Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening Statement:

“Before I begin I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. This weekend we play North Carolina, which is a team with a very fast paced offense. When you take a look at it, there are a lot of similarities between their offense and our offense, and same thing on defense. They are terrific offensively and they have an outstanding quarterback. Another guy, who you don’t really hear about, is their left guard Jonathan Cooper, who is outstanding and is one of the best. They have been able to generate a lot of points, so we have a tremendous challenge defensively. They also have a defense that will bring pressure and they have a lot of good athletes. Going to their place is also a challenge because they have a very good environment but our guys are going to be ready to go. It is the last time that our 17 seniors get to put on a Maryland uniform so we want to make sure that we can go down there and finish on a high note and go into the off-season with a good taste in our mouths.”

On the reaction of the team to Maryland joining the Big Ten and if it was a distraction:

“They good thing for us was that the announcement came on our day off, so there was no distraction from our normal routine. The team was really excited about it, but all of that has now been decided and is done and over with. All of our attention today is focused on North Carolina so we just have to go to the practice field and take care of our preparations. Everything is pretty much normal for us, which how we need to have it.”

On what he is thankful for this season:

“I am thankful for these players, our seniors, and everybody else. All of the things that we want to do as a program are growing and getting better. I am thankful for the kids we were able to redshirt. I saw some numbers the other day of where they were in September and where they are now here in November in terms of the weight that they have put on and the strength that they have gained. I just know that everything is headed in the right direction. The players know it, the coaches know it, the recruits know it, and it is just unfortunate that we were beset with the injuries, but the will and the spirit of these guys has never wavered. They continue to do all of the things that are expected of them to be outstanding players in an outstanding program.”

On if he has seen the same sort of focus from the seniors this week:

“Yes I have. Statistics tell you that this will be the last time that [many of them] will play, not only for Maryland, but also for their careers. The one thing that I try to instill in our guys is to never have any regrets. I know that none of our players are going to have any regrets about not giving everything that they have. When you walk off that field, it is over for at least another year. For our seniors it could be over for good. I think what you always want to do is when you are ending the season or ending your college career you want to be able to walk off the field knowing that you gave everything that you had to help your team win. I know that all of our guys will do that.” 

On his own memories and thoughts from the last game he played in his college career:

“I do have some memories. It was a bowl game and it was a great experience. For me, I knew it was the last time I was ever going to put the uniform on and play so it is all about going out there and helping your team win and to know that you are part of something special. They are all winners regardless, but what you want to do is make sure that you can walk off winning on the scoreboard.”

On if he thinks Maryland can compete in the Big Ten:

“I don’t think there is any doubt. There is no doubt we can compete and do well in the Big Ten. That is all due to recruiting, developing players, and players understanding what the expectations are. People will always have their opinion. But the only opinions that really matter to me are the ones in the building that are going out there each and every day and doing the things necessary in order to win. We will be fine. We will have the right people here, we will have talent, and we will develop talent in order to ensure that we are going to be competitive and win.”

On if he touched base with the recruits:

“Yes we did. There are no issues. Monday is the big night for us, with regards to recruiting, so we were able to touch base with them and tell them exactly what went on. Just like with everyone else, these kids react to the news, but when you get a chance to talk it through with them we can clear the whole thing up. We do not have any issues with recruiting due to the change in conferences.”

On his initial reaction to joining the Big Ten:

“I was ecstatic. I thought it was a home run for the university and I thought it was great for the athletic department. I really wanted to commend our leadership for making the tough call. It takes a lot of guts to do that. If you take everything and look at it, this was a decision where there was no way they could pass up this opportunity. It really enhances this university academically and financially, and it helps the student-athletes in a big way. It will allow the athletic department to better serve and better fund the student athletes and their programs in terms of what they need. I think the academic affiliation also helps our professors and gives them better resources so be able to go and be better. When you have a situation where you are given an opportunity to enhance that many constituents, you really cannot walk away. In the ever-changing world of college athletics, it is great to be involved with forward thinkers who see where everything is going to go so that you do not get left behind. I was just happy for everybody and it made this institution that much better and that much stronger and it will make this athletic department that much better.”

 

– Terps –

Postgame Quotes

No. 10 Florida State 41, Maryland 14

Head Coach Randy Edsall

 

Opening Statement:

“First of all I want to congratulate Florida State. That is an outstanding football team that we played today. You can see why they have the ranking they have and the defense that is number one in the country. They are an outstanding football team.

 

“I thought that Kevin Dorsey had an outstanding game today for us. It was great to see as a senior to have those two touchdown catches, one of which on the fourth down play. He was able to break out and get into the sight line of Shawn [Petty]. Shawn scrambled and made a nice play there at the end.

 

“Kenny Tate came up big for us today with three sacks. Joe Vellano is a guy who gives you everything he has. You guys just don’t know how bad he is hurting. Him going out there tells you what kind of warrior he is. It was nice to honor all the seniors today. The one thing I told the team at the end of the game was that we would have had to play a perfect game to win. We went down seven to nothing and then fumbled and the next thing you know its 14-0 and we fumbled again, 17-0. To put yourself in that hole it’s very tough to come back from. Our guys kept fighting and battling. We will get ready for next week.”

 

On Kevin Dorsey:

“Kevin has worked all season. He has worked hard in practice and gone out in the games and done his thing. To get to see him get two touchdowns is a good thing. We wish he had two in a winning situation. He is a leader, he is a captain. He doesn’t point his fingers; he just goes about his business and keeps working. That is what you do. Good things happen to good people. When you do the things people ask you to do you will be rewarded and today it was nice to see him get those two touchdown catches.”

 

On Florida State’s pass rush:

“We knew they were pretty good, that wasn’t a surprise to us. We just didn’t block them. We tried to chip them and do some different things. Those two guys [Cornellius Carradine and Bjoern Werner] will be playing on Sunday without a doubt. They will be real high first-round draft choices. Give credit to them, they are good players. We didn’t do a good enough job of blocking. Sometimes you need to get rid of the ball a little bit faster. With the situations we were in you can’t take sacks you have to let the ball go. That is what we are dealing with a young man. Shawn [Petty] is trying and he isn’t going to be perfect with the situation and what we have asked him to do.”

 

On the team’s mistakes early in the game:

“You can’t give Florida State that many points early on. With what we have to try and do offensively we can’t play from behind like that. It makes it hard. We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot and turn the ball over. We have to make people go the distance and go 75 or 80 yards. When you give them a short field like we did it puts a lot of pressure on your defense. Florida State will cause you to have some of those mistakes. We had some drops today that hurt us in critical times too. Give them credit, but we didn’t execute as well as I thought we could have executed today.”

 

On getting the team emotionally ready:

“It hasn’t been hard [getting them ready]. The players have come in and done everything we have asked from a coaching standpoint. We’ve taken a look at the personnel that we have and have designed schemes and plays to match the personnel. We have had to pair some things down, but as far as the players go, they have come and worked hard every day. I would like to see us decrease the number of times we shoot ourselves in the foot, which includes just securing the ball, not turning it over, and executing blocks a little bit better. As far as the players’ effort and attitude, I don’t think there has been a problem with getting them motivated or ready to play and work. The more challenging part is coming up with the game plan in terms of how much we can do.”

 

On the future of the program:

“I think we are going in a great direction. I really appreciate the fans coming out today. That was a nice tribute to [our players]. We can’t control all of those things that happen with all of the injuries, but it is what it is and we are who we are. There are a lot of young guys out there making plays with some older guys who have lots of experience. With the players that we have redshirted and recruited, I hope we can stay healthy. We have some very talented players that can go out and put more points up on the board and take some pressure off the defense. It takes some time to build a football program, but all these young guys are getting experience and are going to be so much better and stronger next year due to all the adversity this year.”

 

On Kevin Dorsey’s touchdown reception:

“[On his first catch], I told him that I was happy for him. He’s a competitor and it’s been tough on him because he hasn’t had as much productivity this year that he would have liked. On senior day, you get a chance to be out there with the kids before the game to thank them and tell them how much you appreciate all their hard work. It’s always emotional, but I think Kevin’s a really special kid.”

 

Freshman Quarterback Shawn Petty

 

On Kevin Dorsey’s performance:

“He was great. He always goes out there and is ready to play. Whenever the ball is thrown his way, he takes advantage. He had two touchdowns and I think those were his only two touches, so he made big plays. He’s a big-play receiver, so if you get the ball in his hands, he’s going to do something with it.”

 

On the team’s fight:

“We’re never going to quit. We’re always going to play all four quarters. We fight for 60 minutes; it’s part of our motto. Every play is a battle. We’re not going to give up just because the other team is up. We’re going to always keep fighting. We’re not going to lay down for anyone.”

 

On the mood in the locker room:

“Coach said it’s the last home game, but we still have another game. We’re ready to move on to North Carolina. Everyone is sad that this is going to be our last game at home, in Byrd Stadium, but we just need to prepare for North Carolina.”

 

Senior Tackle Justin Gilbert

 

On the start of the game:

“Obviously that’s now how you want to start a game, but as an offense we just have to fight through that. We needed to put drives together in the beginning, but we didn’t do that, so you saw the outcome in the end.”

