive Garage are similar to those at Union Lane Garage. Rates at Stadium Drive Garage are $2 per hour ($10 per day maximum). Stadium Drive Garage is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. The Stadium Drive Garage is closed on weekends.

Weekdays After 4 p.m. – Fans arriving on campus after 4 p.m. on weekdays can park free in Lot Z1 or Lot 1b, both of which are located between Cole Field House and Ludwig Field, or in Regents Drive Garage, which is located on Regents Drive between Stadium Drive and Field House Drive. However, due to the construction of the new Biosciences Research Building on Field House Drive between Stamp Student Union and the Bio-Psych Building, fans should note that the walk from Regents to Shipley will be longer than usual because of limited or no pedestrian access in certain construction areas on Field House Drive. Directional signs will be posted.

Tailgating: The University of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety provides detailed “Tailgating Tips.” Of note is the University’s definition of a tailgate: “A tailgate has a variety of food and beverages, including non-alcoholic beverages, available in sufficient quantities for the number of people attending.”

The Count Down
10 … Since 2002 Maryland has won 96 of the 105 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .914 winning percentage.
9 … Maryland is 112-25 in games since 2002 when it allows nine goals or less, for an .818 winning percentage.
8 … John Haus has eight career goals vs. the Blue Devils.
7 … The Terps have only lost seven of the 32 games they have played against Duke in Durham.
6 … Maryland and Duke have met six times in the past two seasons with the Terps winning four times.
5 … A school record-tying five Terps were selected in the 2013 MLL Collegiate Draft.
4 … Kevin Cooper set his career high with four assists vs. Duke in the 2012 NCAA semifinals.
3 … The Terps have shot 30% or better in each of their three games this season.
2 … Maryland and Duke are the only two teams to have advanced to the past two NCAA Final Fours.
1 … This is the first time since March of 2006 that Maryland has been the outright No. 1 team in the country.

Coaching Match-Up
• John Tillman is in his sixth season as a head coach, and third with the Terps, with a 49-30 career record for a 62.0 winning percentage. Tillman is 29-11 (.725) as Maryland’s head coach. He had a 20-19 record in three seasons as the head coach at Harvard.

• Don Zimmerman is in his 25th season season as a head coach and holds a lifetime record of 208-132 (.612). He has been the head coach at UMBC for 18 years and is 135-117 (.535) with the Retrievers.

• Coach Tillman’s is 1-1 all-time vs. UMBC as a head coach.

Series History vs. UMBC
• Maryland holds a 26-8 lifetime advantage in 34 meetings with state rival UMBC. Maryland has won 10 of the last 14 games, but the Retreivers have taken four of the last six. Prior to that, UMBC had not defeated the Terps since taking back-to-back games in 1998 and 1999.

• The Retrievers stunned the fourth-ranked Terrapins, 8-7, in a Tuesday night game at UMBC Stadium on March 6, 2012. Maryland looked to have the game in control in the fourth quarter, leading 6-3, but UMBC scored five-straight goals in the fourth quarter to take an 8-6 lead. John Haus, who led the Terps with two goals and an assist, scored with 1:31 left in the fourth to make it a one-goal game and Maryland had the ball with 30 seconds remaining, but the Terps had too many men on the field turned the ball over to end the game.

• For the second straight season Grant Catalino tied his career high with seven points to lead the Terps to a 15-6 rout of the Retrievers in 2011. Catalino scored six goals, which also tied his career high, while Joe Cummings also set a career-best with four goals. Niko Amato allowed just five goals during his 55:03 and made 12 saves.

• In 2010, Grant Catalino tied his career high with seven points to lead the Terps to their first victory over the Retrievers since the 2007 regular season. Catalino combined with fellow attackmen Travis Reed and Ryan Young for 14 points in the 13-7 win. Senior Brian Phipps made 12 saves for Maryland, while Max Schmidt led the defender with three groundballs and three caused turnovers.

• The Retrievers won their third straight over the Terps, taking a 9-7 victory at Ludwig Field in 2009. Grant Catalino and Ryan Young each had hat tricks for Maryland, but the Terrapins couldn’t overcome a three-goal halftime deficit.

• In 2008 the two teams hooked up in a Friday night game that saw the Retreivers eek out a 9-8 win in triple-overtime. The Terps used a 3-0 scoring blitz in the fourth quarter to take an 8-7 lead, but UMBC tied the game with just 5.8 seconds to go to send the game into OT. Max Ritz led the Terrapins with two goals and an assist, while Grant Catalino and Drew Evans each had a goal and an assist.

• In the 2007 NCAA Tournament Maryland jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Retrievers responded by going on a 9-2 run spanning the second and third quarters to advance to the quarterfinals. Max Ritz and Dan Groot each had four points for the Terps, while Bryn Holmes won 10-of-14 face-offs and picked up a career-high nine groundballs.

• Earlier in 2007, Maryland topped the Retrievers, 11-7, at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. Sophomore midfielderJeremy Sieverts scored his first hat trick as a Terp, while junior attackman Max Ritz chipped in with two goals and an assist. Senior defender Ray Megill scored the first poitnts of his career with a goal and an assist.

• The Terps entered the 2006 game as the No. 1 team in the nation and the Retrievers were looking for the upset. Maryland only led by one heading into the fourth quarter, but the Terrapin defense shutout UMBC for the final 15 minutes, allowing the offense to score four unanswered goals to take home a 9-4 win. The senior trio of Bill McGlone (2-2=4), Xander Ritz (3-0=3) and Joe Walters (3-0=3) were the main weapons for the Terrapins but it was junior attackman Michael Phipps that scored the game-winning goal.

• In 2005 Joe Walters tied then-career highs with six goals and seven points to lead No. 4 Maryland to a 16-10 win over the Retrievers at Byrd Stadium. First team All-American Bill McGlone also had a career day for the Terps, setting his career high with five goals in the victory. Brendan Healy scored twice and added a pair of assists, while long pole Ryan Clarke set his career high with six groundballs. The Terrapins dominated possession, thanks in large part to winning 20 of 29 face-offs.David Tamberrino won 14 of 18, tying his personal best for wins in a game.

• In 2004 Joe Walters lead the Terps to a hard-fought 9-4 win with a natural hat trick in the second quarter. The Maryland defense was sensational, holding UMBC scoreless for 29:12 bridging the second through the fourth quarters. Terp goalie Tim McGinnis made 13 saves, including eight in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory.

• In the 2003 game in College Park, Mike Mollot and Joe Walters each had three goals while former Retriever Justin Smithhad two goals and two assists in his first game vs. his former team.

• This will be just the 10th time the two teams will play in the month of March. The 2003 game on April 25 was the first time since 1977, that Maryland-UMBC game was not be played in May. The UMBC game had been the last contest on Maryland’s regular-season schedule for the 13 years, dating 1990 through 2002, with Maryland winning 10 of 13 regular-season finales.

