Drew Forrester is right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let that sink in.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I want you to think about that.

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

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

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

Does that make sense?

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

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

It will NOT however “stink”.

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

That’s “plain and simple.”

-G

Setting the Stage
• Navy and Troy will meet on the gridiron for the second time in as many years when they square off Saturday afternoon at Larry Blakeney Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.  Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm Eastern.
• Navy enters the weekend having won five consecutive games.  The last time Navy won six games in a row came at the start of the 1979 season when the Mids defeated The Citadel, Connecticut, Illinois, Air Force, William & Mary and Virginia.
• Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 with Dave Weekley and Forrest Conoly calling the action.

Scouting Troy
• Troy owns a 4-5 record this fall, but has close losses to Mississippi State (30-24) and Tennessee (55-48).

• The Trojans are ranked 50th in the country in rushing offense (173.7 yards per game), 15th in passing offense (315.0 yards per game), 15th in total offense (488.7 yards per game) and 53rd in scoring offense (30.11).
• Quarterback Corey Robinson has completed 184 of his 290 passes for 2,199 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.  His backup, Deon Anthony, has completed 59 of his 86 passes for 635 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception.
• The leading receiver for the Owls is Chip Reeves, who has 47 catches for 804 yards and five touchdowns, while Eric Thomas has 44 catches for 521 yards and six touchdowns.
• Running back Shawn Southward is the leading rusher with 793 yards and nine touchdowns on 153 carries.
• The defense is ranked 72nd against the run (168.4 yards per game), 103rd against the pass (266.3 yards per game), 90th in total defense (434.8) and 81st in scoring defense (30.0).
• The defense is led by Brynden Trawick, who has 68 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss, while Brannon Bryan has recorded 56 tackles and a pick.

The Last Time … 
Navy 42, Troy 14    Oct. 5, 2011 | ANNAPOLIS, MD.
• Senior quarterback Kriss Proctor, playing with a dislocated left (throwing) elbow, completed four of his six pass attempts for 127 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 37 yards and two touchdowns to lead Navy to a 42-14 rout of Troy in front of a Senior Day crowd of 33,359 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  The victory broke a six-game losing streak for the Mids.
• Proctor, who only played in the first half, directed Navy to five touchdown drives in seven possessions as the Mids built a 35-0 halftime lead.
• The Navy defense, which had been much maligned during the Mids’ losing skid, was superb, holding Troy to just 99 yards of total offense in the first half and forcing two turnovers.
• Nose guard Jared Marks recorded the first big play of the day on Troy’s first possession when he recovered a Corey Robinson fumble on the Navy 24-yard line.
• Six plays later, Navy converted the turnover into points as Proctor scored from the one.  Earlier in the drive, Proctor hitBrandon Turner for 25 yards on a screen pass on third-and-12 and hit slot back John Howell on the next play for 42 yards down to the Troy 11.
• Navy’s second touchdown was also set up by the defense as freshman Parrish Gaines stripped Shawn Southward andCollin Sturdivant recovered at the Navy 35-yard line.  It was the first-career caused fumble for Gaines and the first-career recovery for Sturdivant.
• It took Navy just two plays to move the 65 yards to paydirt with Proctor hitting Gee Gee Greene for 48 yards and a touchdown to cap the drive and the rout was on.
• The Mids would score three more times in the second quarter as fullback Alexander Teich scored on a five-yard run off an option pitch from Proctor, Greene scored on a 10-yard run and Proctor scored from five yards out.
• Senior slot back Mike Stukel capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
• Senior slot back Aaron Santiago, who returned from a broken arm earlier than anybody expected including the doctors, showed no rust in his first game since Sept. 10, leading the Mids with 80 yards rushing on six carries.

Navy Vs. The Sun Belt
• Navy is 6-0 all-time against the Sun Belt with victories over Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Troy and Western Kentucky (twice).
• The Mids defeated Florida Atlantic, 24-17, last week.

Bama Born    
• Navy has seven players on its roster from the state of Alabama:  freshman slot back Bradley Bostick (Birmingham), sophomore slot back Reuben Carson (Birmingham), senior linebacker Brye French (Deatsville), junior corner Eric Graham (Eight Mile), junior wide receiver Shawn Lynch (Pelham), freshman center Ben Tamburello (Hoover) and sophomore slot back Ryan Williams-Jenkins (Helena).

