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.

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).

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.

Vellano, Diggs Earn ACC Weekly Honors

Vellano named defensive lineman of the week; Diggs named Rookie of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Maryland’s Joe Vellano and Stefon Diggs earned weekly honors from the ACC for their play against Boston College, the league announced Monday.

Vellano was named the defensive lineman of the week, while Diggs was named Rookie of the Week. It’s the first weekly honor for Vellano this season and the fourth for Diggs; he has earned Rookie of the Week honors three times and Specialist of the Week honors once.

Vellano was part of a defensive line that allowed Boston College to rush for just 8 net yards on 27 attempts. The senior recorded five tackles, including 2.5 sacks to total minus-22 yards, and also forced a fumble that the Terrapins recovered. Vellano leads the ACC and is tied for ninth nationally with 1.75 tackles for loss per game. He’s played a big role on a defense that ranks fourth nationally against the run, having surrendered just 77.6 yards per game.

Diggs, meanwhile, turned in his most productive receiving game this season, setting career marks with 152 receiving yards and 11 catches. The freshman caught a career-long 66-yard touchdown pass, marking the fourth time in the last five games he’s had a catch of at least 50 yards. It was the third 100-yard receiving game of the season for Diggs and vaulted him into 16th place on Maryland’s single-season receiving yards list with 666. That ranks second all-time among freshmen, trailing only Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 694 in 2006.

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SCHEDULING NOTE: The Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday announced ESPN has called for a 6-day option on the games of Nov.10. The game times and networks for all six games, including the Maryland-Clemson contest, will be announced no later than by noon on Sunday, Nov. 4

- Terps -

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After a heartbreaking 20-18 loss at home to NC State last week, the Maryland football team will look to rebound and move one win closer to bowl eligibility when it takes on Boston College this Saturday. The Terps and Eagles will be meeting for just the 10th time in a series in which Boston College has held the upper hand. Boston College has won six of the nine meetings and five of seven since joining the ACC in 2005.

First-and-10

• In the loss to NC State, Maryland overcame a season-ending injury to quarterback Perry Hills and was in position to win in the game’s final seconds, while totaling a season-high 462 yards of total offense. Backup quarterback Devin Burns ably directed the spread-option attack in the second half, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown and completing three of four passes for 47 yards. Burns’ mobility helped create lanes for freshman Wes Brown, who ran for a season-high 121 yards, with 97 coming in the second half. Heading into preseason camp, Burns was set to play wide receiver; only after C.J. Brown’s season-ending injury during camp did Burns switch to quarterback.

• On top of Burns’ performance, true freshman quarterback Caleb Rowe entered the game with 0:32 left to direct Maryland’s 2-minute offense. Rowe moved the Terrapins 61 yards in three plays, sandwiching passes of 17 and 33 yards with an 11-yard run. That set up a 33-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game, but freshman Brad Craddock’s attempt clanged off the left upright. Rowe became the 13th true freshman to play for Maryland this season, which is tied for the sixth most in the FBS (see list, page 3).

• Maryland’s defense continues to rank as one of the nation’s best. The Terps rank 11th nationally in total defense (288.4 ypg), sixth in rushing defense (87.6 ypg) and tied for 29th in passing defense (200.9 ypg). NC State totaled just 40 rushing yards on 26 attempts (1.5 yards per carry) and became the fourth Maryland opponent this season to fail to gain 100 yards on the ground. Maryland has an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.53 yards per rush, which ranks fifth nationally. Adding to Maryland’s strength up front are senior linebackers Kenneth Tate andDarin Drakeford. Tate, who made his season debut at West Virginia after missing the previous 11 games due to a knee injury, has 18 tackles and four pass breakups in four games back. Drakeford, meanwhile, has constantly been in the opponents backfield; his 6.0 sacks are tied for third in the ACC, and his 8.0 tackles for loss are tied for seventh.

• Maryland’s 7.4 tackles for loss per game are tied for 17th in the FBS and its 2.9 sacks per game are also tied for 17th. Vellano leads the ACC and is tied for 14th nationally with 1.64 tackles for loss per game. Linebacker Cole Farrand is third on the team with 6.0 TFLs.

