ACC Announces 2013 Conference Football Opponents

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

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

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

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

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

Maryland Football 2013 Schedule

Date              Opponent            Home/Away/Neutral

Aug. 31          FIU                      Home

Sept. 7          Old Dominion       Home

Sept. 14         Connecticut          Away

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

Conference Schedule (Dates to be announced in early February)

Home: Boston College, Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia

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

- Terps -

Wedneday, Dec. 19, 2012
Opponent: Virginia Cavaliers (8-2)
Site: John Paul Jones Arena (14,593), Charlottesville, Va.
Game Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Television: N/A
Internet Broadcast: ESPN3
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (114-89 – 7th yr)
Websites: MorganStateBears.com/Virginiasports.com

BALTIMORE, Md. —  Morgan State will take on the Virginia Cavaliers in a non-conference matchup at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Bears will enter the contest looking to bounce back from a loss at Illinois State in which junior guard Justin Black paced the Bears with 21 points. Virginia (8-2) extended to a 7-game winning streak as a result of a 67-39 home win against Mississippi Valley State. The Bears-Cavaliers game will be streamed live by ESPN3.

Bear Bits:
• An MSU win would give Todd Bozeman his 115th victory in his 204th game as Morgan State’s head coach.

• After opening the season with a 71 point effort in a win against UTSA, the Bears have gone 3-4 while averaging 70 points and 45 percent shooting.

• Morgan State, who shot 67.6 percent from the line last season, continues to have hard times from the stripe … through the first seven games the Bears are shooting 58 percent (108-185 FT).

• The Bears, who held VMI to 9 of 32 from 3-point range, have allowed an average of 74.4 points and opponents are shooting 33 percent from 3-point territory.

• Morgan State shot a season-high 52.8 percent at South Carolina and a season best 65.0 percent from the stripe, with 11 steals.

• Anthony Hubbard has scored 109 points in seven games and ranks among the MEAC’s scoring leaders ranked No. 3 (15.5 ppg).

• One area where the Bears haven’t been inconsistent is under the basket. Morgan State ranks No. 1 in the league in total rebounding at 34.3 per game, No. 1 in offensive rebounds at 38.9 and No. 1 in field goal percentage at 45.5.

• Justin Black was just shy of posting a triple-double at Liberty. The junior guard finished with a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points and nine assists … he enters the Virginia game following a career-high 21 points at Illinois State on Sunday.

• Shaquille Duncan played the role of ‘Chairman of the Boards’ at VMI. Seven of Duncan’s game-high 14 rebounds came on the offensive end, and he finished with a career-high 17 points (8-8); both of which were career-highs…he also recorded three blocked shots.

• DeWayne Jackson is ranked among the top theft artists in school history. Jackson has collected 136 steals with the Bears and needs 19 more steals to move in front of Randy Hampton (108, 1984-88) to become the school’s No. 3 ranked theft artist.  The school record for career steals is held by Terrence Wright (1992-96) with 186 career steals … Jackson is just 52 steals away from becoming the school’s new leader.

MORGAN STATE VS. THE ACC
Morgan State is 1-13 vs. Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. The Bears registered a historic 66-65 victory at Maryland on January 7, 2009, marking its first and only victory against the ACC. The Bears finished the season with an 23-12 record and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
The Cavaliers welcome back eight veterans — four starters — from a squad that posted a 22-10 overall record, finished T-4th in the ACC with a 9-7 ledger, and advanced to the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament. Joe Harris leads the Cavaliers averaging 14.8 points and is shooting 43 percent from 3-point territory. Akil Mitchell is also averaging double-figures (13.4 ppg) and leads the squad on the boards with 9.2 rebounds. Head coach Tony Bennett (Green Bay ’92) enters his fourth season as the Cavaliers head coach and he currently holds a 62-43 record.