Navy Rallies To Beat Florida Atlantic
• Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds piled up 306 yards of total offense and three touchdowns to lead Navy to a 24-17 victory over Florida Atlantic in front of 29,326 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  The win was Navy’s sixth of the year and clinched a berth to play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.  It is Navy’s ninth bowl game in the last 10 years.
• The Mids trailed 10-0 with 8:57 left in the second quarter, before Reynolds got Navy going with a 48-yard run down to the FAU 33.
• On the next play, Reynolds hit sophomore slot back Ryan Williams-Jenkins with a 22-yard pass down to the 11-yard line and three plays later, on third-and-13, Reynolds hit senior wide receiver Brandon Turner with a 14-yard touchdown pass to cut the FAU lead to 10-7.
• Florida Atlantic drove down to the Navy 15 on its next possession, but on third down Jonathan Wallace threw incomplete out of the wildcat formation and then on fourth down Wallace was stopped for no gain by sophomore nose guard Danny Ring on a screen pass from quarterback Graham Wilbert.
• The Mids took over at their own 15 with 2:10 left in the half and quickly drove down the field.  Reynolds hit junior wide receiver Shawn Lynch, who made a spectacular over the shoulder catch, for 28 yards to move the ball down to the FAU 43.  Reynolds then threw a screen pass to sophomore fullback Noah Copeland for 25 yards to get the ball to the FAU five-yard line. Two plays later Reynolds scored from the one to give Navy the 14-10 halftime lead.
• Navy took the second half kickoff and methodically moved down the field, but bogged down at the FAU 31-yard line.  Facing a fourth-and-eight, Niumatalolo elected to go for it instead of kicking a 48-yard field goal into the wind.  The gamble paid off as Reynolds hit senior wide receiver Brandon Turner with a 31-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-10.
• Freshman kicker Nick Sloan made a 20-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the third quarter and it appeared that Navy was in command.  However, the Mids allowed Florida Atlantic back in the game thanks to a costly turnover.
• Reynolds left the game in the fourth quarter with a hyperextended elbow and on the next play, junior quarterback Trey Miller and senior fullback Prentice Christian fumbled the mesh (the fumble was credited to Christian) and FAU’s Andrae Kirk recovered the ball at the Navy 39.
• Seven plays later FAU scored on a three-yard touchdown run by Wallace and the Navy lead was cut to 24-17.
• The Mids took the ball and moved to the FAU 30-yard line, but on third-and-one sophomore slot Geoffrey Whitesidelost four yards on an errant pitch by Reynolds and Sloan missed wide left on a 51-yard field goal.
• With a chance to tie Florida Atlantic moved the ball down to the Navy 17-yard line, but Wilbert threw three straight incompletions, the last one forced by sophomore defensive end Paul Quessenberry, and the Mids got the ball back with 4:10 remaining at their own 22.
• Navy ran out the clock as Reynolds carried the ball five consecutive times for 24 yards and two first downs.
• Reynolds finished the day with a career-high 159 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while he threw for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns (8-15).
• Turner had the two touchdown catches for 45 yards, while Lynch had two catches for 32 yards.
• Sophomore corner Parrish Gaines, senior linebacker Brye French, senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel and senior safety Tra’ves Bush paced Navy with seven tackles apiece.  Freshman corner Kwazel Bertrand had his first career fumble recovery to go along with his six tackles.

Navy Quick Hitters
• The Midshipmen punched their ticket to the Dec. 29 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco last Saturday with a 24-17 victory over Florida Atlantic. It will be Navy’s 18th bowl appearance all-time, including its ninth in the last 10 years.
• Navy has been the dominant Service Academy over the last decade going 18-2 against Army (10-0) and Air Force (8-2), winning seven-consecutive Commander-In-Chief’s Trophies from 2003-09 and going to nine bowl games in the last 10 years.
• Navy will join the BIG EAST for football only starting in 2015.
• Navy’s three losses this season (Notre Dame, Penn State and San Jose State) have come at the hands of opponents that are a combined 22-5 (.815) on the year.  Notre Dame (9-0) is currently ranked fourth in the country, while Penn State (6-3) is receiving votes.  San Jose State (7-2) has received votes in the polls this year, as well.
• Over the last seven games (6-1), Navy has outscored the opposition 122-57 in the second half.  The defense has allowed just six touchdowns in the second half of those contests.
• The Mids turned the ball over 12 times in the first four games (nine lost fumbles and three interceptions) and went 1-3 in those four games.  Over the last five games, Navy has turned it over just twice and are 5-0.
• Ken Niumatalolo has led the Midshipmen to a 38-24 (.613) record in his fifth season as head coach.  He is tied for fourth all-time at Navy in career wins with Wayne Hardin.  Niumatalolo holds Navy coaching records for most wins in the first two (18), three (27), four (32) and five seasons (38) of a career.
• Senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel scored a perfect 1600 on his SAT and is believed to be the only current FBS player in the country to accomplish such a feat.  He carries a 3.89 GPA in systems engineering and is an Academic All-America candidate.  Wetzel has also been a force on the field for the Midshipmen, recording 52 tackles (fourth most on the team), a team-high 11 tackles for a loss and a team-high six sacks.  He is just two sacks from third on Navy’s single-season sack list.
• Keenan Reynolds is the first freshman to start at quarterback for Navy since Jim Kubiak started five games in 1991 and is just the third freshman in school history to start at quarterback (the other was Alton Grizzard in 1987). Reynolds is 4-0 as a starting quarterback with wins over Central Michigan, Indiana, East Carolina and Florida Atlantic.  Kubiak won just one game as a freshman starter and Grizzard won two.  Reynolds is the first Navy quarterback to win his first four starts since senior Bob Powers, who won his first six career starts in 1979.  The Mids started 6-0 that year and finished 7-4 with a victory over Army.
• Sophomore punter and Ray Guy candidate Pablo Beltran is averaging 44.7 yards per punt (27 punts) this season. He would stand 11th in the country in punting if he qualified (must average 3.6 punts per game).
• Freshman Nick Sloan is one of just 12 true freshman kickers starting in the FBS this year.  He is 8-for-10 on field goals and 28-for-28 on extra-points.
• Navy was 4-0 during the month of October after going 0-5 last year in October. It is the first time Navy went undefeated in the month of October since 1996.  That team finished 9-3 and defeated California in the Aloha Bowl.
• Navy owns a 6-3 record all-time in overtime games, winning six of its last seven.
• Navy owns an 81-43 (.653) record over the last 10 years after posting a 3-30 (.091) mark from 2000-02.  The 81 wins are the 21st most in the country over the last decade.
• Navy is trying to finish first in fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards per game for the second consecutive year and for the third time in the last four seasons.  The Mids are currently tied for first with Kansas State in fewest penalties per game (3.44) and fewest penalty yards per game (26.44).
• Navy is 29-4 (.879) under Ken Niumatalolo when scoring first and 9-20 (.310) when the opponent scores first.
• Under Niumatalolo, the Mids are 23-3 (.885) when leading after the first quarter and 15-21 (.417) when trailing or tied after the first stanza.
• Navy owns a 18-7 (.720) record in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium under Niumatalolo and is 20-17 (.541) away from home.