• Offensively and on special teams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. Against Virginia, the freshman returned the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and went on to catch four passes for 89 yards. Over the last four games he’s averaging 92.0 receiving yards per game, while his 166.0 all-purpose yards per game this season rank second in the ACC and 11th nationally. Additionally, Diggs leads the conference in kickoff return average (28.4 yards) and ranks fifth in punt return average (10.3 yards), while his 19.0 yards per catch are tied for third. Diggs had a stretch of three straight weeks in which he earned ACC weekly honors (Rookie of the Week – WVU, Wake Forest; Specialst of the Week – Virginia).

• Marcus Leak has also turned into one of Maryland’s most reliable players on offense. The sophomore is second on the team in both receptions (23) and receiving yards (393) and against NC State caught four passes for a career-high 94 yards.

Quick Hitters

• Maryland’s close game against NC State is one of a number of close calls in recent history. In the last 13 contests, 11 have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Aside from a 37-0 Maryland win in 2007, the 11 games since 2000 have been decided by an average of 6.0 points. The Terps have played in close games all of the 2012 season; their average margin of victory is 5.5, and their average margin of defeat is 5.0.

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

• Diggs ranks seventh in the conference and first among freshmen with 73.4 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 27 catches for 514 yards, is just outside the top 25 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).

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

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 23 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (13 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.53 yards per carry, which ranks fifth nationally. Of the opponents’ 242 rushing attempts this season, 165 (68.2%) 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).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 64 tackles and is just outside Maryland’s top 15 with 324 in his career. He needs seven stops to pass Kevin Walker for 15th on Maryland’s career tackles chart (see list page 3).

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In seven games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 31:28 to 28:32 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

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

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

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

Maryland-Boston College Series History

• Maryland and Boston College will face off for the 10th time Saturday. The Eagles own a 6-3 edge in the all-time series, including a 2-1 advantage in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

• Last season, Boston College won 28-17 in College Park behind 243 rushing yards from Rolandan Finch. The Eagles have won three of the past four in the series. The Terps snapped a BC three-game winning streak in the series with a 42-35 victory over the eighth-ranked Eagles in 2007. Maryland won 24-21 in its last trip to BC, in 2010.

• Prior to 2007, Maryland’s only win in the series came in 1985 when the Terps beat the Eagles 31-13 in Foxboro, Mass.

• The Eagles have won five of the seven meetings since Boston College joined the ACC. Maryland fell 31-16 in College Park in 2005, and 38-16 at Boston College in 2006. The Eagles also upended the Terps, 28-21, in 2008 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

This week the Ravens are stammering,

The Texans just gave them a hammering.

You knew they were done,

When they threw out the run.

And now fans want to fire Cam Cameron

The Tigers had visions of grandeur,

And threw out an ace in Verlander.

But for being the best,

Maybe had too much rest.

And in Game 1 got beat by a Panda

There once was a QB named Cam,

Who wanted to be Superman.

But when things don’t work out,

He always starts to pout.

So now people are calling him Sham.

The Bounty-Gate thing was malicious,

Inspiring hits that were vicious.

But the players suspended,

Had their punishments ended.

And now have beef with two commishes.

There once was a Jag named Maurice,

Who called the Bears quarterback weak.

He should laugh at himself,

Because he’s now on the shelf.

With a little foot that he just tweaked.

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

First-and-10

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maryland-NC State Series History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diggs named Specialist of the Week, Drakeford named Linebacker of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Stefon Diggs earned weekly honors from the ACC for the third straight game, while Darin Drakeford was named Linebacker of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Diggs, the Rookie of the Week for his performances against West Virginia and Wake Forest, earned Specialist of the Week honors for his play at Virginia.

Diggs made his impact right from the start in Maryland’s 27-20 win over the Cavaliers by taking the opening kickoff 100 yards untouched for a touchdown. It was just the fourth 100-yard kickoff return in school history and gave Maryland a lead it wouldn’t surrender. On Maryland’s next drive, Diggs took a short pass 60 yards to setup another touchdown. He finished with 89 receiving yards on four catches and a season-high 239 all-purpose yards.