 

On the mood in the locker room:

“Everyone was pretty down, especially since it’s the seniors’ last game at home. That’s not how you really want to go out, but guys are just upset. This isn’t really the season we were looking for. There was a lot of adversity. Hats off to the team for fighting all year and we have one more and we’re going to get ready just as hard as we have every other week for UNC. We’re going to go out and play our game.”

 

On Kevin Dorsey’s performance:

“That was really good for Dorsey. I’ve been here just as long as him and I was happy for him. The receivers have been doing a great job on the edge, blocking. They’re always helping us out with the run game, so to see him go out with two scores like that was pretty cool. I was really happy for him.”

 

On the future:

“Coach Edsall definitely has things on the right track. We have a lot of skilled guys that are coming back. We have guys coming back from injuries. We are losing some guys in key positions, but we have guys who can back them up. I’m really excited to see these guys next year. It’s going to be a very good football program.”

 

Senior Wide Receiver Kevin Dorsey

 

On senior day:

“It felt good having my family out there. Just knowing they were the ones who got me here through all the trials and tribulations, like my foot injury. They stuck by me and kept my head straight. To have them out on the field one last time felt good.”

 

On the mood in the locker room:

“It’s true, a bowl is no longer a possibility, but at the same time we’re not giving up and you may have noticed through the entire season, we might not be able to put the first half together, but we always come back that second half. That’s been a testament to the team. We’re not going to give up. Regardless of if we’re able to go to a bowl, we’re going to go out and try to get a fifth win.”

 

Senior Defensive Back Eric Franklin

 

On senior day:

“Of course we wanted to go out on our last home game and play hard and win, and all of our guys came out and played hard for the seniors. They fought to the last second for us. I have enjoyed myself here for the past four years and I have learned a lot.”

 

On going down early in the game:

“It was really hard to get down early and expect to fight back easily. We made it hard for ourselves today. Our mistakes kept piling on top of each other and it hurt us in the end. We shot ourselves in the foot and we couldn’t come back from it.”

 

On the future of Maryland football:

“I think the future is very bright for Maryland. We have a lot of talented and young kids playing for us. They are definitely on the rise for next year.”

 

Senior Linebacker Kenneth Tate

 

On senior day:

“I was thinking about the last four years and playing my hardest for the other seniors on the team. Today was an emotional day. I felt like it was finally my time, and it is the last time I will even play on this field and in this stadium. I was appreciative of all the fan support, and I was happy to go out and leave it on the field.”

 

On emotions of the day:

“There is nothing like playing in front of your fans. I just wanted to give my all for them. I am always happy when Terp nation shows their support for us. We go out every day and work hard for the fans. We try and give them the best show we can put on and fight for them.”

 

On future of younger players:

“The freshmen and sophomores have great capabilities, and I try to tell them that all of the time. They will have a great team next year. I won’t be here, but I will be a big supporter and help them in any way they need. They just need to go out and play, especially because of the adverse experiences we have had to play with this year. It is a good learning experience for them.”

 

Senior Defensive Lineman Joe Vellano

 

On looking back on this season:

“All of our guys fought hard all season long. We have great coaches and great players and it was awesome having such a good experience the past year. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to play with on my senior day. I have a lot of memories, and I love playing in Byrd Stadium. I am defiantly going to miss this place.”

 

On Kenneth Tate’s play:

“Kenny has always shown up in every game, and he got rolling there for a little bit today. He made a couple of really great plays. He made a big stop on a first down which was a great help. He has been playing great all season. He has great leadership on and off the field.”

 

Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher

 

Opening statement:

“I’m very proud of our team. To come out on the road and get the [ACC] Atlantic Division championship was great. I’m very proud of the way we started the football game, thought we started very dynamically on offense. The big special team’s turnover set the tone and we were able to convert right after that. They’re a good defensive football team. They brought every blitz known to man. Our defense played very well. I didn’t like the opening drive of the second half, the defense was stagnant. That’s how you let teams back in the game. Good win on the road, very efficient. We’ll take it. We’re 10-1 and I’m very proud of our kids. First goal was to win the division, now we have to play the Florida game, and then we’ll get in the ACC Championship game and see where that goes. Still got a lot of work to do. We didn’t finish this as clean as we wished to. Those young guys that get in the game need to learn to focus and finish, but a good performance and I’m happy with it.”

 

On the running game:

“We just got back to fundamentals. We got good angles and we were being efficient what we were doing…We knew they were going to constantly bring pressure. They’re a blitzing team, and we knew it. They’re very much like Virginia Tech. A lot of the same things, and our kids adjusted better.”

 

On Devonta Freeman:

“Devonta practices hard…he runs hard. The thing about Devonta is that he has great balance and he plays with great leverage. He’s a short guy, but not a little guy.”

 

On Stefon Diggs:

“I loved that kid in recruiting. We tried to get that guy. I think he’s a very strong and athletic guy. I think he’s really a special player.”

 

On the Florida game:

“That’s why you come to Florida State, to play in a game against a school with the history and tradition of Florida. Those are the rivalry games that you take pride in. It’s a very important game for them and us. If they were 1-10 and we were 1-10 it would be a very important game. It’s one of the great rivalries in college football.”

 

On the defense:

“They played well. I wasn’t very pleased with the second half. They gave up too many yards, and the opening drive was ridiculous, but they dominated the first half. That was a little focus issue. You’ve got to learn how to focus the whole time, but our defense was dominate. They played really good football. They’re a great defense and they have been all year.”

 

Florida State Redshirt Senior Quarterback EJ Manuel

 

On starting quick on offense:

“It was huge. I said that earlier in the week – the fact that it was an away game – we wanted to come in here and get a defining drive early in the game. That was it for us.”

 

On the running game:

“Obviously the run, seeing as we didn’t run the ball well last week, coming out here and doing it against these guys and doing it this week was really good going into the next game.”

 

On being No. 1 in the division:

“It’s great. It’s a great accomplishment, but I think right now we’re still focused knowing that we have more games to win. I think we’ll be able to celebrate everything at the end of the year. It’s a great accomplishment, but we’re looking to next week.”

 

Florida State Sophomore Running Back Devonta Freeman

 

On improving the running game after Virginia Tech:

“We didn’t like that feeling, so we knew had to come through on Monday. We just had to get better at running the ball. We just wanted to play better – it was a nasty taste. So we just had to do what we had to do to get out of that situation.”

 

On improving personally:

“I just went out there and was like, ‘I want the ball.’ Every time I get the ball, I just make sure I have it. I don’t let any one man get me down. I just feel like I did my job.”

 

Florida State Junior Wide Receiver Kenny Shaw

 

On scoring on the first drive:

“It was very big because it gives us confidence. In the past few games, we struggled a little bit on offense. Getting in that end zone, it just showed we can do it on any drive.”

 

On locking up the division:

“We’re very excited. That’s one of our goals, but then again, we’ve got this game coming um [next week] against our rival, Florida. We’re going to focus on that first and then we can go up to Charlotte. This has been one of our goals since camp time.”

 

Postgame Notes

 

Kicking Off: Maryland fell to 4-7 and 2-5 in the ACC, while Florida State won its fifth straight to improve to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the ACC … the win books a trip to the ACC Title Game for the Seminoles … Florida State leads the all-time series, 21-2, and has won six straight.

 

Dorsey Hits 1,000: Senior Kevin Dorsey caught his second and third touchdown passes of the season on a 33-yard pass on the first drive of the second half, and a 42-yarder with 0:25 remaining in the game. It marks the first multiple-TD receiving game for Dorsey and also brought him to over 1,000 career receiving yards. Dorsey now has 1,060 receiving yards in his career.

 

Tate Joins Select Company: In his final home game, Kenneth Tate recorded three sacks and seven total tackles. That’s the first time a Terrapin has recorded three sacks in a game since Shawne Merriman against North Carolina on Nov. 2, 2002.

 

Diggs Moves into Top 10 on Receiving Yards List: With 45 receiving yards on three catches, Stefon Diggs brought his season receiving total to 766 yards. That moved him from 11th to 10th on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list. He’s just 20 yards behind Darrius Heyward-Bey for ninth place. Marcus Badgett owns the all-time record with 1,240 yards in 1992.

 

Diggs Adds to All-Purpose Tally: Stefon Diggs added 74 yards to his all-purpose total this season. Diggs, who already owns the Maryland freshman record, ranks fifth all-time on the Maryland single-season chart with 1,648. His total trails just Torrey Smith (2,192; 2009), LaMont Jordan (1,840; 1999), Bruce Perry (1,718; 2001) and Steve Suter (1,702; 2002).

 

Goree Hits Career High: Linebacker L.A Goree set a career-high with 13 tackles, seven of which were unassisted. Goree’s previous career high was 12 against on Oct. 15, 2011.

 

Merriman Holds Coat Drive: Shawne Merriman held his annual coat drive prior to Saturday’s game. Merriman partnered with the Maryland athletics department, University Relations and DOTS and was joined by Maryland student-athletes to collect gently-used coats, hats, scarves and other cold weather clothing to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy in the New York and New Jersey area.