Honorable Mention: Mixed Martial Arts: UFC Macao-Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le (Saturday 9am from Macao, China live on FUEL TV); Women’s College Basketball: Mount St. Mary’s @ Maryland (Friday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ Loyola (Sunday 7pm Reitz Arena); Boxing: Gary Russell Jr. vs. Vyacheslav Gusev (Friday 10pm from Indio, CA live on Showtime), Abner Mares vs. Anselmo Moreno (Saturday 10pm from Los Angeles live on Showtime); Vanes Martirosyan vs. Erislandy Lara (Saturday 9:45pm from Las Vegas live on HBO); High School Football: MIAA A Conference Semifinals-Mount St. Joseph vs. Calvert Hall (Saturday 12pm Mustang Stadium), McDonogh vs. Gilman (Saturday 5pm Mustang Stadium)

10. Carrie Underwood/Hunter Hayes (Wednesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); Chicago/Kansas (Saturday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Brandy (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live); Rock Harvest 2012 feat. Don Dokken (Saturday 1pm Recher Theatre); Mint Condition (Saturday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Ed Kowalczyk (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head on Stage), Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group (Monday 6pm & 9pm Rams Head on Stage); Theory of a Deadman (Wednesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Yelawolf (Saturday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Social Distortion (Tuesday & Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Motion City Soundtrack (Thursday 5pm 9:30 Club), Gary Clark Jr. (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club), Taking Back Sunday (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club); Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Tuesday 8pm State Theater), Victor Wooten Band (Friday 9pm State Theater); The Script (Wednesday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Great White (Friday 8pm House of Rock); Chick Corea (Saturday 8pm Sixth & I Historic Synagogue); ZZ Ward (Saturday 8pm Georgetown University)

I’ll go see Eddie K ANY DAY OF THE WEEK…

MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS MIKE NESS…

I have to wait until Saturday to see GCJ (in Philly) because I’ll be in Brooklyn Friday night. It’s troubling because I’m not fully certain I can wait ANOTHER DAY.

I’ve put in a good bit of time with ZZ Ward recently. I could put in about six million hours more, too.

9. Doug Stanhope (Saturday 8:30pm Ottobar); Tommy Davidson (Saturday & Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Flip Orley (Wednesday-Sunday DC Improv); Adam Carolla (Thursday 8pm Warner Theater); Bill Engvall (Friday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric); David Alan Grier (Sunday 7:30pm Kennedy Center); “The Muppet Christmas Carol” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday), “The Amazing Spider-Man” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Skyfall” out in theaters (Friday)

Adam Carolla is funny EVERY FREAKING TIME.

The absolute best thing about The Amazing Spider-Man? Emma flipping Stone.

(Continued on Page 2…)

GAME TIME
The Bears (1-1) are set for the second of four consecutive road tests when they travel west to face the Akron Zips on Saturday (Sept. 15). The Zips enter the 2012 season under the leadership of first-year head coach Terry Bowden. Akron (0-2) is coming off a 41-38 overtime loss at FIU.  Morgan State fell 56-34 at Buffalo in a game that was decided in UB Stadium. Game time at InfoCision Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast by ESPN3.