Maryland As The No. 1 Team
• The Terps took over the top spot in the USILA Coaches’ Poll on Feb. 18 after two impressive wins to open the 2013 season. The Terps became the outright No. 1 team in the country on Feb. 25 following their 12-10 victory at then-No. 1 Loyola on Feb. 23. This marks the ninth time Maryland has earned the No. 1 ranking since 1986.

• Overall, Maryland has played 24 games as the No. 1-ranked team and is 16-8 in those games.

• This season, the Terps have played one game as the nation’s outright top team and is 1-0, defeating Duke, 16-7, in Durham.

• The last time Maryland was the top team in the nation was in March of 2006 after the Terps defeated then-No. 1 Duke, 8-7 on the road in overtime. Maryland defeated Towson as the No. 1 team the following Saturday, but fell, 7-6 in double-OT, to Bucknell on Tuesday, March 14. The Terrapins were still No. 1 in their 9-4 win at UMBC to close out their two-week stay at the top of the polls.

• The last time the Terps were the nation’s top team was in April of 2004. Maryland’s two-week run at the top of the polls ended with a 9-6 loss to No. 4 Navy in College Park.

• This season’s ranking is also the earliest the Terps have achieved the No. 1 ranking in a season. Previous to this week, the earliest Maryland was ranked No. 1 was March 10, 2006.

• The longest Maryland has held on to the No. 1 ranking was seven weeks in 1987. That streak came to an end with a 13-8 loss to No. 4 Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Semifinals.

Get To 10 And Win

• One axiom of lacrosse is that if you score 10 goals or more your chances of winning are pretty good. Well, a look at the results since 2002 shows that when Maryland scores 10 or more goals there’s not just a pretty good chance the Terrapins will win; it’s an almost certainty. Since 2002 Maryland has won 97 of the 106 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .915 winning percentage.

• Maryland scored 10, but fell at North Carolina, 11-10, on March 24, 2012 and again came out on the losing end, despite scoring 11 in a 13-11 loss at Colgate on May 5, 2012. The Terps scored 11 vs. Johns Hopkins on April 16, 2011, but the Blue Jays won the game in overtime, 12-11. On April 3 of last season the Terps lost to No. 1 Virginia by a final of 11-10, giving Maryland its only loss when scoring 10 or more goals in 2010. In 2009 the Terps lost to Georgetown, 13-10 on Feb. 21 and lost again when scoring 10 in the ACC Semifinals in a 16-10 defeat at North Carolina. Prior to that, Maryland had not lost when scoring 10 or more goals since dropping an 11-10 decision to Virginia in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. The Terrapins got to 10 goals in the 100th game against Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays took the game 14-10. Virginia is the only team to beat the Terps twice when allowing 10 or more goals. The Wahoos did it first in 2002 with another 11-10 decision.

Holding Opponents To Single-Digits
• The Terps have been extremely impressive (winning 91.3 percent of its games since 2002) when it scores 10 or more goals, they have been nearly as impressive when holding opponents to less than 10 goals during that span.

• Since 2002 Maryland is 113-25 in games, for a .819 winning percentage, when it has held opponents under 10 goals. The Terps have played 184 total games since 2002. Maryland has held opponents to nine goals or less 75.0 percent of the time.

Shooting Tells The Story
• The difference between winning and losing for Maryland this season is simple – when the Terps shoot well they win. As it turns out 30% is the magic number for the Terps this season. Maryland is 4-0 on the year and has shot 30% or better in its three victories.

W- Mount St. Mary’s: 23 goals, 46 shots = 50.0%
W- at Hartford: 16 goals, 51 shots = 31.4%
W- at Loyola: 12 goals, 36 shots = 33.3%
W- at Duke: 16 goals, 29 shots = 55.2%

• Since 2005 the Terps are a remarkable 59-4 (.937) when shooting 30% or better in a game. The only four losses were: 13-10 to Georgetown in 2009 (the Terps shot 10 of 30 for 33.3% vs. the Hoyas), 11-10 to No. 1 Virginia on April 3, 2010 (10 of 33 for 30.3%), 12-11 in overtime on April 16, 2011 to No. 3 Johns Hopkins (11 of 28 for 39.3%) and 13-11 at Colgate on May 5, 2012 (11 of 31 for 35.5%).

• If 30% is the benchmark, then 40% shooting is in a class all to itself and Maryland has shot 40% or better in 13 games since the start of the 2008 season. Out of those 13 games, Maryland shot 50% or better in four of them.

Three Terps Named To Tewaaraton Watch List
• Senior midfielders Jesse Bernhardt and John Haus are joined by junior goalie Niko Amato on the 2013 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. The Terrapin trio are three of 92 selections on the Watch List.

• The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and top female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of top collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation. Committees will make additions to these lists as the season progresses and athletes earn a spot along side these elite players. The lists will be narrowed to 25 men’s and women’s nominees in late April. In mid-May, five men’s and five women’s finalists will be announced. These finalists will be invited to Washington, D.C. for the 13th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony, May 30 at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Terps On ESPNU
• Maryland has had 44 games on ESPNU since 2006. Maryland is 25-19 (.568) all-time in games broadcast on ESPNU.

• The Terps are scheduled to play five games (at Duke (W, 16-7), vs. UMBC, at Virginia, vs. Johns Hopkis and the ACC tournament semifinals) on ESPNU in 2013.

Going Purple
· Once again this season, the Terps will be wearing purple “MY” stickers, to show their support for the fight against pancreatic cancer, which touched everyone in the Maryland lacrosse familywith the passing of Maria Young on April 17, 2011.

· This past fall the Terps, Maryland alums and family and friends came together for the inaugural Forever Young Walk/Run for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness. More on Ms. Young and her amazing story can be found here: Forever Young.

· If you’re interested in more information about the Lustgarten Foundation, including how to make a donation, click here to visit the foundation’s website. You can also get more information on pancreatic cancer at CurePC.org.

In case you’re wondering here are some facts about pancreatic cancer from the American Cancer Society:
· More than 43,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer present each year
· There are more than 36,000 deaths from pancreatic cancer each year
· The lifetime risk of having pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 71.
· The risk is about the same for both men and women.

Going Gray
· Maryland players will also be wearing gray stickers with the number 42 in honor of Zack Wholley’s father, John, who passed away from brain cancer on August 28, 2011.

· If you’re interested in more information, please visit the National Brain Tumor Society website.

In case you’re wondering here are some facts about brain and spinal cord tumors from the American Cancer Society:
· About 22,910 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord (12,630 in males and 10,280 in females) will be diagnosed. These numbers would likely be much higher if benign tumors were also included.
· About 13,700 people (7,720 males and 5,980 females) will die from these tumors.
· Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord in his or her lifetime is about one in 150 for a man and one in 185 for a woman.

Going Teal
• Maryland players will also be wearing teal stickers in honor of Andrew Walsh’s mother, Gia, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

· If you’re interested in more information, please visit the Ovarian Cancer Institute website.

Here are some facts about ovarian cancer from the American Cancer Society and the Ovarian Cancer Institute:
· Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer among women, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.
· Ovarian cancer will strike over 20,000 women this year.
· It ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
· Ovarian cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers in women. A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 71.
· Currently, there are no effective means of early detection.
· Only 25% of cases are diagnosed early before the cancer has spread to the pelvic region. For these women, the 5-year survival rate is 90%.