 

Tidbits: Matt Robinson recorded his first career interception … Eric Franklin had eight tackles and a pass breakup … Shawn Petty’s 136 passing yards were a season-best, as was his 42-yard completion to Kevin Dorsey … Nathan Renfro averaged 43.3 yards on seven punts.

 

 

- Terps -

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.

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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).

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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.

Quotes from Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“Looking forward to Saturday because of a lot of different things, but most especially because it’s senior day for our 17 seniors who are playing their last home game here at Byrd stadium. It’s always a bitter-sweet day when that happens, but you know something that you’re very proud of those young men with what they’ve contributed and what they’ve learned here and then as they end up going on to future endeavors. Look forward to that and I know that we have a very good football team coming in in Florida State. You look at their numbers and their numbers really say it all in terms of where they’re ranked nationally defensively. Offensively a very talented football team and one that we are really going to have to prepare well for in order to have an opportunity to win.”

 

On if Shawn Petty was excited about switching from linebacker to quarterback

“Well he really had no choice. It wasn’t ‘Shawn do you want to do this?’ It was a ‘Shawn you’re gonna do it.’ So there was no choice when I talked to both he and Brian McMahon. But I think deep down in Shawn’s heart he always thought he was a quarterback and really relished the opportunity to go out there and play. And again, after the season is over we will evaluate where we go, knowing that we have guys coming back, we have guys coming in. But again, I just think that what Shawn has been asked to do is…just the more and more people that I talk to in this business and have been in the business longer than I have, they’ve never seen anything like it. For him to come and step in in the games that he has stepped in and will continue to play in just says a lot about who he is as a person and how tough a competitor he is, and just his willingness to do what’s best for the team. As a coach that’s what you appreciate and that’s what you’re trying to build in terms of your program is the team concept and whatever the team needs somebody to do, you want those guys to step in and do that. Shawn has done that for us, but I still think he’s going to be a pretty good linebacker.”

 

On how Devonte Campbell has fit in to the offense

“I think Devonte has played quite a bit for us this year because of the two tight-end package that we’ve played in. And again, just knowing Devonte’s background when I got here and having the opportunity to know him even better. You know, Devonte didn’t play a lot of football in high school, but to see the growth and development that I’ve seen in him the past two years has been on the upward curve. He’s gotten better, he’s worked at what we’ve asked him to work at, he goes out and practices hard. I just see a guy that is working to get better and has gotten better and can work to improve in areas. But I really like Devonte and because of his abilities, we’ve been able to do a lot of two tight-end packages because of his abilities and how he’s produced when he’s been in there.”

 

On the year Kevin Dorsey has had:

“Kevin hasn’t had the kind of year this year that I know he would like to have from a numbers standpoint I’m sure, but I appreciate Kevin from the standpoint of what he has done from a leadership standpoint and how he has gone out there each and every day and has practiced well and has worked with the young kids to help them come along. That’s when you’re an unselfish person when you do that. He’s a guy that takes a lot of pride in how he plays and how he prepares. I just wish he could have caught more balls this year, but he has done other things this year that has helped our team to be better. He’s always going to be a guy that I have a lot of great memories of.”

 

On what Stefon Diggs status is for Saturday:

“I really won’t know about Stefon or Wes [Brown] or any of those other guys until later in the week. We will see how they practice and if they practice here during the week, and then Thursday we will have the update. I’m hopeful that Wes and Stefon will be able to play, but again, you can only go by what you see in practice and how they respond to the injuries that they’ve had. Hopefully they’ll be out there. But like I said, I will have to wait until the end of the day Thursday to see where we are with them.”

 

On what it will take to beat Florida State:

“You can’t turn the ball over, that’s for sure. They’re very talented. You see thier defense, you take a look at it and see what they’ve done to people. The biggest thing that we have to do is not turn it over, be efficient with what we’re doing and make sure that we allow Shawn to be able to have time to throw the football. We’ve got to be able to run the ball. And then defensively, they’re very talented. They’ve got talented wide receivers. They’ve got talented running backs. E.J. Manuel is as good a quarterback as there is. And then in special teams, they are talented as well. The biggest thing is that we can’t make mistakes. We need to play a perfect game. If we want to have a chance to win, we’ve got to play a perfect game and get turnovers against them. That’s what we have to do.”

 

On Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel:

“He’s a guy that has played for a few years now. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s got a good arm. He’s mobile. He’s got good people around him. He’s just one of those guys that has the ability to make plays. He can make plays with his feet or he can make plays with his arm.”

 

On Brad Craddock and the kicking competition:

“Every week since he had his problems earlier, I’ve had he and Brandon kick it against each other in the week. Last week, Brandon wasn’t very good and Brad was outstanding in practice. We decided to go with him based on the performance that we saw during the week in practice and he went out there and preformed. What he did on Saturday, that’s what we expect every time that he goes out there to kick. And I think he understands what he did wrong, the mechanics and the technique that didn’t allow him to kick as well as he would have liked to. He’s been practicing and working and hasn’t gotten down on himself and we haven’t lost any faith in him and he went out there and preformed. So we’ll see how this week goes. We kicked Sunday and we’ll kick tomorrow and we’ll kick Thursday and we’ll see where we are after Thursday. Because, you know, we chart all of that, between punts and kickoffs. And this week we told Nate Renfro, you know, we’ll have him and Brad have a kickoff in terms of the punting job to see who is more consistent. Because we have to average more in the punting game than what we are averaging right now.”

 

On how they have dealt with adversity and his outlook moving forward:

“You can see a team that is out there competing for 60 minutes. These are just lessons in life for these young men. We have gone through some things this year that you normally do not go through in football, but that is how life is. Sometimes someone in your family has a health issue or goes through general trials and tribulations, but what you have to understand is you are going to have tough times in your life, in school, and in football. It is how you deal with those tough times that determines who you are, and who you are as a team. I think anybody that watches this group of young men play, they can understand that this is a team of competitors who will go up against adversity. I think this is a program that sticks behind the guys who are playing and the best guy will play. I am more concerned with beating Florida State and the next team the following week than worrying about what has happened in the past. Since we had injuries last year to the defense and injuries this year to the offense, hopefully we have gone through the cycle and we won’t have injuries next year.”

 

On Florida State defensive lineman Cornelius Corradine:

“He is an outstanding player. The speed and athleticism of their defense is great. If you take care of one of their defensive ends they have another on the other side. Cornelius is very quick, very explosive and has good moves and you have to be very sounds and use good technique to be able to block him.”

 

On what the senior class has done over the past two years:

“The seniors this year have been very good. I think that these guys have really done a good job of heeding the message of what this program is about and what we want to do here. They might not get all of the wins that they would have liked, but the one thing that I think they should feel good about and be proud of is that they have really laid the foundation for what this program is going to be about going forward.”

 

On his hopes for the crowd this Saturday:

“I think that all the fans coming out has been great. I would love to see the place filled this weekend to pay respect to these seniors and also to this team for how they are battling and handling everything that has happened to them. These guys have come to work every day and they have done all of the things that we have asked them to do. That’s why I would like to see a sold-out place a great environment for this last home game.

 

“These players are just going out and playing each play like it is the last play they are ever going to play. For some of these guys, they have two games left in their careers and then it is over. The numbers are staggering: 2.4 percent of college football players go on to play professional football after college. If you have 100 guys on your roster, only maybe two players will go on to play football after their college career. The average lifespan of a player in the NFL is 3.3 years. A lot of players are not going to play long enough to get the pension that is received after three years.

 

“One of the great things about college football is the pageantry and the little things that you do for these kids. For example, as the season went on, we changed up the pregame introductions. It is really hard for these kids because of what they have to go through. They have two full-time jobs: they are students and they are athletes. They take classes all day long and come out with a degree from the University of Maryland, which presents them with such great opportunities. For these kids to go out and come to practice after that, it makes you really respect them and what they go through.

“That is why you want to see people out there in the stands to appreciate what these kids have done. It is always a sad day as a coach when you have that last home game. It gets emotional because of the attachment and ties that you build with these young men. The wins are always great, but when you can help make these young men better people, better students, and better athletes, and then to see them go out and play and get their degree and know that you played a role in that development and maturation, that is what it is all about. That is why senior day is a little emotional. You feel for these guys who have spent so much. Anybody that is out there is a competitor, but the end is growing near. Hopefully we can fill the place up and get a lot of fans out there because these kids have given everything that they have to make the program better and represent this institution in the best way possible on and off the field.”

 

- Terps -

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland returns to the road this Saturday to take on No. 10 Clemson in what could set up to be the first of back-to-back games against top-10 opponents. After taking on the Tigers, Maryland will play host to No. 8 Florida State before finishing off the regular season at North Carolina. The series with Clemson has been split evenly since 2000, with each team having won six games, though the Tigers own a 32-26-2 all-time lead.

First-and-10

• The Terps have been unlucky this season in the injury department, with eight players – all of them potential starters – having been lost to season-ending injuries. The latest is senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield, who tore his ACL during the Georgia Tech game. One of four team captains, Hartsfield is Maryland’s leading tackler and ranks 10th among active players in career tackles with 338. That also ranks 15th in school history.