THE BEARS-ZIPS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Zips will meet for the second time in history. Akron leads the series1-0 following a 41-0 shutout victory of the Bears on Sept. 12, 2009 during the grand opening of InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

QUICK HITS
• Morgan State will enter the 2012 season with plenty of veterans … the Bears’ roster includes 22 seniors.
•  Seth Higgins returns as the Bears starting QB … He completed 97-of-186 passes for 1,116 yards, including 9 TDs as a true freshman. He was sacked three times before being replaced in the 2nd quarter by backup QB Robert Council.
• Morgan State returns three of its top rushers from last season: Travis Davidson (792 yards), Tracy Martin (317 yards) and Brian Mann (101 yards).
• Travis Davidson currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing and ranks No. 8 in the FCS with 243 yards (121.5 avg/g). He also leads the MEAC in scoring (12 Pts/G).
•  Robert Council checked into the ballgame against Buffalo toward the end of the first quarter and provided a spark for the Bears … Council completed 12-of-16 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 23 yards.
•  Kenneth Ridley emerged as a shutdown cornerback in 2011 and ranked T-No. 2 in the MEAC with four interceptions…he collected his first pick of the season vs. Sacred Heart in Week 1.
•  RB Brian Mann posted a career-high 74 yards on 17 carries and posted a 5 yard TD run in the 3rd quarter at Buffalo.
•  DE Richard Ndubueze was selected to the 2012 Preseason All-MEAC First Team … he has missed the first two games due in unspecified issues.
•  Chris Flowers leads the MEAC in kick returns and currently ranks No. 4 in the country by averaging 33.8 yards per return.
•  LB Elandon Roberts recorded his first career interception and added 7 tackles and was selected MEAC Rookie of the Week by the league.
•  Statistically, the Bears posted a season-high 366 yards of total offense (78 plays) against Buffalo, while the Bulls finished with 571 yards on just 56 plays.

AKRON THUMBNAILS
•  Jawon Chisholm broke the program’s freshman rushing record with 961 yards and five touchdowns last season. He finished the 2011 campaign with 84 yards receiving and added one passing touchdown in four passing attempts. He enters the season as an All-MAC candidate.

• Through two games, the UA defense has recorded five sacks (three against FIU last Saturday), which ties for fourth most in the league. The Zips recorded 11 sacks over 12 total games in 2011.

NEXT UP:
Morgan State will travel to take on the Aggies of North Carolina A&T on Sept. 29th. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm. at Aggies Stadium and the game will be televised by ESPNU.

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Tennis: ATP Garry Weber Open (Tuesday-Saturday 1pm from Halle, GER on Tennis Channel)

10. Bonnie Raitt (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Beach Boys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Neil Diamond (Thursday 8pm Verizon Center); Dave Matthews Band/Gary Clark Jr. (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Martina McBride (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap); Reel Big Fish (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Of Montreal (Thursday 8pm Recher Theatre); Lindsey Buckingham (Thursday 9pm Baltimore Soundstage), Lisa Marie Presley (Friday 8:30pm Baltimore Soundstage); Kelly Bell Band/Cris Jacobs (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Robert Cray Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Grouplove (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Cult (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Bouncing Souls (Tuesday 7:30pm Black Cat DC); Ziggy Marley (Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Little Richard (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Keane (Thursday 8pm Strathmore); Rush “Clockwork Angels” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’ve already established that “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is the greatest Beach Boys song of all time. Now I point out that I’m an absolute hack because I also enjoy this clip from Full House…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ5dEiZYCo

A lot of people know I’m a significant Dave Matthews fan. But do you know that I’ve proclaimed my all time favorite Dave Matthews tune to be THIS?…

And if you go see DMB don’t stay in the parking lot too long. Gary Clark Jr. is freaking AMAZING. You may remember him from a collaboration he had with Ray Lewis a few weeks back at the NFL Draft…

Wait…The Cult? Isn’t that the band that does the song from that commercial in that Super Bowl?

9. Star-Spangled Sailabration (Wednesday-Monday Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Locust Point); “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” out in theaters (Friday); Gilbert Gottfried (Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Richard Lewis (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv)

Ryan Chell and I are going to see That’s My Boy Tuesday night. It will probably make six billion dollars and everyone involved will get new cars. It used to piss me off because I don’t really find Adam Sandler’s shtick to be funny anymore, but there are a couple issues involved. One-Adam Sandler sat down with us at the Super Bowl and was really nice. He even opened up about my idol Chris Farley, which is something I found out later he really never does…

Two-over the past few months I’ve developed a unique friendship with Happy Madison star Peter Dante, who might be the best human being on the face of the planet. He’s the guy on the right below…

So now I hope the movie is funny and they make a billion dollars. Damn you, nice guys.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy-Penn State football game on Saturday, Sept. 15 in State College, Pa. will be televised nationally by ABC/ESPN2 starting at 3:30 p.m.  It is the first time that Navy has appeared on ABC since the 1996 Aloha Bowl victory over California.  A portion of the country will get another game on ABC and in that case the game will be carried on ESPN2.

It was also announced today that the Nov. 10 game at Troy will kick at 2:30 p.m. (CT), 3:30 p.m. in Annapolis, and the game will be broadcast by ESPN3.

Maryland-Temple Game Time Announced

Terps’ first road game of 2012 will start at noon and be shown on ESPNU

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Maryland’s first road game of the 2012 season, a matchup against Temple on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, will kick off at noon EDT and be shown nationally on ESPNU.

ESPN and the Big East Conference office announced a select group of game times and television outlets Thursday afternoon.

Maryland opens the season at home vs. William & Mary on Saturday, Sept. 1. That game will begin at 3 p.m. from Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and be video streamed on ESPN3.