Maryland In Season Openers
• Maryland has an 84-3-1 (.960) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 19 openers and 26 of the last 27, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell to Duke 9-5 on March 6.

• After losing their 1925 opener to Yale, 5-3, the Terps went on to win 40 consecutive season openers from 1926 through 1967. The streak was broken when Maryland tied Princeton, 6-6, in the 1968 opener. Following the deadlock, Maryland went on to win its next 14 openers, giving the Terps a 54-0-1 record over a 57-year span (Maryland did not field a team in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.)

20 Straight in Season Openers
• After beating Mount St. Mary’s to open the 2013 season the Terps have an 20-game winning streak in season openers. Five of those wins came against Villanova (1994-98) and the last nine over Denver, Mount St. Mary’s (twice), Air Force, Hobart, Duke, Georgetown (four times), Bellarmine (twice), Presbyterian, Detroit Mercy and Hartford. Over the 20-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 290-105 (an average score of 14.5-5.3) in those games.

• The Terps have not allowed more than seven goals to any opponent in a season opener over the last 20 years. Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score 10 or more goals in a season opener since Syracuse beat the Terps, 16-13 on March 9, 1983.

Consecutive 10-Win Seasons
• Maryland’s 10-9 win over the Lehigh on May 11, 2012 extended the Terps’ streak of double-digit win seasons to 10. (Special thanks to Patrick Stevens of the D1scource.com).

• How does Maryland’s string of 10+ win seasons stack up against the rest of the college lacrosse programs? Take a look at programs with at least six-straight 10-win seasons:
Maryland (10): 2012 (12-6), 2011 (13-5), 2010 (12-4), 2009 (10-7), 2008 (10-6), 2007 (10-6), 2006 (12-5), 2005 (11-6), 2004 (13-3), 2003 (12-4)
Virginia (8): 2012 (12-4) 2011 (13-5), 2010 (16-2), 2009 (14-2), 2008 (14-4), 2007 (12-4), 2006 (17-0), 2005 (11-4)
Notre Dame (7): 2012 (13-3), 2011 (11-3), 2010 (10-7), 2009 (15-1), 2008 (14-3), 2007 (11-4), 2006 (10-5)
Duke (6): 2012 (15-5) 2011 (14-6), 2010 (16-4), 2009 (15-4), 2008 (18-2), 2007 ( 17-3)
Siena (6): 2012 (11-5), 2011 (13-5), 2010 (12-5), 2009 (12-6), 2008 (10-6), 2007 (10-6)

• Cornell’s string of seven-straight 10+ win seasons came to an end in 2012 with a 9-4 final mark.

The 700 Club
· Maryland’s 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 was the program’s 700th victory in 84 seasons of varsity men’s lacrosse. The Terps join Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Navy and Army as the only programs with 700 or more Division I wins.

· Two things that make Maryland’s accomplishment all the more impressive is that the Terps reached the 700-win plateau in just their 84th season. Only Syracuse reached win No. 700 in as few seasons, but it took the Orange 53 more games than Maryland. In fact, Maryland needed only 940 games to reach 700 wins and only Johns Hopkins needed fewer games (932) to hit the historic number, but the Blue Jays did so in their 105th season.

Terps’ 88th Season Of Lacrosse
• The Terps boast an all-time record of 741-249-4 (.747), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished every one of its previous 87 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 12-6. The program reached the 700-win milestone with a 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 at Ludwig Field.

• During the decade of the 2000s, Maryland went 111-49 for a .694 win percentage, making it the winningest decade in Terrapin lacrosse history. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland’s win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage. So far, Maryland is 25-9 in the 2010′s for a .735 winning percentage.

A Family Affair
· Many school’s refer to their sports programs as families, but the Maryland men’s lacrosse program is truely a family affair. Since 2002, the Terps have had 13 sets of brothers, including three on this season’s roster, don the red and black together for at least one season.

Harry & Thomas Alford: 2004-05-06-07
Jake & Jesse Bernhardt: 2010-11-12-13
Justin & Owen Blye: 2009-10-11
Brian & Kevin Cooper: 2011-12-13
Billy & Bobby Gribbin: 2012-13
Brendan & Ian Healy: 2003-04-05
Bryn & Curtis Holmes: 2010
Bryn & Travis Holmes: 2007
Dan & Mike LaMonica: 2002
Chris & Willy Passavia: 2002-03
Brian & Michael Phipps: 2007
Max & Xander Ritz: 2005-06
Mark & Michael White: 2008-09-10-11

Five Taken In MLL Draft
• Led by senior long pole Jesse Bernhardt, a record-tying five Maryland men’s lacrosse student-athletes were chosen in the 2013 Major League Lacrosse collegiate draft.

• Bernhardt was chosen fourth overall by the Chesapeake Bayhawks, becoming the second-highest Terrapin ever drafted in the MLL (Joe Walters, first overall selection in 2006). He is just the seventh Maryland player to be taken in the first round, joining Lee Zink (2004, 5th), Chris Passavia (2004, 6th), Walters, Bill McGlone (2006, 5th), Ray Megill (2007, 9th) and Joe Cinosky (2008, 9th).

• Senior midfielder John Haus was the next Terrapin off the board, going to the Hamilton Nationals in the second round with the 15th overall selection. Haus was followed by senior midfielder Kevin Cooper, who went to the Bayhawks with the 16th overall pick.

• The Denver Outlaws, which already has three Terps on its roster (Zink, Jeremy Sieverts and Drew Snider), were then next MLL squad to take a Maryland player, selecting senior midfielder Landon Carr with the 23rd overall selection.

• The fifth Terp to be selected was senior attackman Owen Blye with the very next pick by the Charlotte Hounds.

• The five players selected ties the school record for most players taken in the MLL draft. The 2011 senior class also had five players taken - Brian Farrell, Brett Schmidt, Dan Burns, Grant Catalino and Ryan Young.

• Maryland’s 2013 senior class also features redshirt senior midfielder Jake Bernhardt, who was selected by the Nationals with the 12th overall selection in the 2012 MLL collegiate draft.