• The quarterback position has been hit hardest, 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.

• True freshman Shawn Petty took the reins at QB against Georgia Tech. 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. After a slow start against the Yellow Jackets, Petty responded with an efficient second half. He was 8 of 12 for 114 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the final two quarters. 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).

• Despite allowing a season-high 401 yards of total offense to Georgia Tech, the Terps rank highly in a number of categories. Maryland is 11th nationally in total defense (301.7 ypg), 18th in rushing defense (110.1 ypg) and 20th in passing defense (191.6 ypg). Until facing the high powered, triple-option attack of Georgia Tech, Maryland had 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 linebackers Kenneth Tate and Darin Drakeford. Those four have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 3.05 yards per rush, which is tied for ninth nationally. Maryland’s 7.1 tackles for loss per game are tied for 24th in the FBS and its 2.78 sacks per game are tied for 16th. Vellano leads the ACC and is tied for 16th nationally with 1.56 tackles for loss per game. Cole Farrand has also provided solid play, with his 55 tackles ranking second on the team behind the injured Hartsfield.

• 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 vs. BC 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 the last six games he’s averaging 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. He already ranks sixth on Maryland’s single-season all-purpose yards list and 11th on the single-season receiving yards list.

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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.

• 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 eight 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), LB Demetrius Hartsfield (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). Additionally, a defensive player has captured weekly honors in three of the past five 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 sixth 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 26 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (15 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 3.05 yards per carry, which is tied for ninth nationally. Of the opponents’ 325 rushing attempts this season, 204 (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; 18 of 56 vs. Georgia Tech).

• 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.

• 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).

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Maryland-Clemson Series History

• Saturday’s game will mark the 61st meeting between the Terrapins and Tigers. The two teams met for the first time in 1952, and have played every year since, with Clemson owning a 32-26-2 edge in the all-time series. Maryland is 13-17 vs. Clemson in games played at Clemson. The Terps have won two of the last three on the road, though the Tigers won the 2010 and 2011 meetings. The series since 2000 has been split, with each team having won six games.

• Last season, Clemson overcame an 18-point second half deficit to rally for a 56-45 win which was the highest scoring game in the series history. C.J. Brown ran for 162 yards and threw for 177 with three touchdowns. Matt Furstenburg had 104 receiving yards and two TDs.

• The 31-7 loss by Maryland in 2010 was the largest margin in the series since 1996 when the Tigers knocked off Maryland, 35-3.

• Clemson won 30-17 in 2007 at College Park, but the Terps rallied for a 20-17 win over the 20th-ranked Tigers the next season in Death Valley. Chris Turner threw a TD pass and Da’Rel Scott scored the go-ahead touchdown. Clemson QB Cullen Harper was stopped short on fourth-and-1 by Alex Wujciak with 5:36 remaining.

• Six years ago, Maryland won 13-12 at No. 19 Clemson after Dan Ennis nailed a 31-yard field goal as time expired.

 

Quotes from Head Coach Randy Edsall

Opening statement:

“Well we’ve got a tremendous challenge in front of us this weekend, going down and playing Clemson, a top 10 team that is playing extremely well. Offensively they are a very talented football team. Tajh Boyd is playing extremely well, just throwing the deep ball well and making good decisions. He also pulls the ball down and runs hit. He’s got good speed and he’s surrounded by some tremendous wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins, and then also Brandon Ford at tight end. Then when you put in there Andre Ellington at running back, he’s got a lot of weapons to work with, and their offensive line has come along and is playing really well.

“Defensively, we are going to face a defense that is tremendously athletic, has very, very good speed, outstanding linebackers, they’ve got an improving defensive front with some young guys that are just getting better. So to go down there in that environment, we are going to have to have a really good week of practice and preparation. I know our guys are looking forward to it and look forward to going down there and competing against Clemson this weekend.”

 

On the number of ACL injuries they’ve had:

“We’ve kind of looked at some things, and we don’t have any more ACLs [injuries] this year than what we had a year ago. I think the biggest misconception is it has happened in one position. I think that’s the problem. It has happened at quarterback. Because when you look at it, take C.J.’s [Brown]. C.J. was just running, and a lot of times, ACLs are non-contact injuries. We were talking today, [wide receivers coach] Lee Hull tore his ACL and he was just running when he was playing. And then you take a look at Perry [Hills], and he got hit from a block in the back. He had 300 pounds coming on him when his leg was planted and that’s unfortunate. Caleb [Rowe], he was just running. He was running out of bounds and then you know, he does get hit, he tears his ACL. And then [Demetrius Hartsfield] gets an ACL taken on a block and a guy gets into him.

“So, you know, I hear all of this stuff about strength and conditioning and turf, all of these things, and it’s unfortunate that these injuries happen, but that happens in the game of football. And I think that’s a lot of it. But [strength & conditioning coach] Drew [Wilson] is doing a great job in the weight room with our guys, but there is nothing that you can do to strengthen the ACL. The ACL is in a position where there is nothing you can do. We’re constantly, every year, wherever I’ve been, we’re always researching ways to try to do thinks so you can prevent, as much as you can, injuries. And we’re always on top of the curve in terms of finding out what people are doing. But some years you are a little bit luckier than others. And that’s really what it’s all about. We’ll just keep working at it. And Andre Monroe, his wasn’t an ACL, he had a knee injury. It is unfortunate, but I think a lot of it has been just because we had three quarterbacks that have ACLs, and its unheard of to lose not only three but four quarterbacks in a year, so I think it has just brought a bit more light.

 

On who has had surgery and who might be back for spring ball:

“That’s too early to tell in terms of who will be back for spring ball. C.J. has had his surgery. Perry had his this past Friday and that was successful. He was here today and they are pleased with what they have seen already in terms of how he came out of the surgery. Looks like Caleb will have his next Friday. And then Demetrius, we have to wait and see. He started to swell up the day after, and swelled up a little bit more today, so we will just have to see when that will be. I think his might be the following week. Or depending on how things go, they might do both Caleb and Demetrius next Friday. Devin [Burns] had surgery but his was a Lisfranc. And Marcus Leak already had his surgery. They had those over a week ago, and now they are in the process of doing the things that the trainers need them to do. I don’t think some of the rehab things have started yet because of the type of injury that they had but they will be starting as soon as the trainers know they can do those sort of things.”

 

On being 4-2 and then having so many injuries and the affect of the mood of the team:

“I’m fine. Again, I have been through things like this before. And again, I think what gets you through all of this is the fact that you have a philosophy and you build the team concept and guys understand that there is going to be adversity that strikes during the season. Probably didn’t expect this much adversity to strike. But again, it’s all in terms of how you approach adversity. And we have the mindset here that we can only control what we can control. When somebody goes down, everybody has to rally that much more around each other, and everybody has to do a little bit more themselves and go out and work a little bit harder and encourage the other guys.

“That’s really what you have to do. You have to stay close and you have to stay together. I think that’s probably been the truest measure for this group, you can see that they are a team. They are not individuals. They believe in themselves and they believe in each other. They want each other to do well, and it’s like it’s a test. I told them when we lost Caleb, ‘This is just a test. The good lord is just testing us to see how strong we are and how much we have as a team. And are we going to stick together?’ Those are the kind of messages that I send and I tell our team about. That nobody, regardless of what happens, can pull us apart, or have us deviate from what we want to accomplish.

“All we are going to do is go out and give our best effort each and every day and do the best we can, and that’s all anybody can ask of us. And that’s what I’ve been most impressed with. They haven’t batted an eye. There’s nobody walking around this building feeling sorry for themselves, nobody saying ‘What if,’ or ‘If this didn’t happen.’ They’re just saying, ‘Okay, what do we have to do today to get better? What do we have to do to win?’ It’s like our mantra: all in, all games, all season. Everybody has taken heed to that.”

 

On what he’s better able to do with Shawn Petty in practice this week:

“We’ll find out as we continue to go through practice the next three days. We have an idea on what we want to be able to do with Shawn and the rest of the guys on offense. We’ll go out today, tomorrow, and Thursday and practice that and perfect it, and then head down to Clemson and go play them.”

 

On how Demetrius Hartsfield’s spirits are:

“I feel bad for any of the guys that get injured. I have seen the work they have put in to get themselves out on the field and to play a game that they truly love and then have it taken away. But that is part of the way that the game is played; there are no guarantees. Yesterday, when we got the news back from the MRI, he [Demetrius Hartsfield] asked what he needed to do to get back and to get better and get healthy. Demetrius is a guy who is very even-keeled. He is not a guy who shows a ton of emotion, so he was not sitting there feeling sorry for himself. I know he is disappointed, and was playing really well. L.A [Goree] needs to step up and fill the role that Demetrius was playing on the field, but we still have a void when it comes to the leadership that Demetrius provided. We need someone to take that role over and be a leader. From a spirit standpoint, he is disappointed but he is handling it the best way he can. He understands that he needs to move on and focus on having surgery and working hard to get himself another opportunity to play football down the road.”