The Terps’ second home nonconference contest, a tilt vs. UConn on Saturday, Sept. 15, will begin at 12:30 p.m. and be televised regionally on the ACC Network.

Kick times for remaining games will be announced at a later date.

Atlantic Coast Conference game times are generally declared 12 days prior to the contest. The start times for Maryland’s other nonconference road game (at West Virginia, Sept. 22) will be announced by the Big 12 office.

A variety of season-ticket options are available starting as low as $114. There are also family 4-packs available for $420 and season-ticket holders have the ability to spread their cost over six monthly installments.

To view Maryland’s schedule, go to:

http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/md-m-footbl-sched.html 

Terp Notes:

Edsall to Play in Two Charity Golf Events: Head coach Randy Edsall will participate in a pair of charity golf tournaments this month. He is scheduled to play in Monday’s 25th Annual Safeway Foundation Celebrity Pro-Am in Ellicott City, Md., which benefits Easter Seals in the Washington-Baltimore region. Edsall will also take part in the 16th Annual National Capital Golf Classic on Monday, June 18 at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va. That event will benefit the American Cancer Society.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Memphis), Champions Tour Regions Tradition (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from Shoal Creek, AL on Golf Channel), Wegmans LPGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 12pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm from Pittsford, NY live on Golf Channel); WNBA: New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FX 3-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (Friday 9pm from Sunrise, FL live on FX); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Charlotte Hounds @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com)

10. Gavin DeGraw & Colbie Caillat (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Foster The People (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Carbon Leaf/Civil Twilight (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Hawthorne Heights (Sunday 5pm Recher Theatre); Victor Wooten (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Edwin McCain (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Little River Band (Sunday 1pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Bootsy Collins (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Jimmy Cliff (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Wailers (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Beach Boys “That’s Why God Made The Radio” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

There was a time in my life when I genuinely enjoyed the tunes of Gavin DeGraw. Maybe that’s not something I should be broadcasting…

Since Foster The People are coming to town and the Beach Boys are putting out a new record, here’s FTP’s EXCELLENT take on the greatest Beach Boys tune of all time…

Any excuse to share a Carbon Leaf tune is a good one…

I wish I could go to RHL Saturday night. Civil Twilight is excellent too…

9. “Prometheus” opens in theaters (Friday); “Safe House“, “John Carter” and “Act of Valor” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Greg Proops (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Doug Benson (Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Honfest (Saturday & Sunday Hampden); Maryland Wine Week begins (Friday)

You know Prometheus as THAT MOVIE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS TO SEE. Well, at least until “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” comes out, at which point they might as well just stop making movies.

Honestly, there is no single greater gift you could ever purchase me than this movie poster…

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Antonio Tarver vs. Lateef Kayode (Saturday 9pm from Carson, CA live on Showtime), Gabriel Rosado vs. Joel Julio (Friday 9pm from Bethlehem, PA live on NBC Sports Network); WNBA: Minnesota Lynx @ Washington Mystics (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Denver Outlaws (Saturday 9pm from Denver live on ESPN3.com)

10. Zac Brown Band (Thursday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Capital Jazz Fest feat. Indie.Arie, Bill Cosby (Friday-Sunday Merriweather Post Pavilion); Radiohead (Sunday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Miranda Lambert/Jerrod Niemann (Sunday 4pm Jiffy Lube Live);  City and Colour (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live); Smile Empty Soul (Saturday 5pm Recher Theatre); Crossfade (Monday 7pm Baltimore Soundstage); Dandy Warhols (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Used (Wednesday 7:30pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Victor Wooten (Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Dr. John (Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Rhett Miller (Monday 8pm Jammin Java)

I’d watch ZBB do just about anything, but this was as good as anything I’ve seen them do…

My favorite tune from Thom Yorke and the boys?

For more traditional country folk, I sorta dig this Jerrod Niemann tune…

I wish I didn’t have to admit to digging this tune…

9. Great Grapes Wine & Food Festival (Saturday & Sunday 12pm Oregon Ridge); Guy Torry (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Corey Holcomb (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Man on a Ledge” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Glenn Clark’s first ever “Hogfest” (Saturday)

That’s right. For the first time in my (still?) young life, I will be roasting a pig Saturday. It’s all thanks in part to ABC Rental Store in Rosedale. A talented young man I listen to on the radio is always talking to me about them. I think his show is called “The Reality Check.” I PRAY my results make me as happy as George W. Bush…

Also, I will be hosting a qualifier for the Olympic KanJam team Saturday (more on Twitter @OlympicKanJam). I expect the day to look much like this…

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland will play for the NCAA Championship for the third time in the school’s 73 seasons of lacrosse history when it takes on the University of Maryland at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 28.

Despite just 30.67 miles (as the crow flies according to DaftLogic.com) separating the campuses, the game will be played 338 miles from Loyola’s campus at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

On The Tube, Web And Radio

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN with Eamon McAnaney and Quint Kessenich calling the action. Paul Carcaterra will be the sideline analyst.

The action can also be seen worldwide on ESPN3, the broadband arm of the ESPN, and on the WatchESPN app on mobile devices.