2013 Team Captains
• Three players have been named team captains for the 2013 season. The trio, which was selected by a combination of team vote and coaches’ input, consists of seniors Jake Bernhardt, Jesse Bernhardt and Owen Blye. All three return as team captains from the 2012 squad.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Northern Trust Open (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 1pm live on Golf Channel 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Pacific Palisades, CA), Champions Tour ACE Group Classic (Friday & Saturday 6:30pm Sunday 7pm from Naples, FL on Golf Channel), ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open (Thursday & Friday 12:30pm Saturday & Sunday 3pm from Yarralumla, AUS on Golf Channel); Women’s College Basketball: Clemson @ Maryland (Thursday 7pm from Comcast Center live on ESPN3.com), Maryland @ Virginia (Sunday 5pm from Charlottesville, VA live on ESPN2); Tennis: ATP Tour SAP Open (Saturday 4pm & 11:30pm Sunday 6pm from San Jose live on Tennis Channel); Boxing: Adrien Broner vs. Gavin Rees (Saturday 10:30pm from Atlantic City live on HBO)

10. Mumford & Sons (Wednesday & Thursday 8pm Patriot Center); Big Head Todd & The Monsters (Friday 9pm Rams Head Live); Crack The Sky (Sunday 4:30pm & 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Tim Reynolds & TR3 (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Brian McKnight (Thursday 7pm Rams Head Center Stage); Little Big Town (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); Anthony Hamilton (Tuesday & Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Soul Asylum (Tuesday 8pm State Theatre); Pentatonix (Monday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); the virginmarys “King of Conflict” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Can’t think of a bigger no-brainer than Mumford & Sons’ “Babel” having won Album of the Year at the Grammys. In fact it was such a no-brainer I was certain it would be messed up…

The name Tim Reynolds doesn’t jump out at you? Maybe this will help.

I honestly dig Little Big Town a lot. But nothing they’ve done has ever topped their debut…

The virginmarys were the last really cool band I heard in 2012. I will need this record.

9. Royal Comedy Tour feat. Sommore, D.L. Hughley, Bruce Bruce & Mark Curry (Friday 8pm 1st Mariner Arena); Seth Myers (Sunday 8pm Stevenson University Owings Mills Gym); Mike Epps (Friday 7pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Nick Offerman (Friday 8pm & 10:30pm Warner Theatre); Larry The Cable Guy (Saturday 5pm & 8pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); “A Good Day to Die Hard” out in theaters (Thursday); “Skyfall“, “The Sessions” and “The Man With The Iron Fists” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Glenn Clark’s Valentine’s Day plans (Thursday)

As you know, my Valentine’s Day plans don’t change much from year to year, even if I’m now celebrating as a soon-to-be married man. I put on a little D’Angelo, grab some massage oil and then head DIRECTLY to this…

It’s called “romance”, kids. Get in on it.

(Continued on Page 2…)

The game times and networks for the 2013 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships have been announced for Divisions I, II and III.

Quarterfinal contests will be held at noon ET May 18 and 2:30 p.m. May 19 at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Md., and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The quarterfinal action in Maryland will air live on ESPN2, while games held in Indianapolis will be live on ESPNU.

Championship weekend at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will begin on May 25. The Division I semifinals are set for 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET, both airing live on ESPN2.

The Divisions II and III championship matches are at 1 and 4 p.m. on May 26 and will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

The Division I championship game will air live at 1 p.m. May 27 on ESPN.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.ncaa.com/tickets. All session tickets begin at $70 and group tickets are available.

For more information on the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship and to connect with NCAA lacrosse fans, visit the official Facebook page  and Twitter account of the NCAA.

ACC Announces 2013 Conference Football Opponents

Terps to play host to Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday announced the football conference opponents and sites for the 2013 season, incorporating new members Pittsburgh and Syracuse into the 14-team league.

Maryland will host ACC opponents Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in 2013. The Terps will play at Florida State, NC State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

The complete 2013 ACC Football Schedule, including specific dates, is expected to be announced in early February.

The Terrapins’ non-conference schedule features home games vs. FIU (Sat. Aug. 31) and Old Dominion (Sat. Sept. 7), a trip to Connecticut (Sat. Sept. 14), and a showdown with West Virginia on Sept. 21 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Maryland Football 2013 Schedule

Date              Opponent            Home/Away/Neutral

Aug. 31          FIU                      Home

Sept. 7          Old Dominion       Home

Sept. 14         Connecticut          Away

Sept. 21         West Virginia        Neutral (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore)

Conference Schedule (Dates to be announced in early February)

Home: Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia

Away: Florida State, NC State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

- Terps -

COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Maryland men’s lacrosse coach John Tillman has released the Terps’ 2013 schedule. The schedule features eight games against teams that made the 2012 NCAA tournament and seven home games scheduled for Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

“Once again, our schedule is challenging from start to finish,” said Tillman, who is entering his third season at the helm of the Terrapin program. “We consistently have one of the nation’s toughest schedules and this season could be our most challenging, playing some of the best teams and best players in the nation each and every week.”

The Terps are coming off last year’s 12-6 campaign that saw them reach the finals of the NCAA tournament for the second-straight season.

Following two preseason scrimmage dates, the 2013 schedule kicks off with a Tuesday evening home game vs. Mount St. Mary’s on Feb. 12. Maryland then hits the road for its first-ever trip to Hartford on Feb. 16.

The following weekend finds Maryland traveling to Baltimore to take on Loyola in a rematch of the 2012 NCAA championship game on Feb. 23.

The Terps play their third-straight road game on March 2, when they head to Durham, N.C., to play at Duke in an 11 a.m. game.

The team then has a quick turnaround with another weekday home game on March 6 vs. UMBC.

Maryland hosts its first weekend home game on March 10 when defending America East champion Stony Brook visits Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

The Terps conclude their ACC schedule with back-to-back games with North Carolina and Virginia. Maryland hosts the Tar Heels on March 23, before heading to Charlottesville, Va., to play the Cavaliers on March 30.

Maryland plays at Navy in a primetime Friday night game on April 5.

The annual meeting of “Lacrosse’s Greatest Rivalry” comes to College Park on April 13 when the Terrapins take on Johns Hopkins at 3 p.m. The 109th meeting between the Terps and Blue Jays highlights Alumni Reunion Weekend, which will feature a number of events for Maryland men’s lacrosse alums.

The Terps welcome Yale back to College Park for the first time since 2008 on April 20 before traveling to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the 2013 ACC Tournament on April 26 and 28.

The Terps wrap up the home schedule with Senior Day vs. Colgate on May 4.

The NCAA tournament is set to begin on the weekend on May 11-12 with first round games. Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium will play host to the quarterfinals on May 18. The Final Four returns to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The semifinals will take place on May 25, while the championship game will be played on May 27.

Drew Forrester is right.

(You better make sure you pocket that one away for the future there, Forrester.)

He wrote Saturday morning here at WNST.net that if the University of Maryland were to jump ship from the ACC to the Big Ten (or B1G if you will), the move would be made entirely based on money.

He’s right about that. Of course, as it always is with Drew-he’s not right about everything.

Drew also said such a move would “stink…plain and simple.”

I’m not buying that whatsoever. I know he isn’t either.

Maryland to the Big Ten rumors have been reheated in recent days, and it appears as though this time there’s the actual bite that has been missing during previous rounds of rumors. In fact, a detailed ESPN.com report said Saturday school President Wallace Loh and Athletic Director Kevin Anderson were directly involved in negotiations.

The single biggest reason why a move like this WOULDN’T happen would be the $50 million exit fee the ACC is charging for a member institution to leave, but there’s monetary incentive for the B1G to be willing to help there.

Should the B1G be able to lure Maryland (and Rutgers as reports have indicated the league would also like to add), they would immediately open up three top 30 markets for likely pickup of the Big Ten Network (New York, Washington and Baltimore). Adding these three markets would prove quite lucrative for a league who created the first ever 24-7 sports television network.