FIRST THREE PART OF ODU TOURNAMENT
The first three games of the regular season made the Liberty Tax Classic on the Morgan State schedule. The Bears defeated the University of Texas at San Antonio (W 71-59), and fell to Old Dominion (L 72-61), and Holy Cross (L, 74-73) in the event hosted by Old Dominion at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Morgan State senior swingman DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Liberty Tax Classic All-Tournament Team as a result of his performance during a weekend in which he averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds 3.7 assists with three steals.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
Morgan State will face six teams this season that the program has never met in its basketball history. The first time opponents are: UTSA, Old Dominion, Holy Cross, South Carolina, Illinois State and San Diego. The Bears do not see a familiar foe until the Nov. 29 matchup at Liberty (MSU leads, 1-0), their fifth game of the season. The other five opponents MSU previously has played are University of Virginia (trails, 0-1), Loyola Marymount (leads, 2-0), and Saint Joseph’s (trails, 0-1).

ROAD WARRIORS
Morgan State, which played its first six games on the road, has won 17 of its past 29 games held away from Hill Field House, including a 1-2 mark on neutral courts. The Bears finished 5-10 in true road contests and 0-3 on neutral floors in 2011-12 and posted a 4-4 road conference ledger, which was its worst mark since Todd Bozeman took over the program in 2006. This season’s schedule will send MSU on the road for 10 of its first 11 games, including a six-game road trip from Nov. 29-Dec. 29 that features contests in three different time zones. The Bears are guaranteed at least 19 games away from home this season.

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. There are seven (7) juniors, four (4) sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK
DeWayne Jackson (1,243, 422 rebs., 133 asts) needs just 27 points to surpass Anthony Young (1,269 points – 1975-79) to become the school’s No. 13 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson (2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophomore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .561 (114-89) after 202 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS UNDER BOZEMAN
During his tenure in Baltimore, Todd Bozeman has coached seven (7) different players to All-Conference honors, including four Players of the Year selections: Ron Timus (2007 2nd Team), Boubacar Coly (2008 Defensive POTY, 1st Team), Jamar Smith (2008 Offensive POTY, 1st Team), Marquise Kately (2008 & 2009 2nd Team), Reggie Holmes (2007 All-Rookie, 2008 2nd Team, 2009 Offensive POTY, 2009 & 2010 1st Team), Kevin Thompson (2009 All-Rookie, 2010 Defensive POTY, 2010 1st Team, 2011 2nd Team), DeWayne Jackson (Rookie of the Year, 2011 1st Team).

THREE IN DOUBLE FIGURES
In the first seven games of the season, three Bears average more than 12 points a game. Anthony Hubbard leads both offensively with 15.6 points per game and on the boards with 7.6 rpg. Justin Black is contributing 13.1 ppg and DeWayne Jackson is averaging 12.4 ppg.

FAST START TO HUBBARD’S JUNIOR SEASON
Junior Anthony Hubbard has provided a consistent scoring presence for Bears in his first season. He currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in scoring (15.5) and ranks No. 5 in rebounding (7.3) while also ranking among the top 10 in offensive rebounds (5th, 3.2), defensive rebounds (T-11th, 4.2) and minutes (5th, 34.3) Hubbard has scored 13 or more points in the Bears first six games, including two double-double performances. Hubbard has scored in double-figures in every game so far this season.

JACKSON DOING A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING EARLY ON
Senior DeWayne Jackson is filling the stat sheet in the early season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists (ranked No. 7) and 2.9 steals (ranked No. 1) per game. Jackson has also registered three blocks. He has recorded six double-digit scoring games, including a 15-point effort at VMI (Dec. 1).

THIEVING BEARS
Morgan State’s defense has forced an average of 15.9 turnovers in its first seven games. Morgan State forced 20 turnovers and grabbed 11 steals against the South Carolina Gamecocks (Nov. 16), led by DeWayne Jackson‘s five thefts. Jackson has at least three steals in five of the first seven games this season. Morgan State’s 54 steals (7.7 avg) currently ranks 7th in the MEAC.