Westwood One Sports/Dial Global will provide the NCAA Radio Network broadcast of the Championships with Dave Ryan on the play-by-play and Steve Panarelli on analysis. It can be heard on Sirius/XM 91 worldwide. A complete list of stations can be found at dialglobalsports.com.

Series History

Loyola and Maryland will meet for the 21st time in series history – the Terrapins hold an 18-2 lead in the previous 20 games – and the second time in NCAA Championships play. (complete list of games on page six of notes)

The teams have not squared off since Maryland won a 19-8 decision on May 23, 1998, in the NCAA Semifinals at Rutgers University. Monday’s game will be just the third meeting of the teams since 1989 and the third since Loyola joined NCAA Division I in 1982.

Loyola won the initial meeting between the schools, 17-6, on April 6, 1940, but the Terrapins then won 17 in a row before the Greyhounds scored a 10-8 victory on March 19, 1989.

NCAA Championships History

Loyola is making its 20th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championships, 18th at the Division I level. The Greyhounds are 11-19 all-time in Championships play, 11-17 at the Division I level.

Monday’s game will be Loyola third appearance in an NCAA Championship Game and second at the Division I level.

Loyola, with current Head Coach Charley Toomey as the team co-captain and goalkeeper, last played in the title game on May 28, 1990, when Syracuse defeated the Greyhounds, 21-9.

The Greyhounds also took part in the NCAA Division II-III Championship Game on May 17, 1981, when it lost to Adelphi, 17-14.

As an institution, Loyola has won one national title, the 1976 NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer crown.

Five, Twice In A Row

Eric Lusby scored five goals in the NCAA Semifinal against Notre Dame, duplicating a performance he had in the Quarterfinal round against Denver. Lusby is the first Loyola player to score five in consecutive games since Mike Sawyer did it against Bellarmine (March 5) and Duke (March 11) during the 2011 season.

Lusby’s Tournament

Eric Lusby is thus far the leading scorer in this year’s NCAA Tournament, tallying 13 goals and five assists for 18 points. He is three goals shy of tying the tournament record of 16 set in 2006 by Matt Ward and matched in 2007 by Duke’s Zach Greer.

His 13 are tied for seventh all-time. Loyola’s Chris Colbeck scored 14 in the 1990 tournament and is tied for fourth with Paul Rabil (Johns Hopkins, 2008) and Gary Gait (Syracuse, 1988). Gait is also third with 15 in 1990.

He has hat tricks in all three games Loyola has played after scoring three in the First Round against Canisius and five in both sequential games.

Runkel Stops 15

Loyola goalkeeper Jack Runkel set a career-high in the NCAA Semifinals with 15 saves against Notre Dame, setting a career-high. He narrowly eclipsed his previous best of 14 set on April 28 against Johns Hopkins.

The game was Runkel’s seventh this season with 10 or more saves in goal. The others came against Duke (12), at UMBC (13), at Fairfield (12), Johns Hopkins (14), at Denver in the ECAC Semifinals (10) and versus Denver in the Quarterfinals (11).

Runkel has played to a 5.97 goals against average and .622 saves percentage in three NCAA Tournament games.

Defense Limits Chances

Loyola’s defense held Notre Dame to just 28 shots, four below the Fighting Irish’s season average of 32.3 heading into the game, and the Greyhounds’ unit helped goalkeeper Jack Runkel make 15 saves by limiting inside chances.

As a unit, Loyola forced Notre Dame into 14 turnovers, although the team was credited with just seven caused turnovers.

Joe Fletcher caused three of the turnovers and picked up a career-high seven ground balls, while Reid Acton, Scott Ratliff, Josh Hawkins and Runkel each had a caused turnover.

50-50

Eric Lusby and Mike Sawyer became the first duo in Loyola history with 50 goals each in the same season. Sawyer now stands with 51 goals, a Loyola single-season record, while Lusby has 50, tied with Tim Goettelmann for second in season history at the school.

They are two of three players in the NCAA this season to score 50 or more goals, joining Colgate’s Peter Baum (67). Last season, just one player (Robert Morris’ Trevor Moore, 50) had 50 or more.

The last time a pair of Division I teammates had 50 or more goals was 2010 when Duke’s Max Quinzani finished the year with 68, and Zach Howell tallied 51.

And, 60-60

Lusby and Sawyer are also the only Loyola players to reach 60 points in the same season.

With his six-point effort on Saturday afternoon, Lusby set the school Division I record for points in a season with 67, eclipsing the 66 (29g, 37a) Brian Duffy had during the 1995 season.

Gary Hanley has the top three points marks in school history with 89 in 1981, 86 in 1980 and 83 in 1979 when Loyola played Division II lacrosse.

Seven Earn All-America Honors

Attacker Mike Sawyer was named to the USILA All-America Second Team, and long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff earned Third Team honors earlier this week from the coaches’ association.

Five other Greyhounds – attacker Eric Lusby, midfielders Davis Butts and Josh Hawkins and defenders Reid Acton and Joe Fletcher – received honorable mention.