That fact has been deemed understandable by most fans, but what some have struggled to understand is why Maryland would want to give up money-making basketball games against the likes of Duke and North Carolina.

Perhaps Saturday’s football game should teach you a lesson.

To understand why the move would make sense for Maryland, you must first be willing to accept a simple fact. No matter how important basketball is to your program, football is the money maker at (damn near) every major Division 1 university.

Let that sink in.

Maryland needs football revenue. It’s why they’re rotating through many different Under Armour uniforms right now. They’re hoping that with actual healthy players in the near future, they might be able to win games under Randy Edsall. If they do, that will go a long way to helping the program make money. In the meantime, their most lucrative opponents at Byrd Stadium include the likes of Virginia Tech and Florida State.

And thanks to this picture posted by InsideMDSports.com Saturday, here’s what we’ve learned about the lucrative nature of a game against Florida State…

There is no guarantee that a late season game against an Ohio State or Penn State or Michigan or Wisconsin would be significantly better attended than Saturday’s game given the dreadful state of the Maryland program after losing FOUR quarterbacks. But if THIS is as good as the ACC has to offer in football, what really is there to lose by making the jump?

There absolutely WOULD be something lost in basketball with a move to the B1G. Games against Duke and North Carolina have been perhaps the most significant athletic events the school has hosted in the last decade. That said, the conference has been a watered down mess outside the two power programs, and replacing Duke and Carolina with games against Michigan State and Indiana annually (or biannually) doesn’t sound like a terrible consolation prize. Games against Ohio State Wisconsin could serve as replacements for what would have been gained from the pending additions of Pitt and Syracuse to the ACC.

But Maryland’s reason for interest in jumping ship to the Big Ten is still much more tied to football, and namely the Big Ten Network.

The thought process is quite simple. Every Big Ten football game played every year is on television.

I want you to think about that.

Every single game is on television…not ESPN3.com.

That value cannot be dismissed in making a determination for the University of Maryland. Even the early season games against the likes of James Madison or Florida International would actually air on TV in (presumably) almost every home in the area and in other Big Ten markets, which would now include the crucial recruiting areas of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Every single game would also be available for viewing parties of alumni groups in bars and restaurants in those same markets.

Does that make sense?

On top of that, every program aired 24 hours a day, seven days a week on BTN serves as very affordable advertising for the athletic department and university as a whole.

If Maryland makes the move to the B1G, it will ABSOLUTELY be all about money.

It will NOT however “stink”.

Everyone knows (including Drew) that the only thing that actually matters in college athletics is money.

That’s “plain and simple.”

-G

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland takes on a top-10 opponent for the second consecutive week when Florida State visits Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Saturday for the Terrapins’ annual “blackout” game. The Terps will also be celebrating Senior Day for the 17 seniors on the roster. Florida State has owned the upper hand in the all-time series, having won 20 of 22 meetings including the last five.

First-and-10

• The Terps have hit hard times of late after a rash of injuries has taken its toll on both sides of the ball. Nine Terrapins have been lost to season-ending injuries, all of them potential starters. Of the nine starters lost, four are quarterbacks, leaving freshman Shawn Petty, a former linebacker, as the team’s starter. Against Clemson last week, Maryland was also without running back Wes Brown and wide receiver Stefon Diggs; combined with Perry Hills and Demetrius Hartsfield’s season-ending injuries, that meant the Terps were without their leading passer (Hills), rusher (Brown), receiver (Diggs) and tackler (Hartsfield).

• Hartsfield, who suffered a torn ACL during the Georgia Tech game, had been the leader of a defense that ranked in the top-10 nationally for the first eight games of the season. One of four team captains, Hartsfield is still Maryland’s leading tackler and ranks 15th in school history with 338 in his career.

• Still, without Hartsfield and despite allowing over 400 yards of total offense for the first time all season in each of the past two games, the Terps possess a top 20 defense. Maryland ranks 16th nationally in total defense (315.1 ypg), 19th in rushing defense (112.6 ypg) and 30th in passing defense (202.5 ypg). In 10 games, Maryland has held its opponent under 100 rushing yards five times, and under 55 yards four times.

• Maryland has an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebackers Kenneth Tate and Darin Drakeford. Those four have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 3.07 yards per rush, which is tied for 10th nationally. Maryland’s 6.9 tackles for loss per game rank 24th in the FBS and its 2.5 sacks per game are tied for 27th. Vellano is tied for the ACC lead and is tied for 19th nationally with 1.4 tackles for loss per game. Cole Farrand has also provided solid play, with his 63 tackles ranking second on the team behind the injured Hartsfield.

• Petty took the reins at QB against Georgia Tech and has started the past two games. Petty starred on both sides of the ball and was an All-Met selection at Eleanor Roosevelt HS in Greenbelt, Md. As a quarterback, he threw for 1,300 yards and 15 TDs, and ran for 550 yards and 10 TDs. In his two games, Petty has completed 15 of 30 passes for 156 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Maryland is one of seven schools to have started three different players at quarterback this season (also Southern Miss – 4; and Colorado State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tulane and Utah – 3).

• Against Clemson, Brandon Ross took over starting duties at running back for the injured Brown and responded with the best game of his young career. Ross ran 16 times for 102 yards, an average of 6.2 yards per carry, and had a 44-yard run which is the longest by a Terrapin this season.

• Though he missed the Clemson game, wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker this season. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and vs. Boston College he had a career-high 11 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with a pair of touchdown catches against Georgia Tech and over his last six games he’s averaged 95.8 receiving yards per game. His 174.9 all-purpose yards per game this season rank second in the ACC and seventh nationally. Diggs has earned ACC weekly honors four times this season: he received Rookie of the Week honors against West Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College; and Specialist of the Week honors against Virginia.

Quick Hitters

• The combination of a talented 2012 recruiting class and a number of injuries has led Maryland to play 15 true freshmen this season. That’s tied for the third most in the FBS, behind only Texas and TCU who have each played 16.

• The quarterback position has been hit hardest by injuries, leaving the Terps in what seems to be uncharted territory. Four Maryland QBs have suffered season-ending injuries this year: C.J. Brown was lost in August with a torn ACL; Perry Hills was lost in the NC State game with a torn ACL; Devin Burns was lost after replacing Hills in the NC State game with a Lisfranc (foot); and Caleb Rowe was lost for the year after suffering a torn ACL in the Boston College game. An inquiry among FBS media relations contacts turned up no results of any school having a similar injury situation at quarterback this season or in the past.

• Perry Hills, Caleb Rowe and Shawn Petty have all started at QB this season. It’s been nearly 30 years since Maryland last started three quarterbacks in one season. The last time was 1973, when Ben Kinard started six games, Bob Avellini started three games and Al Neville started two games.

• Maryland has lost nine players to season-ending injuries this year, four of which are quarterbacks. QB C.J. Brown (knee), WR Kerry Boykins (hip), QB Devin Burns (foot), PK/P Nick Ferrara (hip), LB Demetrius Hartsfield (knee), QB Perry Hills (knee), WR Marcus Leak (toe), DL Andre Monroe (knee) and QB Caleb Rowe (knee) have all been lost for the year.