 

On how the injuries will affect future recruiting:

“I think that because of some of these injuries we have the opportunity to play some guys, maybe a little earlier than we would have liked to, but it helps our teams because it gives them experience. I do not think it is going to affect our program negatively in any way, because everyone is brought here because we think they can play and they can contribute. Some guys may have had their number called a little earlier than others, so now some of the guys that got hurt have to be able to fight to get themselves healthy so they can get back and play. It is just one of those things where we get knocked down but we have to keep going forward.”

 

On the challenges of playing so many first year players:

“We have played 26 guys who are getting their first in-game experience. The challenge with young guys is that they will make more mistakes. The only way they will get experience is by playing. You can go over things in practice but the only way they will get better is by seeing things on the field at that speed. Everyone is going to get much better the more they play. By the time these guys are seniors, they are going to be so much better than they are right now. Experience and speed of the game are the toughest things for freshmen to come in and adapt to.”

 

On what L.A Goree does well:

“L.A is a guy who is physical. He will come downhill and attack you. It was good to see him bounce back from his injury. He has experience from playing on special teams.”

 

On what he saw from Shawn Petty after watching the film:

“I wished he would have protected the ball a little bit more and we did not turn it over. I think he was a bit jittery to start the game, which is expected. I think he was more concerned about whether he was getting rushed than just letting the ball go. Once he got through the first half, I thought he settled in a little bit more. With the interception that he threw, he will know next time to put a little bit more air under it instead of just trying to fit the ball in there. In terms of executing, we did not have any delay of games or any illegal procedures. He did a good job of getting us in and out of the huddle and I thought he made some good reads. He missed some, but given the situation, with only seven practices I think he did a good job. We just need to get him better for this week, because with the speed and athleticism [of Clemson] the game isn’t going to get any slower.”

 

On comparisons between Sammy Watkins and Stefon Diggs:

“I think they are both very talented and explosive players. Sammy [Watkins] is a little bit bigger and thicker than Stefon [Diggs] but both of them have the ability to make plays in the return game and as receivers. I just hope Stefon makes more plays this week than Sammy makes against us.”

 

- Terps -

Demetrius Hartsfield Out for the Season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland head football coach Randy Edsall on Monday announced that starting middle linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield has suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season.

Hartsfield, a senior who has started all nine games this season, suffered the injury on a running play with 2:20 remaining in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech.

“This is another tough loss for the program,” Edsall said. “Demetrius is a captain and has been a leader of this defense both on and off the field. I feel terrible for him because I know how much the game means to him. To have his senior year cut short is just disheartening. We will be here to support him through the rehab process and help him with his transition towards the next stage of his career.”

Hartsfield leads the team with 78 tackles this season. He has also totaled seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries. His 338 career stops rank 10th nationally among active players and 15th in school history.

 

– Terps –

Maryland Coach Randy Edsall

 

Opening Statement

“We didn’t have as good of a day as we would have liked defensively. We knew it was going to be tough today going into the game. We also knew that we were going to have to play great on defense to keep it a very low scoring game. We weren’t able to do that. Offensively, we struggled in the first half but then we came out better in the second half as we got a feel for Shawn [Petty] and what he could do. We did some better things in the second half but we couldn’t get the stops when we needed to. Our kids battled hard throughout. Shawn Petty did a good job considering he’s practiced seven times at quarterback. There are things that we need to work on and we will get better moving forward with him at quarterback.”

 

On quarterback Shawn Petty’s second-half play:

“The speed of the game was something that it took him a little bit of time to get used to. You can’t go out there and line up at this level after only seven practices and think that everything is going to happen the way you hope it will. Once he got settled in, we could see what we could do with him. He showed his poise and the game still needed to slow down for him. We still moved the ball better in the second half.”

 

On the defensive performance:

“We didn’t do a good enough job. That’s on us as coaches in terms of the toss sweep. That was something that was a little different for them and we weren’t really able to shut that play down. I don’t think that we tackled as well as we needed to and we got cut too much on cut blocks. We didn’t do as good of a job executing as we would have liked.”

 

On overcoming all the adversity:

“We have a really good group. I told them after the game that we all have to stick together. There are going to be great things that happen here. We all want these things to happen today and tomorrow, but we have to deal with the situation at hand. All we can do is come here each and every day and work as hard as we can to get better. You can see that there are a lot of things happening that are positive. We just haven’t been able to string enough of them together to get more wins when we were close.

 

“This group is a tight-knit group and is a group that feels good about each other. They like being around each other and when you have that kind of chemistry and that kind of camaraderie and fellowship, you’re going to be okay. Today we played right until the very end. We need to focus only on ourselves and understand that every day we are going to come in here and work to get better. I like the mentality, the attitude and the fact that when guys get an opportunity to step up they have. Brandon Ross did a good job today when he got the opportunity. Levern Jacobs got the opportunity today to play more. This group has a great feeling for each other and they want to stick together and keep grinding.”

 

On if the defense tried to do too much today:

“I would hope that wouldn’t be the case, but maybe human nature would have that happen. We had some guys today defensively that didn’t do their jobs who have in the past. I hope that wasn’t the case but there may have been some guys who thought that they needed to do this. When you play this type of offense, you have to be disciplined in terms of making sure you do your job. We had one situation where a guy is right there, but he goes and does something he shouldn’t have. They got a twenty yard gain when it could have been [no] gain. When you get behind then guys think maybe they can do this or that, but that’s when you make problems worse for us. I think that might have happened a couple of times for us today.

 

On Shawn Petty’s interception:

“That was probably the first time Shawn has seen that type of situation and so it’s a teaching moment. I thought what he could have done was to come out of his fake a little faster. When he did come out of it, he could have put the ball up in there air more instead of throwing it on a line and having the ball get tipped. When the ball gets tipped it becomes anybody’s ball. I tried to tell him that you need to see that guy and put the ball up in the air over top of him and let Stefon [Diggs] go up and get it. Don’t throw it on a line because then it gets tipped.”

 

On the playbook for quarterback Shawn Petty:

“We had too many [plays] in this week for him. It’s a delicate balance. Mike [Locksley] has done a great job with our quarterbacks with the situation we have been in. We want to be able to do enough to give our team the opportunity to win. But you don’t want to do too much where we are overloading Shawn [Petty]. We had plenty enough in the game plan. As we go back and look at it there are some things we can cut down on in terms of how much we will go in with. We didn’t run anything that I knew he would feel uncomfortable with.”

 

On Shawn Petty’s mentality:

“Shawn’s [Petty] demeanor was the same in the first quarter as it was when he threw the touchdown passes coming off the field. He is very coachable. I told Mike [Locksley] coming off the field that we know what we can do with him. I feel very good about the things that we are going to go into next week with him. I think our guys have confidence in him. We need to make sure that we do the things that we need to with him to get him more prepared. He never had the big eyes and we never saw a flustered look from him coming off the field. I thought he handled himself very well for the tough situation that he was thrust into today.”

 

On direct snaps to running back Wes Brown:

“We nicknamed that package ourselves as the ‘Wild crab.’ Being Maryland, rather than the wildcat, [we have] the wild crab. I thought it was productive for us. It’s a situation where, as coaches, we have to find things that will give us the best opportunity to win, and take some pressure off of Shawn [Petty] in there. I think Wes [Brown] had an ankle [injury], we will see how he is tomorrow and Monday and go from there.”

 

On the difficulty transitioning from linebacker to quarterback:

“It’s very difficult. This is the first time that I have experienced this with a player. To see how he went out and handled himself I thought he did the best with the situation that he was presented. You saw a kid who struggled in the first half, and he came out in the second half and played that much better. It’s a credit to our coaches to get him ready. It’s hard; having played that position myself, it’s a hard position to play if you are in the meetings all the time and out taking reps in practice [and] to come in two weeks ago and be told he was going to be playing quarterback. You have to learn the terminology, be able to command a huddle, and get the signals from the sideline. I told the team I am very proud of him for how he handled the situation. I think he earned a tremendous amount of respect from our team—which he already had—and from the opposing team. I have never had it happen before, and hope this never happens again. I hope we can keep him healthy for the next three weeks.”

 

Sophomore Linebacker Cole Farrand

 

On defending the option:

“The first part that’s hard about defending the option is preparing during the week because our scout players only have a week to prepare for the option. It’s hard to get the scout team up to speed and everyone able to do their responsibilities because the first 12 plays that you’re out there has a completely different tempo. It’s a different game when it isn’t the scout team.”

 

On the defense:

“Whenever Maryland defense plays, they are going to give 100 percent every play. I could tell [Georgia Tech] had a good scheme against us. We probably could have been a little better prepared, but the whole defense was giving 100 percent the entire day and you can’t ask for anything more.”

 

On the technical breakdowns:

“For me, I was having a hard time getting off the cut blocks. That’s definitely something I can work on in my personal game.”

 

On Shawn Petty:

“We had full confidence in Shawn Petty. We watched him during the week and he was looking great and you saw out there that he had great potential. He can be a great quarterback and it was his first week as a true freshman starting against Georgia Tech, one of the better teams in the ACC. We couldn’t expect anything more from him and we think he did a great job.”