The seven honorees are the most for Loyola since seven received plaudits following the 1999 season. Sawyer and Ratliff are also the first Loyola players to receive All-America nods other than honorable mention since Gavin Prout was a first teamer in 2001.

Sawyer Sets Goals Record

Mike Sawyer scored the first goal of Loyola’s NCAA Quarterfinal game against Denver and broke the school single-season record for goals in the process.

Sawyer now has 51 goals this season, breaking the previous best of 50 set by Tim Goettelmann in 2000. Goettelmann went on to become Major League Lacrosse’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Earlier this season, against Hobart, he became the first Loyola player to reach 40 goals in a season since Tim Goettelmann and Gavin Prout scored 50 and 41, respectively, in 2000. They are the only three Loyola players to top 40 this century.

In the ECAC Semifinal against Denver, Sawyer pushed his season point total to 50, a number that is now at 60, making him the first Greyhound to reach 50 in a season since Prout had 58 (37g, 21a) in 2001. It is the fourth time this century that a Loyola player has scored 50 or more points in a season. Goettelmann (65) and Prout (53) both reached the mark in 2000, and Prout did it again the following season. Sawyer’s teammate, Eric Lusby, has since joined him with more than 50 points (more later).

Three-For-Three

Loyola completed a three-game sweep of Denver with its 10-9 NCAA Quarterfinal victory last Saturday, marking the first time in school history the Greyhounds had ever played a team three times in a season.

It is the third time a team has beaten another three times in a season (thanks to Patrick Stevens of The Washington Times for the research). Loyola joins the 1992 Maryland (vs. Duke), 2007 Duke (vs. North Carolina) and 2009 Duke (vs. North Carolina) teams to have accomplished the feat.

Sawyer, Lusby Form Rare Tandem

Graduate student Eric Lusby and junior Mike Sawyer have formed the top attack tandem in the nation this season, combining for 101 goals in 18 games this season, an average of 5.61 per game.

Sawyer has scored 51 goals, and his 2.83 goals per game average is sixth-best in Division I. Lusby, meanwhile is right behind with 50 goals and a 2.78 goals per game mark, a number that is eighth in the country. Loyola is the only school to have two players in top 10 nationally.

The Greyhounds have not had two players score 40 or more goals in the same season since 2000 when Tim Goettelmann set the school single-season record with 50, and Gavin Prout tallied 41. As a side note, the Goettelmann-Prout duo has gone on to highly successful professional careers. Goettelman recently retired from Major League Lacrosse as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 268 goals in 11 seasons. Prout has been an MLL Champion and has scored 314 National Lacrosse League goals to go with 625 assists as a multiple-time all-star.

The duo is now the top goal-scoring tandem in Loyola single-season history, eclipsing the performance in 2000 by Goettelmann and Prout.

A Lot Of Everything

The adage that a player does a little bit of everything does not necessarily apply to long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff. The Loyola junior does a lot, as he leads the team in ground balls (83) and caused turnovers (35), is fifth in goals (12) and is seventh in assists (7). His 34 caused turnovers are second-most in Loyola history – behind P.T. Ricci’s 51 in 2009 – since the stats became official that year.

A Tewaaraton Award nominee earlier in the year, Ratliff was named the Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Championships after scoring three goals, one a game-winner, and recording two assists and 16 ground balls.

He had two goals, including the winner just eight seconds into overtime, and an assist versus Denver while picking up a career-high nine ground balls.

Ratliff, who was also an All-ECAC First Team honoree and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, then scored twice in the first quarter against Canisius to go along with six ground balls and three faceoff wins in the game.

Ratliff’s Scoring

Scott Ratliff had his third multi-goal game of the season in the NCAA First Round against Canisius, and he then added a goal in the Quarterfinal against Denver, raising his season totals to 12 goals and seven assists.

With his game-opening goal against the Golden Griffins, he set the Loyola single-season record for long-pole scoring, surpassing the record of 16 points set by current assistant coach Matt Dwan his senior season in 1995 when he tallied 11 goals and five assists and earned All-America honors.

Ratliff is second nationally this season in goals and points by a long pole, and his seven assists are tops in the country. Bryant’s Mason Poli leads all long poles this year with 19 goals and 24 points.

Ward Dishes Out Assists

Justin Ward was credited an assist on an Eric Lusby goal against Notre Dame raising his season total to 31, and his 1.72 assists per game are 21st nationally. Those numbers are tops among the players on the four teams in the NCAA Semifinals.

Ward is the first Loyola player this century to reach 30 assists, and his total is the most since Brian Duffy had 34 in 1996.

Top Spot

Loyola entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed for the third time in school history. The Greyhounds were also the top seed in 1998 when they defeated Georgetown, 12-11, in the Quarterfinals to move on to the Final Four for the second time in school history. There, the Greyhounds lost, 19-8, to Maryland. They were then the No. 1 seed in 1999 when they fell in the Quarterfinals to Syracuse, 17-12.

School Record In Wins

Loyola’s victory over Notre Dame in the NCAA Semifinals was its 17th of the season, setting a school record for victories in a year. The Greyhounds eclipsed the previous best of 13 that the 1998 squad achieved with a 13-2 record.