• Stefon Diggs has earned ACC Player of the Week honors four times this year. Diggs won Rookie of the Week for his play against West Virginia (9/22), Wake Forest (10/6) and Boston College (10/27), and Specialist of the Week against Virginia (10/13).

• Diggs ranks fifth in the conference and first among freshmen with 80.1 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 43 catches for 721 yards, already ranks 11th on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list (see list page 6).

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (vs. West Virginia and Wake Forest) since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 27 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (15 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 3.07 yards per carry, which is tied for 10th nationally. Of the opponents’ 367 rushing attempts this season, 230 (62.7%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest; 25 of 42 vs. Virginia; 18 of 26 vs. NC State; 21 of 27 vs. Boston College; 18 of 56 vs. Georgia Tech; 26 of 42 vs. Clemson).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In 10 games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:44 to 28:16 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. Most recently, Darin Drakeford received the defensive game ball and Stefon Diggs got the special teams game ball for the win over Virginia (see complete list, page 6).

Maryland-Florida State Series History

• Florida State leads the all-time series 20-2 and has won the last five in the series. Last season, the Seminoles won 41-16 in Tallahassee. In College Park, Florida State owns an 8-2 edge.

• Florida State and Maryland met for the first time in 1966, and the Seminoles took the first 14 games in the series before Maryland finally broke through with a 20-17 win over the fifth-ranked Seminoles in 2004.

• Maryland took its second game in the series in 2006, winning 27-24 after Sam Hollenbach threw three touchdowns, including a pair to Darrius Heyward-Bey. Jeremy Navarre blocked a potential game-tying field goal toward the end of regulation.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland returns to Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium for its second-to-last home game of the 2012 season when it plays host to Georgia Tech Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Terps are coming off a pair of close losses and have played in close games throughout the year. Maryland’s average margin of victory is 5.5 and its average margin of defeat is just 4.5. The series with Georgia Tech has also been close in recent history – five of the last seven games in the series have been decided by five points or less. Last year, the Yellow Jackets claimed a 21-16 victory in Atlanta.

First-and-10

• The Terps are in what seems to be uncharted territory at the quarterback position. Four Maryland QBs have suffered season-ending injuries this year: C.J. Brown was lost in August with a torn ACL; Perry Hills was lost in the NC State game with a torn ACL;Devin Burns was lost after replacing Hills in the NC State game with a Lisfranc (foot); and Caleb Rowe was lost for the year after suffering a torn ACL in the Boston College game. An inquiry among FBS media relations contacts turned up no results of any school having a similar injury situation at quarterback this season or in the past.

• Against Georgia Tech, true freshman Shawn Petty will take the reins at QB. Petty starred on both sides of the ball and was an All-Met selection at Eleanor Roosevelt HS in Greenbelt, Md. As a quarterback, he threw for 1300 yards and 15 TDs, and ran for 550 yards and 10 TDs. Fellow true freshman Brian McMahon, a tight end, will back up Petty. McMahon also played QB in high school. When Petty starts, Maryland will become one of seven schools to have started three different players at quarterback this season (also Southern Miss – 4; and Colorado State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tulane and Utah – 3).

• Despite the injuries and the fact that the Terps have relied on mostly young players – the 14 true freshmen Maryland has played are tied for the fifth most in the FBS – they are two wins away from bowl eligibility. That’s in large part due to a defense which has ranked among the nation’s best throughout the season.

• The Terps rank seventh nationally in total defense (289.3 ypg), fourth in rushing defense (77.6 ypg) and 40th in passing defense (211.6 ypg). Maryland has held its last two opponents under 50 rushing yards: NC State totaled just 40 yards on 26 attempts (1.5 yards per carry) and Boston College had just 8 yards on 27 attempts (0.3 yards per carry). Maryland has an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebackerDemetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.31 yards per rush, which ranks third nationally behind Alabama and Stanford. Adding to Maryland’s strength up front are senior linebackersKenneth Tate and Darin Drakeford.

• Maryland’s 7.6 tackles for loss per game are tied for 10th in the FBS and its 3.0 sacks per game are tied for 12th. Vellano leads the ACC and is tied for ninth nationally with 1.75 tackles for loss per game. He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording five tackles and 2.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble against Boston College. Drakeford, meanwhile, has 8.0 TFLs and Hartsfield has 7.0.

• Offensively and on special teams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and last week vs. BC he had a career-high 11 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. Over the last five games he’s averaging 104.0 receiving yards per game, while his 169.3 all-purpose yards per game this season rank second in the ACC and ninth nationally. Diggs has earned ACC weekly honors four times this season: he received Rookie of the Week honors against West Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College; and Specialist of the Week honors against Virginia.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland has lost seven players to season-ending injuries this year, four of which are quarterbacks. QB C.J. Brown (knee), QB Devin Burns (foot), QB Perry Hills (knee), PK/P Nick Ferrara (hip), WR Marcus Leak (toe), DL Andre Monroe (knee) and QB Caleb Rowe (knee) have all been lost for the year.

• Stefon Diggs has earned ACC Player of the Week honors four times this year. Diggs won Rookie of the Week for his play against West Virginia (9/22), Wake Forest (10/6) and Boston College (10/27), and Specialist of the Week against Virginia (10/13). Additionally, a defensive player has captured weekly honors in three of the past four weeks: Demetrius Hartsfieldearned Linebacker of the Week for his play against Wake Forest (10/6), and Darin Drakeford received the award against Virginia (10/13). Joe Vellano was named Defensive Lineman of the week for his play against Boston College (10/27).

• Diggs ranks fourth in the conference and first among freshmen with 83.2 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 38 catches for 666 yards, already ranks 16th on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list (see list page 6).

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (vs. West Virginia and Wake Forest) since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 25 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (14 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.31 yards per carry, which ranks third nationally. Of the opponents’ 269 rushing attempts this season, 186 (69.1%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest; 25 of 42 vs. Virginia; 18 of 26 vs. NC State; 21 of 27 vs. Boston College).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 69 tackles and is just outside Maryland’s top 15 with 329 in his career. He needs two stops to pass Kevin Walker for 15th on Maryland’s career tackles chart.

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In seven games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:43 to 28:17 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. Most recently, Darin Drakeford received the defensive game ball and Stefon Diggs got the special teams game ball for the win over Virginia (see complete list, page 6).

• Against William & Mary, Perry Hills became the first true freshman starter at quarterback for Maryland since Latrez Harrison in 1999. He also became the first freshman to start a season opener since redshirt freshman Calvin McCall on Sept. 2, 1999, in a 6-0 win over Temple.

• Nine bowl teams from last year appear on Maryland’s 2012 schedule: Temple (Gildan New Mexico Bowl), West Virginia (Discover Orange Bowl), Wake Forest (Franklin American Mortgage Music City), Virginia (Chick-fil-A Bowl), NC State (Belk Bowl), Georgia Tech (Hyundai Sun Bowl), Clemson (Discover Orange Bowl), Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl) and UNC (AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl).