Drakeford, meanwhile, is the second Terp in a row to win the Linebacker of the Week award. Demetrius Hartsfield earned the honor a week ago. Drakeford played a key role on the Maryland defense by making seven tackles, five of them unassisted, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. He also forced a fumble by Virginia quarterback Phillip Sims midway through the fourth quarter, which the Terrapins recovered.

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As always, this week’s 15-7-0 is brought to you by Roofing By Elite. Visit them at roofingbyelite.com. We make 15 observations about football ELITE, 7 about football “not so ELITE” and one “zero” who deserves to sleep on the roof from outside of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens game analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

“The ELITE 15″…

1. Sometimes a single player can be a real program changer. For Maryland, Stefon Diggs might well be that player.

He at least does a hell of a Jacoby Jones impression…

Maryland improved to 4-2 (2-0 ACC) with a 27-20 win over Virginia despite Perry Hills being their leading rusher with SEVEN FLIPPING YARDS.

Also, Pe’Shon Howard looked pretty good in the new Terps’ hoops uniforms…

2. I hate saying it, but it’s awfully fun to watch Robert Griffin III play football.

It’s sorta not fair. The Minnesota Vikings were playing real football while the Skins’ QB was playing Madden from the year Michael Vick was on the cover…

Ugh. Now we have to hear DC fans running their mouths all week. Well, maybe all of them except this guy.

Also-I hope the Vikings enjoyed their taste of people thinking they were good for a week. The Cardinals waive hello, but we’ll get back to them.

3. ALERT! ALERT! Shonn Greene still plays in the NFL.

161 yards and 3TD’s for the New York Jets RB in a blowout loss over the Indianapolis Colts. But no, I’m GLAD I picked up Vick Ballard before getting trounced in Fantasy Football.

Also, tt was so totally worth putting Tim Tebow in for punt protection so you could one day be able to do this in a blowout win!

And…

4. The reports of LSU’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

I mean, just ask these guys!

Steve Spurrier isn’t really sure if he’s mad about his Gamecocks’ performance…

The East-West SEC showdown actually split a few households…

So now we wait for LSU-Alabama III…or IV…or who the eff knows why don’t we just play this game a hundred times to determine a national champ every year?

5. For Orioles fans who haven’t been paying as much attention to college football this season, Kansas State QB Collin Klein is in the “name to know” category.

It wasn’t an overwhelming performance for the Heisman Trophy candidate in Kansas State’s narrow win over Iowa State, but his three rushing TD’s looked better in a week where Geno Smith didn’t particularly shine…

K-State and WVU tangle next week. It had a chance to mean even more, but it still looks like kind of a big deal.

6. The Atlanta Falcons only needed 40 seconds on the clock to come back and beat the Raiders.

Matt Ryan was FAR from brilliant, but Matt Bryant bailed him out at the end to keep the Falcons perfect.

Do you feel like LOL-ing today? Here’s Carson Palmer trying to make a tackle…

Also part of the reason the Falcons are the only undefeated team left in the NFL? Harry Douglas’ concentration…

7. You like that Russell Wilson gets to actually enjoy a last second miracle win this time.

Because this time it really WAS a catch!

Let’s enjoy this grab from Doug Baldwin…

Wes Welker would tell you what he thought of the game, but it would probably come out sounding like “BROWNAHHHHH”…

I think it’s appropriate to wrap up this one with the most Tom Brady thing EVER…

Oh I almost forgot. Richard Sherman Tweeted something funny postgame…

Postgame Quotes

Maryland 27, Virginia 20

Head Coach Randy Edsall

Thoughts on the game:

“You can hear that you have a pretty happy locker room right next door. They just keep playing, they keep playing hard and giving everything they have for 60 minutes. When you do that you give yourself a chance and I’m very proud of them. Our execution can still be better but again, bottom line is we’re 2-0 in the ACC and 4-2 overall and we found a way to come on the road and get another victory, which I think is very, very important.”