This is Loyola’s 15th season all-time with 10 or more wins with 12 coming since the Greyhounds joined Division I in 1982.

The Hardware Department

In the span of seven days, three teams in Loyola’s Department of Athletics advanced to their respective NCAA Championships by winning titles in three different conferences.

The men’s golf team started the trend with its fifth-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference crown on April 29, and the men’s lacrosse team followed by taking the ECAC title on May 4. The women’s lacrosse team completed the trifecta on May 5 when it defeated then-No. 2 Syracuse to win its second-straight BIG EAST Championship. Also, in March, Loyola’s men’s basketball team won its first MAAC title in 18 years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994.

Sawyer Named One Of Five Tewaaraton Finalists

Mike Sawyer was named one of five Tewaaraton Award finalists on Thursday, joining Colgate A Peter Baum, Duke LSM C.J. Costabile, Massachusetts A Will Manny and Virginia A Steele Stanwick.

Sawyer is the first Loyola men’s player to be named a finalist, and he is also the first player from to hail the State of North Carolina to be so honored. He was one of three Greyhounds on the Tewaaraton Watch List where he was joined by Eric Lusby and Scott Ratliff, and Ratliff was a fellow semifinalist. The Award, which is given annually to the top player in college lacrosse, will be presented on May 31 at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Midfield Scoring

Loyola’s first midfield line of Davis Butts (20g, 33p), Sean O’Sullivan (16, 27) and Chris Layne (11, 22) has combined for 47 goals and 35 assists this season, while the second midfield unit of Pat Byrnes (9, 7), J.P. Dalton (9, 4) and Phil Dobson (7, 2) has added 25 and 13. Additionally, Nikko Pontrello has started to mix in with the second midfield, allowing Loyola’s attackers the opportunity to invert, and he has four goals and six assists.

Twelve In A Row Ties Mark

Loyola’s 12-straight to start the season tied the school record for consecutive victories, matching the number put up by the 1998 (3/14-3/17) and 1999 (3/6-3/8).

It also matched the best start to a season, equaling the 1999 team that finished the regular-season unblemished at 12-0.

Toomey Tabbed ECAC Coach Of The Year

Loyola Head Coach Charley Toomey was named the ECAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his seven-year career. This season, Toomey has guided the Greyhounds to a 17-1 mark during the regular-season and the ECAC regular-season crown with a 6-0 mark in conference play. The NCAA Championship Game will be Toomey’s 100th as a head coach.

The Greyhounds became the second team in USILA Coaches Poll history to start a season unranked and ascend to the No. 1 spot in the rankings. The only other team was Duke in 2007 – a year after the Blue Devils had their season suspended in March – which accomplished the feat after being unranked in the first poll, moving to second in the next version and first in the third. Duke was knocked from its perch as No. 1 that season when it lost to the Greyhounds at the First Four in San Diego.

The win over Canisius in the First Round was the 60th victory of his coaching career, becoming the fourth coach in Loyola history to win 60 or more – Dave Cottle (181-70, 1983-2001), Charles Wenzel (62-104, 1954-1970), Jay Connor (61-46, 1975-1982).  Toomey’s .626 winning percentage trails only Cottle’s .721 at Loyola.

All-ECAC Honors

Five Loyola players earned All-ECAC Lacrosse League honors form the conference’s coaches. Long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff, who was also named ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, earned a spot as a defender on the First Team, where he was joined by Mike Sawyer on attack and Davis Butts in the midfield.

Sawyer led the ECAC during the regular-season, and is now second nationally, in goals (51). Butts has scored 20 goals and assisted on 13 from the Greyhounds first midfield line while also regularly playing a role on the wings during face-offs with 39 ground balls.

Attack Eric Lusby and defender Joe Fletcher were tabbed to the All-ECAC Second Team. Lusby is second on the team and is third nationally with 50 goals, and he also has 17 assists this season. Fletcher came on as one of the top lock-down defenders around, earning Midseason All-American honors from Inside Lacrosse last month. He has 39 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers entering the NCAA title game.

Big Runs

Loyola used runs of three-plus goals at important junctures of its 18 games, helping the Greyhounds to wins each time. In all, Loyola has scored three or more in a row on 36 occasions this season.

Loyola scored the first four goals of the ECAC Semifinal game against Denver and then tallied three-straight after the Pioneers pulled within 4-2. The Greyhounds then reeled off five in a row during the third quarter to take a 13-6 lead.

The Greyhounds used two 3-0 runs against Notre Dame in the NCAA Semifinal to advance to the title game.

On The Flip Side

Conversely, the Greyhounds have allowed a run of three or more goals just 12 times this year, with the most recent coming when Canisius scored three in the second quarter. Only Denver (seven in ECAC Semifinal), Johns Hopkins (five), Fairfield (five), Air Force (four) have scored more than three in a row this year.

Second-Half Success

The Greyhounds have now outscored opponents 65-22 in the third quarters of games and 119-63 overall this year in the second half (including overtime).

The second-half scoring continues a trend from the last two seasons. Last year, Loyola outscored opponents, 69-52, after halftime (including two overtime goals), and 77-56 two years ago.