 

On playing after the offense’s three and outs:

“That’s what we’re preparing for. I think we were conditioned enough to keep defending the option even though they were going three and out. They were using a new quarterback, so that was kind of what we were expecting.”

 

On the toss:

“From a personal standpoint, I know every time they ran a toss for me, I wasn’t defending it well enough and I needed to get a better feel. I wasn’t helping out my team as best as I could.”

 

On the future:

“We’re still going. We’re still trying to get to that bowl game. It’s a little hiccup, but we’re moving on to Clemson next week.”

 

Freshman Running Back Brandon Ross

 

On the differences between the first and second halves:

“I think just establishing the run. The offensive linemen were getting off the ball and we were getting good blocks so that opened it up for a lot of the running backs.”

 

On Shawn Petty’s confidence:

“I think he had confidence the whole game. Things weren’t going right in the first half. He was getting the jitters out or whatever it might be. I think in the second half we just started to gain a little bit of momentum.”

 

On his playing time:

“It felt good. I was just being patient and just waited for my number to be called. I was always ready.”

 

On what they’ll take away from the game:

“With an extra week of practice, you’re always able to get better. Shawn will be going on his second start now and I really think things are starting to come together. I think we’ll really start to come together as an offense.”

 

On the mood among the offense:

“It’s a down mood, but I think that’s just because we lost. We play hard every week so we’re trying not to get our heads down too much, but the goal is to just rebound from this and go beat Clemson next week.”

 

Freshman Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs

 

On if he’s satisfied with his role:

“I am always satisfied with how much time I get the ball. We have a lot of guys on the team who have the ability to make plays just as well as I can. When I do get the ball, I just try to make the most out of it. I think I had an OK day. It could have been better, but that’s why we get back into the film room and practice.”

 

On the last play:

“That was a good way to end the game. We ended strong and on a good note. We’ll be back next week. We had a one-on-one basically. The defender didn’t squeeze – he stuck with the post. He then squeezed a little bit and came after the corners, but I was one on one with him and went up to grab the ball and tried my best.”

 

On the running plays:

“I don’t think I should [get more running plays] necessarily. I think they’re doing a great job moving the ball. Brandon Ross did a great job, Petty did a great job. Everyone is doing a great job.”

 

Freshman Quarterback Shawn Petty

 

On learning terminology:

“I have picked up on most of it. Coach has been doing a good job of making sure I’ve got it down for the game.”

On what was most difficult:

“You just have to get used to the speed of the game. That’s the biggest difference. Playing my first college game when I was playing linebacker before this, the speed of the game was much faster so it took me a while to get up to speed.”

 

On what was different in the second half:

“I started feeling more comfortable in the second half. In the first half I was a bit antsy and the speed of the game was much faster then. I calmed down and played faster and let the game come to me.”

 

On his reaction when being told he’d start at quarterback:

“I was just ready to play. We play next man up so I had to be prepared to come today. Of course I can always do better and I plan on getting better. We are going to get better from here.”

 

On being a quarterback again:

“I always thought that I could play at the D1 level. Now I have my chance and I have to go prove it.”

 

On what he’ll work on moving forward:

“I need to make sure I slow down and make my reads.”

 

On being on the field with Stefon Diggs:

“He makes it a lot easier. You give him the ball and he makes you look good. He’s a big play-maker so you want the ball in his hands a lot.”

 

On the option run:

“I am really comfortable with it because it’s a lot of stuff that I did in high school. Some things came quicker than other things. It’s just going out there and playing and executing.”

 

Postgame Notes

 

Kicking Off: Maryland dropped below .500 for the first time this season with its 33-13 loss … the Terps are now 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, while Georgia Tech improved to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the league … Georgia Tech owns a 15-6 advantage in the all-times series and has taken five of the last six from Maryland.

 

First-Time Starters: Entering Saturday’s game, Maryland was tied for fifth nationally with 17 players having drawn their first career start this season. The Terrapins added to that tally as Shawn Petty made his first career start at quarterback.

 

Three Starting QBs: With Shawn Petty drawing the start, Maryland has seen three different quarterbacks start a game this season (also Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe). It’s the first time that Maryland has had three different starting QBs in a season since 1973, when Ben Kinard, Bob Avellini and Al Neville did it.

 

Petty’s TD: When Shawn Petty hit Stefon Diggs for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter, it represented the fourth quarterback that has accounted for a touchdown this season for the Terps. Perry Hills passed for eight and ran for three, Devin Burns ran for one, and Caleb Rowe passed for two.

 

Diggs Gets Receiving TDs #5 & 6: Stefon Diggs caught his fifth and sixth touchdown passes of the season, passing Darrius Heyward-Bey (2006) and Sean Sullivan (1983) for the freshman receiving touchdowns record at Maryland. With 55 receiving yards, Diggs now has 721 this season. That’s also a Maryland freshman record and ranks 11th overall.

 

Diggs’ All-Purpose Yards: Stefon Diggs came into Saturday’s game ranked second in the ACC and ninth nationally with 169.25 all-purpose yards per game. Against Georgia Tech, he totaled 220 yards (133 kickoff return, 14 punt return, 55 receiving, 18 rushing) and is now averaging 174.9 yards per game. That currently ranks first all-time in the ACC among freshmen. Now with 1,774 on the year, Diggs also passed Torrey Smith for the Maryland freshman record and is third overall. He trails just LaMont Jordan (1,840 in 1999) and Torrey Smith (2,192 in 2009).

 

All-Purpose Yards by a Freshman (ACC)

Rk.   Name                      School               Year       Yds/G

1.     Sammy Watkins      Clemson             2011       171.4

2.     Stefon Diggs          Maryland            2012       169.2

3.     Duke Johnson         Miami                 2012       148.3

4.     Robert Lavette        Georgia Tech      1981       142.0

5.     Ryan Williams         Virginia Tech       2009       141.2

 

Defensive Notes: Cole Farrand had a career-high 10 tackles and matched his career high with six solo stops … Demetrius Hartsfield had all nine of his tackles in the first half … A.J. Francis was credited with his third field goal block of the year and also added six tackles … Darius Kilgo had a career-high seven tackles … Quinton Jefferson forced and recovered the first fumble of his career.

 

 

Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson

 

Opening statement:

“It was a good win for us. I’m proud of my team. I thought we played with some energy early, and took advantage of some possessions. We overcame a little bit of adversity when we fumbled the punt to start with. We were able to hold them pretty well defensively in the first half, and then in the second half, they did a nice job of keeping the ball. I think offensively we had four possessions in the second half. You have to give them some credit. As I told our guys, we kept alive what we’re playing for this season. We still have a chance mathematically in the league; still have a chance for a winning season and to go to a bowl game. It makes next week’s game against North Carolina the most important game of the year for us. We’ll go back and correct what’s wrong.”

 

On game planning for Shawn Petty:

“There is no tape on the quarterback, but they stayed pretty much within their scheme. They ran some zone-read plays and didn’t run as many bubble screens, but we knew the guy would run the ball.  In the first half, we did a better job defending it than in the second half.”

 

On rotating the quarterbacks:

“We weren’t sure how they were going to play defensively with the new coordinator, and we wanted to play both quarterbacks, but I felt it was important to start the game with Tevin [Washington] because he’s more important in whatever they lined up in and has a better feel for it. So we pretty much decided on Thursday to play them two series as a time, and that’s what really happened. In the second half we only had the ball four times, so it just kind of worked out. Tevin got dinged a little bit in the second half so he was done.”

 

On the performance of the quarterbacks:

“I thought they both did some good things. We didn’t throw the ball a lot. I think we threw the ball four times, and we should have completed all four. We missed two big games in the passing game when we dropped the ball.”

 

On sophomore Synjyn Days:

“His run towards our bench was a great run. It was good to see him out there. He’s been practicing better, and he’s focused. He’s a good athlete. I was proud of him, he played really well.”

 

Senior A-Back Orwin Smith

On Georgia Tech’s defense:

“We come in every game confident. It’s kind of how it goes. This game, we happened to get key blocks and guys on the perimeter.”

 

On Georgia Tech’s offense:

“The offense has to do well. Last week we didn’t do well, and we knew coming in that we had to step it up. That was the game plan and we executed it.”

 

On Georgia Tech’s energy:

“Just from getting ready before the first quarter, guys were amped up and getting ready. We were just amping each other up and you could tell a difference during the game.”

 

On having two quarterbacks:

“It’s a big advantage. At any time, either one of them could go down. We just have to make sure they both know what they’re doing in case that happens.”

 

Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Vad Lee

On Georgia Tech’s offense:

“We’re taking it one game at a time. When we come out ready to play, that’s when I think we’re doing our best. We were just ready to play this game. We were ready to go.”

 

On the success of the offense:

“Coach found a couple of plays that were very successful. We just took advantage and kept running. It was working, so we just kept grinding.”

 

On quarterback Tevin Washington:

“Me and Tevin, we help each other out. When I see something on the sidelines, I see the [defense] coming in hard, or the safety falling off, I let him know. He’s the one playing first. He also does the same thing for me when I’m in the game, so we try to work together. We’re going for a common goal, and that’s getting a win.”