On opening kick return for a touchdown:

“As I said to the team today at the hotel, the one thing we have to do is start fast and finish strong. I just didn’t know we were going to start that fast. The problem is I forgot to tell them to play in between the start and the finish. With Stefon (Diggs), nothing he does surprises me. Someone told me it was five-yards deep in the end zone and I figure he’s going to go down and then I see him start and I go, ‘No, no, no. Go, go, go! Yeah!’ It was one of those deals. That was a great start, and to get the first three scores, to put 17 up. Give Virginia credit, they are a good football team. They want to win, so to start like that and finish strong, again outscoring our opponent in the fourth quarter, making plays we needed to make, that’s kind of what this program is about, playing as hard as you can each and every play, never say die, just keep battling to impose your will on people.”

Thoughts on win in rivalry on the road:

“We compete against each other in recruiting. We don’t want them coming to Maryland and taking the kids we want and we want to be able to come down to Virginia and take the kids that we want. When it’s your crossover game and you take a look at how many times each of us has played against each other, it’s significant. What’s even more significant is when you are able to come in their house and beat them. To me that’s tremendous credit to these players and to the assistant coaches.”

On juggling the offensive line:

“To tell you the truth it wasn’t much of a problem because we anticipated and practiced certain ways during the week in terms of possible scenarios that could happen. One of the scenarios we made in practice on Thursday, because I always meet with the specialty coaches on Thursday, but just in terms of substitutions and how we were going to pack things in, the one thing we said was if anything happens to Sal (Conaboy), we’re at the point now that we’re going to take Evan Mulrooney and let him go in and be the backup and we’ll evaluate his play afterwards because we have Bennett (Fulper), who has played there, and we put Josh (Cary) in because of what we’ve seen of Evan at practice. He has elevated himself, so when Sal went down, give Sal credit because he tried to sneak back in, showing you the kind of player he is, but Evan went in, I’ll have to look at the film because I’m sure he made mistakes, but we’ll put in whoever we have to put in to get the job done. That’s what I like, everyone has to contribute when it’s their time.”

On his defense’s performance:

“We gave up some big plays but Virginia is a good offense. If you look at their numbers they are a good offense, and they present you with some problems. The bottom line is, I think they were seven of 20 from the third-down line, but we made some plays when we had to and that’s all I want from my guys. They can move the ball all they want in between the twenties but our tight red zone defense was outstanding today. We block a field goal and we hold them to two field goals, that’s something that I’m really proud of in terms that they hung in there and found a way to get it done.”

On Rocco coming in over Sims at the game’s end:

“As I evaluate them, watching them on film, I think he is the best passer that they have so it didn’t surprise me that when they got into that situation where they had to throw the ball that he would come in because, as I said, I think that he is the best pure passer of the two so I’ll leave it at that.”

Freshman Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs

On winning:

“A lot of kids from my school play at UVa, so it felt good to come here and play so many people that I know. There was a great energy and a great vibe playing here. I’m glad we could come and win in their house.”

On running game: 

“We have had a lot of ups and down, but it’s all about how you look at it in the end. You have to have faith in your quarterback, and you can’t get down on him at all.”

On 100 yard kickoff return:

“I knew once I got the ball in the end zone that I was going to take it out regardless. I hesitated a little at first because they were telling me to ‘stay in, stay in’ but I was thinking, ‘No we’re going to take this one out.’ Last game we had a shot but we didn’t go for it. My front line guys did a good job so I didn’t want them to waste all their energy.”

Sophomore Wide Receiver Marcus Leak

On season so far:

“Everyone has such high hopes for the season, and we’re all expecting a lot of good things from each other. We struggle with playing all four quarters together. You can notice that in certain games we will play good the first half and the other team will come back the second half. We just need to learn how to put all four quarters together. We’re getting better each day.

On punt return:

“Coach told me to come in and make sure that I caught everything and that’s what I did. I think Stefon [Diggs] may have gotten a little nicked up, but he came and asked me to go in. It turned out ok.”

Senior Defensive Lineman Joe Vellano

On playing all four quarters:

“That’s the biggest thing, just fighting on every play and I think our team kept fighting. The Virginia offense had a lot of runs and combinations, they made some plays on us that were tough but we just had to step it up in the red zone, and we blocked that field goal which gave us great momentum.”

On Virginia turnovers:

“We’ve been working on that all week. We have to capitalize when we get them and really take advantage of that opportunity when they lose the ball like that.”