Maryland-Georgia Tech Series History

• Georgia Tech owns a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series, and has taken four of the last five from Maryland.

• The Yellow Jackets joined the ACC in 1983 and the teams first met in 1988. They played each other for 17 straight seasons (1988-04) before league expansion necessitated a rotating schedule.

• Five of the last seven games in the series have been decided by five points or less. Last year, the Yellow Jackets claimed a 21-16 victory in Atlanta. C.J. Brown rallied the Terps from a 21-3 halftime deficit with a 77-yard touchdown run and Davin Meggett cut the lead to five with a 1-yard TD run, but the Terps would get no closer.

• Maryland’s win in 2007, the last meeting between the teams in College Park, snapped a three-game Georgia Tech winning streak. In his first career start, Chris Turner threw for 255 yards, and Lance Ball ran for three touchdowns as Maryland held on for a 28-26 victory over Georgia Tech. Travis Bell sent a 52-yard field goal attempt wide right with 54 seconds remaining.

• Georgia Tech edged Maryland 27-23 in a 2006 thriller in Atlanta. The Terps had the ball at the Yellow
Jacket 7-yard line with only seconds remaining, but were stopped shy of the winning score.

• Maryland’s Lance Ball and Tech’s Tashard Choice had 116 and 138 rushing yards, respectively, in that game, as the two dueled it out on the ground. The Yellow Jackets’ Calvin Johnson had 133 yards receiving and Terrapin wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey had 111 to provide Maryland’s yards through the air.

Honorable Mention: Exhibition Women’s College Basketball-Catholic @ Maryland (Tuesday 7pm Comcast Center), Goldey-Beacom @ Maryland (Monday 7pm Comcast Center); Golf: WGC HSBC Champions (Thursday & Friday 9am Saturday & Sunday 8am live on Golf Channel), Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Thursday-Saturday 4:30pm Sunday 3:30pm from Scottsdale, AZ live on Golf Channel); High School Football: Hereford @ Perry Hall (Friday 7pm), MIAA A Conference Quarterfinals: McDonogh @ Loyola (Saturday 2:30pm), Mount St. Joseph @ Archbishop Spalding (Saturday 6pm); Tennis: ATP BNP Paribas Masters (Tuesday-Thursday 6am Friday 9am & 2:30pm Saturday 9:30am Sunday 9am from Paris live on Tennis Channel); Mixed Martial Arts: Bellator Fighting Championships 79 (Friday 8pm from Roma, Ontario, Canada live on MTV2)

10. Justin Bieber (Monday 7pm Verizon Center); Smashing Pumpkins (Saturday 8pm Patriot Center); The XX (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head Live), Eric Hutchinson (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head Live); The Ravyns (Saturday 8pm Recher Theatre); MxPx/Unwritten Law (Thursday 6:30pm Ottobar), Further Seems Forever feat. Chris Carrabba (Saturday 7:30pm Ottobar); Aesop Rock (Wednesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Edwin McCain (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Center Stage); Grouplove (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Dr. Dog (Thursday 7pm Friday 8pm 9:30 Club), Soullive (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Umphrey’s McGee (Wednesday 7:30pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Gov’t Mule (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Fozzy (Thursday 6pm Empire); Melissa Etheridge (Friday 8pm Strathmore); Roger Clyne (Friday 9pm IOTA Club); Donavon Frankenreiter (Saturday 6pm U Street Music Hall); JD McPherson (Thursday 8pm State Theatre); Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Saturday 8:30pm Howard Theatre); Tim Reynolds & TR3 (Saturday 8:30pm The Hamilton); Chris Isaak (Sunday 8pm Warner Theater); Nas & Ms. Lauryn Hill (Sunday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Brandi Carlile (Thursday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Flyleaf “New Horizons” and Trans-Siberian Orchestra “Dreams of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night)” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Go see the Ravyns because Rob Fahey is the freaking greatest.

I had no idea Unwritten Law was still a thing. I’m so freaking in.

JD McPherson has a throwback sound that pleases me greatly.

I think there’s a significant chance Lauryn Hill is crazy. I don’t care. She’s so freaking ridiculously talented. I still can’t believe what a jerk her mom was to her in Sister Act 2 though.

9. Whoopi Goldberg (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam feat. Gary Owen (Saturday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Tony Rock (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Dom Irrera (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); “The Campaign” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Flight“, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “The Man With The Iron Fists” out in theaters (Friday)

This isn’t the most impressive list I’ve ever seen if I’m telling you the truth.

Umm…I’m KINDA excited for Wreck-It Ralph. I’d probably go see “Flight” if someone asked nice enough.

Otherwise…here’s a guy with a horse head mask running through Hurricane Sandy on a local DC news cast…

And here’s a picture Kate Upton Tweeted recently…

Yep, we upgraded there.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Led by a defense that ranks as one of the nation’s best, Maryland is 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since 2001. The Terps, coming off victories over Wake Forest and Virginia, will look to improve to 3-0 in the league for just the second time since winning three straight ACC Championships from 1983-85, when it takes on NC State in its Homecoming game. Maryland and NC State have met 68 times in history, and the all-time series is even at 32-32-4. The Terps have won three straight over the Wolfpack in College Park and five of the last six.

First-and-10

• With another gutty fourth quarter performance, Maryland held on to beat Virginia, 27-20, last Saturday. The Cavaliers cut Maryland’s lead to 17-13 with 0:29 left in the third quarter, but the Terps scored the game’s next 10 points and held on late. In Maryland’s four wins, the Terps average margin of victory is just 5.5 points, and the opponent has been within a tying score at some point in the fourth quarter in each of those games. The Terps, though, have outscored opponents 51-31 in the final stanza and have received key defensive stops when it’s mattered most.

• The Terps rank ninth nationally in total defense (278.7 ypg), tied for ninth in rushing defense (95.5 ypg) and 18th in passing defense (183.2 ypg). Though Virginia tallied 168 rushing yards, the most by a Maryland opponent this season, the Terps have been tough against the run with an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.65 yards per rush, which ranks seventh nationally. The Terps received a major boost to their linebacking corps with the return of Kenneth Tate in the West Virginia game. Tate, a 2010 consensus first team All-ACC choice, had missed the previous 11 games dating back to the 2011 season due to a knee injury. The fifth-year senior has already made an impact in his three games back: he has 15 tackles, two for a loss, a sack, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

• Vellano and Darin Drakeford have been the biggest contributors for a Maryland defense which has been disruptive in the opponent backfield – Maryland’s 7.8 tackles for loss per game are tied for 11th in the FBS and its 3.0 sacks per game are tied for 14th. Drakeford, who was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week for his performance at Virginia, ranks third in the ACC with 0.75 sacks per game and is second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss. That trails only Vellano with 11.0, which leads the conference and ranks 13th nationally.