 

On the team’s energy:

“We were just ready to play; we were ready to go. I think the cold had something to do with it. We were trying to stay warm. We were jumping around, I was trying to get everyone to jump around in the huddle and stuff, but that also created some energy. It got us ready to go.”

 

Redshirt Sophomore A-Back Synjyn Days

On his progression:

“My first week, I was just raw talent. Now I actually know what [to do]–I kind of knew what I was doing then because I played quarterback–but the actual angles and techniques you have to use to block defenders. I feel like I’ve been working.”

 

On preparing for Maryland:

“Making sure we finished our blocks, making sure we got the guy down. Whether we have to cut them or stand up and push them out of the way. The safeties and corners weren’t coming down too hard so I stayed up most of the time to block.”

 

On the team’s energy:

“I felt like it was a new attitude. Before the BYU game, after six games, we sat down and had a meeting and said, ‘This is the second half of the season. It’s the last six games.’ We’re 2-1 for our second half of the season. We’re trying to make it to a bowl game and play for the ACC Championship. We’re all excited for that.”

 

Redshirt Junior Defensive End Euclid Cummings

On preparing for Maryland:

“It was different preparing. We actually watched high school footage on [Shawn Petty]. I felt like that was different, but I thought we prepared well.”

 

On the team’s motivation:

“In defensive meetings, we were just focused on playing for each other. Our season has gone down a rocky road so we wanted to make sure we played for each other and get the ‘W.’ It didn’t matter if they’re playing the first-string or the fifth-string quarterback.”

Head Coach Randy Edsall

 

Opening statement:

“Another week, a different challenge for us as we get ready to play Georgia Tech. The option offense is something they’re very, very good at. It will be a tremendous challenge for our team and our defense to slow down Georgia Tech. [They average] 300 yards rushing, 35 points per game, so we’ve got a lot of work to do this week to make sure we know our assignments.

 

“In terms of option football, you’ve got to have someone who can take care of the back, someone to take care of the quarterback, take care of the pitch. With the different offense schemes you see, its zone blocks and cut blocks and all those things. It takes a lot of work during the week to get it down and be able to stop them and slow them down. We’re looking forward to getting out there today and working some more.

 

“Defensively, [Georgia Tech] has just gone through a coaching change. What they’ve done is simplify their defense from what they were doing before. The challenge we have is to put together a game plan that utilizes Shawn [Petty’s] abilities to the best we can but also incorporate that with all the other abilities we have with our players on offense. That’s something that will be ongoing as we continue to practice today and tomorrow, and we’ll take a look at some more things and narrow that plan down as we go into the game on Saturday.”

 

On limiting Georgia Tech’s option offense:

“We did a good job of limiting points last year. I think they still had 370 yards or whatever it was. Again, I think the biggest thing you always have to do regardless of the scheme you play, everybody has to do their job. That’s one thing: you can’t be staring at things you’re not supposed to be staring at. You cannot worry about someone else, you’ve got to make the proper read and make the block and take care of your responsibility.

 

“The toughest part from a defensive standpoint — and that’s why sometimes it takes a little bit of time — is you’re not used to the speed of the first drive. You’re not used to the speed and precision because it’s difficult if you don’t run that speed for the scout team to produce that in practice. As much as they try to do a good job, it’s just totally different. One thing that’s always concerning to me when you play an option team is that the first series is very critical because you want to get off on the right foot. You tell your guys, hey, it’s going to be a lot faster in the game than what we saw in practice, and you’ve got to get used to it from the beginning. You can’t wait, and that’s easier said than done.”

 

On if they had practiced defending the option prior to this week:

“You always have your option responsibilities when you install a defense. When you put a defense in, you’re always telling your guys, if you get the option, this is what you do. Again, our offense ran some of those things in the spring and preseason and even during the season. We see it, and it’s much different than what Georgia Tech does, but no, we hadn’t [practiced] it yet. We had too many other things to take care of.”

 

On Shawn Petty at quarterback:

“Last week, when we knew were moving him to quarterback, we developed a plan for him to be able to go in and play if he needed to and to get him comfortable with some things. This week, what we’ve been able to do is take a look at some more things, we’ll practice those and then take a look and see if he can absorb, digest and execute during practice. It’s going to be a combination of what he can do, but we’ve also got other guys on the team that realize their skill sets as well. It’s that balance we’ve got to find in terms of what’s the best way to move the ball and score points utilizing Shawn, utilizing the other parts of our offense.”

 

On how Shawn Petty is digesting the offense:

“That’s always the toughest part. He played quarterback in high school, and I think he really feels he’s a quarterback at heart. I think he’s really looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and play. He’s excited, and we’re excited for him. He wants to go out and play really, really well. It wasn’t like he’s never played the position before.

 

“The biggest thing is terminology. Depending on the style of offense he played in high school and what we’re doing, it’s just getting the numbers down, what we call plays, the reads. I’ve been impressed so far with what he’s been able to handle, and we’ll see where that leads us in practice today and tomorrow as we head into the game.”

 

On the timing of finding out quarterback Caleb Rowe’s injury:

“We got on [the injury] faster than we normally do, due to the impending hurricane. During the game at Boston College, in the second-to-last play, when he scrambled out of the pocket to the sideline, he went down and kind of felt his leg buckle. I saw as he rolled there and started to get up that he had a cut on his shin. As the true competitor that Caleb is, he just said there was nothing there and got up and was OK and went in for the last play.

 

“On Sunday morning when he woke up, he couldn’t get over here and we had to send someone over to get him. He was stiff and sore, and he came over and [head trainer Wes Robinson] took a look at him. He didn’t have real good news, and that’s when I said, we need to get him to a place now to see if we can get the MRI. We might not be able to do it Monday because there might not be any place open due to the hurricane. So Dr. [Craig] Bennett came in and took a look at him. He came to me and told me he thought it was a torn ACL. I mentioned something to the team, that it was a possibility that Caleb might not be ready to go. Once we got it confirmed on Monday from the MRI, I told Shawn, ‘Hey, you’re the guy, be ready to go.’

 

“You just feel bad for Caleb because he was playing well and getting better. He’s got talent, and now he’s got a little bit of a setback. He’ll be OK; he’ll work hard on his rehab and be back stronger. Now Shawn gets his opportunity, and we’re all behind Shawn. We’re going to go with Shawn, and he’s the best guy we’ve got to lead the team. I think he’ll do a good job.”

 

On Shawn Petty’s personality:

“He is very laid back. He is very similar to Devin [Burns] in terms of his personality. He never gets very high or low. He is a steady ship out there. He goes about his business. He is determined and focused. He is an athlete. He wants to do well. His personality with the situation we are going into is probably pretty good. He doesn’t get real excited or down in the dumps. He is just looking for the opportunity and looking forward to take advantage of it.”

 

On the team responding to the injuries at quarterback:

“This is only the third or fourth time that they have gone through it. Our guys know how to handle it. They understand what the issues are. They have gone through C.J.[Brown], Perry [Hills], Devin [Burns] and now Caleb [Rowe]. We know that Shawn [Petty] is our guy so everyone has to rally around him. They are going to do that. In their minds he is a guy who can do the things necessary to help us win the game. It’s not all on Shawn, he is just one part of this team. That’s what happens when you have the team concept and mentality. It helps you get through obstacles that you have to overcome like this.”

 

“Brian [McMahon] is a guy who will be ready to go. He is very smart, and picks things up very well. He would like to redshirt so he is hoping that Shawn can stay healthy. But it’s one of those things that I told him if something happens you have to be ready to go. He said if that’s what happens than he will be ready. It exemplifies his attitude towards being a team player and doing whatever he has to do to help our team be better.”

 

On if Shawn Petty will stay No. 31:

“Yes he is. Brian McMahon will stay No. 87 too. Doug Flutie wore No. 22. It’s an eligible number to play that position so we are going to keep them in those jerseys because we really don’t have any other numbers to put them in. All of the other numbers are taken. It will be a little bit different. It will give everyone something to talk about.”

 

On who would be the emergency quarterback:

“That’s to be determined. You are jinxing me by asking me that question.”

 

On A.J. Francis on and off the field:

“A.J. [Francis] is having a very good year on the field. He is doing a good job during practice and off the field. He is being a good leader even though he isn’t a captain. We expect all of our guys to do their parts in being leaders. Just because you aren’t a captain doesn’t mean you can’t speak up and say things. A.J is being vocal this year and I think that is helping us. He has been playing well. He has that personality that people will listen to. That is a big thing. What he is talking about and saying to the other guys he is backing up on the practice field with the work he is putting in and his production doing his job. We are pleased with what we are getting out of A.J. on the field as well as from a leadership standpoint.”