On season compared to two years ago:

“Everyone is just fighting harder and taking it week by week. Everyone really wants it and we’re focusing on the ACC now. Next week [vs NC State] is one of our biggest games that we’ve ever played, so we’re just glad to get this one and now we need to get ready for next week.

On defense:

“We do two minute drills and a lot of guys take a lot of pride in those last two minutes, so we were just stepping it up. We try to prevent easy reads and hold them to their line.”

Postgame Notes

Kicking Off: Maryland improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the ACC with the win, while Virginia dropped to 2-5 and 0-3 in the league … the road team has won six of the last seven games in the series … Maryland leads the all-time series, which began in 1919, 43-32-2 overall and 22-18 on the road … the last time the Terrapins started 2-0 in the ACC was 2001.

Diggs’ Return: Stefon Diggs gave Maryland a lead it wouldn’t surrender by taking the game’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. That was just the fourth 100-yard kickoff return for a TD in school history and the first since Josh Wilson had one in 2006. The others were Kenny Ambrusko vs. Navy (1964) and Dick Novak/Dennis Condie vs. Virginia in 1960 (Novak returned to the 9-yard line, then lateraled to Condie who returned 91 yds. for TD).

More on Diggs: Diggs came into Saturday’s game leading the ACC with 21.4 yards per catch and exceeded that against the Cavs with 89 yards on four catches (22.25 ypc). On the day, Diggs had a season-high 239 all-purpose yards (147 kick return, 89 receiving, 3 rushing).

Pass Rush: The Terps had a season-high five sacks, the fourth time this year they’ve had at least three in a game (4 vs. William & Mary, 3 vs. Temple, 3 vs. Wake Forest). Joe Vellano and Darin Drakeford delivered two each, while Keith Bowers had one.

Steady Signal Caller: Perry Hills was steady all game and helped seal the win by leading Maryland on a 6-play, 47-yard drive early in the fourth quarter to increase Maryland’s lead to 24-13. Hills went 14 of 26 for 237 yards and a touchdown on the day, and added a 6-yard touchdown run which capped the touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

Defensive Notes: Joe Vellano tallied a team-high nine tackles including three for a loss and two sacks. Vellano now has 11 tackles for loss on the season, a team high … Darin Drakeford had two sacks, a forced fumble and seven total tackles (five unassisted) … Maryland totaled 10 tackles for loss.

Tidbits: Maryland’s 14 first quarter points were its most in the opening quarter this season … freshman Anthony Nixon’s interception in the first quarter was the first of his career … A.J. Francis recorded his second blocked field goal of the season (also vs. Temple) … Maryland lost the battle for time of possession, 33:32 to 26:28, but still won. The Terps are 2-1 when they fail to win TOP (win over William & Mary, loss to Connecticut) … the Terps committed just one penalty in the game and committed one turnover, while Virginia had two turnovers and seven penalties.

Hartsfield named Linebacker of the Week, Diggs named Rookie of the Week

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Demetrius Hartsfield and Stefon Diggs received player of the week honors from the ACC for their play in Maryland’s 19-14 win over Wake Forest, the league announced Monday.

Hartsfield was named the Linebacker of the Week while Diggs received Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season.

Hartsfield led a strong defensive effort as the Terrapins held the Demon Deacons to 241 yards of total offense, including just 45 in the second half and four in the fourth quarter. Hartsfield finished with 10 tackles, seven of them solo, one pass breakup and a sack. His sack of Wake quarterback Tanner Price on fourth-and-15 with under a minute to play essentially sealed the victory for Maryland.

Diggs, who also received Rookie of the Week honors for his play at West Virginia, turned in his second straight 100-yard receiving game by hauling in five passes for 105. His 63-yard reception in the fourth quarter, the longest by a Terrapin this year, set up the game-winning one-yard touchdown run by Justus Pickett.

On that play, Diggs caught a pass over the middle six yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and then took it 57 yards after the catch. The freshman also had 20 punt return yards and seven rushing yards, and ranks second in the ACC with 154.8 all-purpose yards per game.

A Terrapin has won Rookie of the Week honors in three of Maryland’s last four games (Perry Hills vs. Temple, Diggs vs. West Virginia, Diggs vs. Wake Forest.

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