• Offensively and on special teams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and went on to catch four passes for 89 yards. Over the last three games he’s averaging 102.3 receiving yards per game, while his 168.8 all-purpose yards per game this season lead the ACC and rank ninth nationally. Additionally, Diggs ranks second in the conference in yards per catch (21.6) and has earned ACC weekly honors in each of Maryland’s last three games (Rookie of the Week – WVU, Wake Forest; Specialst of the Week – Virginia).

• Quarterback Perry Hills, who is just the third true freshman quarterback to start for Maryland in school history (Randall Jones in 1998; Latrez Harrison in 1999), is directing the offense. Hills had his best collegiate game against West Virginia when he finished 20 of 29 for 305 yards and three touchdowns, all season highs. He led Maryland on the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of the season opener against William & Mary, and was named ACC Rookie of the Week after going 11 of 21 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Temple. Hills has been at his best in the fourth quarter, having completed 24 of 35 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns in the final stanza.

Quick Hitters

• Stefon Diggs has earned ACC Player of the Week honors in three straight games, and a Terp has captured Linebacker of the Week honors in two straight games. Diggs won Rookie of the Week for his play against West Virginia (9/22) and Wake Forest (10/6) and Specialist of the Week against Virginia (10/13). Demetrius Hartsfield earned Linebacker of the Week for his play against Wake Forest, while Darin Drakeford received the award against Virginia.

• For the first time since 1999, Maryland held its opponent under 300 yards of total offense in four of the season’s first five games. Only No. 17 West Virginia exceeded the 300 mark against the Terrapins (363). In the sixth game of the season, Virginia also broke the 300 mark (386).

• Diggs ranks eighth in the conference and first among freshmen with 75.5 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 21 catches for 453 yards, is averaging 21.6 yards per catch. That ranks second among ACC receivers and sixth among the top-100 receivers (yards per game) nationally.

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (vs. West Virginia and Wake Forest) since at least 1985, the earliest game-by-game statistics were recorded at the school.

• Maryland allowed Wake Forest to complete just 32.4 percent of its passes (13 of 38). That is the lowest percentage by an opponent with at least 30 passing attempts since Duke went 13 of 42 (30.9%) on Nov. 14, 1998.

• Joe Vellano’s father, Paul Vellano, was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. The elder Vellano was a first team All-American in 1973, while Joe was a second team All-American in 2011. The father-son combo represent one of four known father-son All-America combos to attend the same FBS school (also Lee and Travis McGriff at Florida; Kevin and Drew Butler at Georgia; Archie and Eli Manning at Ole Miss).

• Thirteen players have made their first career starts at some point this season. In the season opener against William & Mary, quarterback Perry Hills, running back Albert Reid, safety Sean Davis, defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, linebacker Cole Farrand, nose tackle Darius Kilgo and offensive lineman Nick Klemm debuted. Against Connecticut, wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his first career start; defensive back Isaac Goins and running back Brandon Ross made their starting debuts at West Virginia. Defensive back Anthony Nixon and offensive linemen Mike Madaras and Andrew Zeller made their first starts vs. Wake Forest.

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 22 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (12 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• Maryland’s defense allowed just 682 total yards to opponents through its first three games (William & Mary – 229, Temple – 230, Connecticut – 223). That marks its best defensive performance in a three-game span since 2004, when it held The Citadel (137), West Virginia (156) and Eastern Michigan (275) to a total of 568.

• West Virginia came into its game with Maryland averaging 612 yards of total offense and 55.5 points per game. The Terps held the Mountaineers well below those averages, surrendering 363 yards and 31 points, seven of which came on a fumble return for a TD by the WVU defense.

• The Terps surrendered just 45 yards to Wake Forest in the second half, including just four in the fourth quarter. Maryland has been at its best in the second half all year, surrendering just 133.3 yards on average.

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.65 yards per carry, which ranks seventh nationally. Of the opponents’ 216 rushing attempts this season, 147 (68.1%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia; 21 of 29 vs. Wake Forest; 25 of 42 vs. Virginia).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 51 tackles and is tied for second with three sacks. He’s also had a hand in three turnovers, also a team high (one interception, two fumble recoveries).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In six games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 30:50 to 29:10 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. Most recently, Darin Drakeford received the defensive game ball and Stefon Diggs got the special teams game ball.

• Against William & Mary, Perry Hills became the first true freshman starter at quarterback for Maryland since Latrez Harrison in 1999. He also became the first freshman to start a season opener since redshirt freshman Calvin McCall on Sept. 2, 1999, in a 6-0 win over Temple.

• Nine bowl teams from last year appear on Maryland’s 2012 schedule: Temple (Gildan New Mexico Bowl), West Virginia (Discover Orange Bowl), Wake Forest (Franklin American Mortgage Music City), Virginia (Chick-fil-A Bowl), NC State (Belk Bowl), Georgia Tech (Hyundai Sun Bowl), Clemson (Discover Orange Bowl), Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl) and UNC (AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl).

Maryland-NC State Series History

• Saturday’s game marks the 69th meeting between Maryland and North Carolina State. The schools first met in 1909 when NC State shut out Maryland 33-0. The teams have met every season since 1956, and the series is split evenly (32-32-4).

• The Wolfpack took eight of nine from the Terps from 1991 to 1999, before the Terps turned things around in the new millennium. Maryland has won eight of 12 in the series since 2000, with the games frequently ending in dramatic fashion. Aside from a 37-0 Maryland win in 2007, the 10 games since 2000 have been decided by an average of 6.5 points. Nick Novak hit game-winning field goals for the Terps in the final seconds in 2002 and 2003, and Maryland scored the decisive touchdown in 2001 with 41 seconds left. Quarterback Shaun Hill rallied the Terps from a 15-point halftime deficit in the 2000 game for a 35-28 double-overtime victory.

• Maryland has won three straight in College Park: 26-20 in 2006, 27-24 in 2008 and 38-31 in 2010. The Terrapins hold a 17-12-2 all-time advantage in the series in College Park and have lost to the Wolfpack just once at home since 2000.

• Last year, NC State overcame a 27-point deficit by scoring 35 points in the fourth quarter for a 56-41 win. It was the second biggest comeback in ACC history.

Hill to be Honored
• The University of Maryland department of athletics will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Darryl Hill becoming the first African-American player to play at the University of Maryland and in the Atlantic Coast Conference, when the Terrapins take on NC State Saturday afternoon. Hill, head coach Randy Edsall and director of athletics Kevin Anderson will also hold a press conference at noon on Tuesday, which can be seen here.

• Hill transferred to Maryland in 1962 and after sitting out one year he broke the color barrier in 1963, playing his first home game against NC State in College Park. Hill was also the first African-American to play at Gonzaga High School and the Naval Academy.

• Hill emerged as Maryland’s top wide receiver in 1963, finishing with 43 receptions, only three short of the school record at the time. Hill’s seven touchdown receptions that year are tied for the fifth most in a single season in school history.

• He played with the New York Jets for a short period before returning to school and earning a master’s degree from Southern Illinois. He has started businesses in China, Russia as well as the Pacific Energy Corporation. He also returned to Maryland for a period to serve as a Maryland’s director of major gifts.