 

On how Brad Craddock reacted to Saturday and whether confidence is his biggest issue:

“I don’t think it is confidence that is his biggest issue. It’s the consistency of technique that is his issue. Brad [Craddock] understands that if you aren’t performing and other guys are than they are going to get an opportunity. The interesting thing is when we went out on Sunday and did PAT and field goal work he made all six or seven kicks he took right down the middle. That is what we have to see all the time. We will kick again today and again tomorrow. Right now the plan is Brendan [Magistro] will do everything through 35 or 40 yards and Brad will kick beyond that. “

 

“Brad is going to be a very good kicker. What we have to do as coaches is help and show him that. He has to perfect the technical side of kicking on a consistent basis. Just because you have someone else step up doesn’t mean I have lost confidence in them and I haven’t lost it in Brad. Right now he isn’t being as productive as he can and we have someone else who through practice has shown they were being more productive. Brendan has showed he can do it in the game as well.”

 

On how Brendan Magistro ended up at Maryland:

“He wanted to walk on. We had Nick [Ferrara] and at that point in time we didn’t have Brad [Craddock] yet so we were looking to add a walk on for camp. What we saw on film and at our camps we thought he would be the guy that we would bring in for that.”

 

On if Brian McMahon has a chance to play:

“I don’t think right now I would go to Brian [McMahon], I would rather stick with Shawn [Petty]. They both have run similar types of offense in high school. Right now Shawn is our quarterback and it’s not going to be a situation where we have a quick hook. I want him to stay healthy, go out and execute, have fun, and be a leader and the quarterback he can be.”

 

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

 

On if he’s ever seen a season like this in his coaching years:

“I can’t say that I have, going through what we’ve gone through at the quarterback situation. But, like we talk about here, it’s the next man up and we’re going to find a way to prepare a quarterback to go out and come up with a game plan that’s capable of executing and find a way to win.”

 

On the challenge of playing different quarterbacks:

“I’d say it’s been a little challenging, but each of the guys that have made the move to quarterback have come in with open mindsets, they both are football smart kids having played the position their whole life. Shawn grew up a quarterback as Brian did. It’s like riding a bike a little bit, in that you don’t forget some of the leadership intangibles. I’ve been really happy with how much they’ve been able to come in and just take the quarterback position and control the line of scrimmage. They’ve been very comfortable with doing those things, and I think that comes from their experience as quarterbacks.”

 

On how Shawn has picked up concepts:

“Well regardless of whether Shawn, Brian, or whoever the quarterback may be, we’re always going to find out what they can execute, it’s not about what we know. We’ve been very conscientious to make sure we figure out what they can execute, tailor it to what their skill set is, and find ways to get it called. We’ve always done that with whoever our quarterback has been. Again as I said before, I’ve been very pleased with Shawn and Brian both with just how much they’ve been able to understand football concepts. What we have to do now, today is a big day for us being able to get out and implement some of the game plan, some third-down stuff and red-zone stuff. Today we’ll see how it looks and come back in tonight and see what we can call, what we can’t, and what we need to change.”     

 

On the play of Caleb Rowe:

“I thought Caleb did a pretty good job from the standpoint of he gave us a chance to win. I think also when you go back and look at the tape, he made a lot of freshman mistakes, which is to be expected. Anytime you have three interceptions in a game as I told Caleb and as we talk about on offense, you’re not going to give yourself too many opportunities to win ball games. With two of the interceptions being plays that he’s been coached not to do those things I think he understands that. But, for a guy for his first start for some of the things we were able to do, you go in and throw the ball 42 times, with a true freshman, he had a pretty good grasp of the game plan. I was pleased with how he handled it, and we need to continue to work on it.”

 

On practicing despite the hurricane:

“We were able to get some work in yesterday, our base game plan stuff. We were able to get a lot of the run game stuff done.”

 

On how the team is handling the QB injuries:

“From the offensive standpoint, one of the things we talked about Sunday as an offensive unit was regardless of who our quarterback was as a coaching staff, we’re going to find a way to put a plan together to give us a chance to go into the game and win. We may have to have a few guys step up, maybe take a little more on their plate, but we’re going to give ourselves a chance, we’re going to put a plan together that best fits whoever our starter is at quarterback and we need to go and execute it. Our big thing this week is we have to be very productive on first and second down. It’s been very tough for us all year long to keep us out of third and long situations. We have to go out and find a way to get more yards on first and second down, and have manageable third-down situations.”

 

On Shawn’s personality:

“Well I know this, this is about as big as a smile I’ve seen on his face all year long. I’ve seen him on the other side on the scout team when you’re yelling at him for not giving you the look you need. Every time he comes in the meeting room and every time we’ve had a chance to sit down and meet, he’s got a big smile on his face and he’s taking great notes. He’s into being a quarterback, and I think for him and for us it’s probably a benefit, because I know and I’m sure Coach [Edsall] has talked to you about it, this is something he really wants. He wants to prove he can play quarterback at this level even though we recruited him to be a linebacker. I love that, because now I know he’s going to put everything into being prepared and put everything to going out an executing. You can work a guy that wants to.”

 

On the run game:

“Again, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win the game. With the run game, I think some of the reasons we’ve been able to run the ball is we’ve been able to make some plays out on the perimeter with our screen game that come off of the run. That’s something we weren’t necessarily efficient at earlier in the year. It’s always great when you can count on having a guy back there that has the ability to make something out of nothing and be able to win the one-on-one battle. Our running backs when they load the box up, they have unblocked guys. Wes [Brown] has shown the ability to make that guy miss or run over a guy. I think Wes has been a benefit of some of the change at the quarterback position that has given us different skill sets to allow us to do some things.”

 

On the offensive line:

“It’s a work in progress getting some guys healthy up front, but I’ve been pleased with the guys that have been here that have played the last couple of weeks. I think we’ve kind of settled in a little bit. The big thing with a guy like [Evan] Mulrooney is when you have a young quarterback like last week with Caleb, a lot was put on his plate in terms of getting him protected and all the identifications we have to make from a communications stand point. He’s a smart guy that understands it and he did a great job last week from keeping Caleb from taking too many shots. I’ve been pleased with the way it’s coming, but we still have a lot of work to go up front. Those guys know it, and we need to continue to be creative in how we do things offensively to take advantage or help us find ways to move the ball.”

 

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

 

On how Georgia Tech will attack Maryland’s defense:

“It’s not necessarily the Maryland game per se, as it is their plan of attack. They have a plan if you’re at an odd front, and they have a plan if you’re an even front. They want to run certain plays to the shade, and they want to run certain plays to the three technique, so they have a very distinct plan, and if you overplay certain things they have a counter for it. They run their offense very well, it’s a very efficient offense.”

 

On slowing down Georgia Tech’s offense early in the game:

“I think that’s the most important thing. The very first 12 plays versus anybody is tough, because those are scripted plays as you know. Against an offense that you’re going to see once a year, the speed is incredible. There’s no way you’re going to catch up to that speed until game time. You can’t get your scout teams to do it, you can’t get your offense to do it unless they run it at that same speed. The motions, the wingbacks and all that stuff… The speed, it takes you a second or two to get caught up.”

 

On how the defense played on Boston College’s game-winning drive:

“I think when you look at a game, and obviously that last part I’ve looked over many times, I think that the main thing is you have to do what you’re supposed to do all across the board. We run our best coverages, our best run stunts and our best pass stunts. Man-to-man we have to do what we’re supposed to do, do our job.”

 

On what impresses him the most about Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington:

“What impresses me the most is his vision before the snap. I think he does a good job of having a pretty clean idea of where he wants to run at. Whether it’s the option, the dive, or the mid-line, he has a pretty good idea. He looks at our leverage and knows whether he wants to pitch it, or whether he wants to keep it. So I think he’s done a good job for them in that stance.”

 

On senior defensive lineman A.J. Francis:

“You know A.J. has done a great job for me, so I can’t speak for how he was before. But I think he’s done a good job of buying in, playing hard, and playing big. I think he’s done a good job of just playing to his size. I think that’s a testament to him and him wanting to be a good player, and doing the little things like watching the tape and knowing his opponent.”

 

On if the 3-4 gives the defense a better opportunity to get to the points of exchange:

“It’s one of those, ‘I’ll find out Saturday.’ I like to think so, but Paul Johnson has seen so much and you know all the [military] academies are 3-4, so it’s not like I’m a surprise. I know he’s going to be well prepared, and he’s going to have his play selection.”

 

 

- Terps -

Caleb Rowe out for the Season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland head football coach Randy Edsall on Sunday announced that starting quarterback Caleb Rowe has suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season.

Rowe, a freshman who started his first game of season, suffered the injury during Saturday’s game against Boston College.

“I feel awful for Caleb. I know how excited he was to get his opportunity to be the quarterback of this team,” Edsall said. “Caleb has a bright future ahead of him and we will do everything we can to support him through the rehab process.”

Rowe made his collegiate debut, coming off the bench in the fourth quarter against NC State to lead the Terrapins on a three-play 61-yard drive. On the drive he completed both of his passes for 50 yards and had an 11-yard run.

In his first start, Rowe went 23 of 42 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He became the first Maryland QB with 40 pass attempts in a game since C.J. Brown vs. Wake Forest on Nov. 19, 2011.

Rowe was just the fourth true freshman quarterback, and second during the 2012 season, to start for Maryland in school history. He also became the sixth true freshmen to start on either offense or defense for the Terrapins this season.

(Note: Freshman LB Shawn Petty is likely to become Maryland’s starting QB moving forward. Petty played both positions at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.)