UP NEXT
The Bears will travel to face Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27 in Los Angeles, California.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Tomasz Adamek vs. Steve Cunningham (Saturday 4pm from Bethlehem, PA live on NBC); MISL Soccer: Baltimore Blast @ Chicago Soul (Friday 8:30pm from Hoffman Estates, IL live on MISLtv.com), Baltimore Blast @ Milwaukee Wave (Saturday 7pm from Milwaukee live on MISLtv.com)

10. Dave Matthews Band/Lumineers (Tuesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); The Killers (Tuesday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Mike Ruocco (Sunday 7pm Recher Theatre); Grace Potter (Tuesday 7pm Baltimore Soundstage); Carbon Leaf (Tuesday & Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Los Lobos (Thursday 6:30pm & 9:30pm Rams Head on Stage); Grouplove (Tuesday & Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Virginia Coalition (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Chatham County Line (Wednesday 7:30pm Birchmere)

Still can’t believe Dave Matthews is playing Charm City. First time since 1994. Going to be an exceptional evening.

And they brought Lumineers? Outstanding.

I remember the summer after “Hot Fuss” was released I saw The Killers at Merriweather Post Pavilion. The place was a mobscene. It was a fine damn night. This is one of the greatest rock and roll songs of the 21st century…

I beat Andrew Poliakoff from VACO in “Everybody Beats Glenn”, but I lost a bet to him on the Ravens game and had to Tweet out “HTTR” which was the most painful thing EVER.

9. Paul Mooney (Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); “This is 40” & “Jack Reacher” out in theaters (Friday); Glenn Clark’s annual holiday party (Friday “In The Corn”)

Once again I’ve partnered with ABC Rental Rosedale for my own Christmas Party. I DEFINITELY picked up one of these…

But I could definitely still use a few of these before the party…

And I REALLY want to serve THESE…

(Continued on Page 2…)

BALTIMORE, MD – Inside Lacrosse Magazine announced today that the 2013 Johns Hopkins-Virginia men’s lacrosse game will be the second game in the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium. The event will take place on Saturday, March 23 and will open with a key Patriot League showdown between Navy and Colgate.

The Navy-Colgate game will begin at 2 pm with the Johns Hopkins-Virginia game to follow at 4:30 pm. Both games will air live on ESPNU.

“We are thankful and excited to once again be playing in the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic,” Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala noted. “Our rivalry with the University of Virginia is one of the great rivalries in our sport and to have the opportunity to play this game at M&T Bank Stadium will only add to the excitement surrounding the game. Inside Lacrosse continues to create events that showcase some of the finest games in college lacrosse and we look forward to representing Johns Hopkins University in their premier event.”

Inside Lacrosse also announced the game schedule for the Konica Minolta Big City Classic. In that event on Saturday, April 27, Princeton will take on Cornell and Syracuse will play Notre Dame.

Johns Hopkins has been a regular in the Face-Off Classic as the Blue Jays are the only team that has participated in the event every year since its formation in 2007. Johns Hopkins has won four of its six all-time games in the Face-Off Classic and has also split a pair of games in the Big City Classic.

The Johns Hopkins-Virginia game is one of the highlights on the college lacrosse schedule each season. The Blue Jays have beaten the Cavaliers by a goal in each of the last two years (12-11 in 2011 and 11-10 in 2010). One-goal games are nothing new in the series as Johns Hopkins and Virginia have played eight one-goal games since 2002.

In addition to overflow crowds, the Hopkins-Virginia game has also been one of the featured attractions on television in recent years. In fact, Johns Hopkins’ 11-10 victory in overtime at Virginia last season ranks as the highest rated regular season men’s lacrosse game in ESPNU history.

“I think Konica Minolta’s on going commitment shows that lacrosse has proven value for sponsors,” said Andy Bilello, Associate Publisher at Inside Lacrosse. “Especially now when the sports marketplace is crowded with sponsorship opportunities. After six years together, Konica Minolta genuinely feels like part of the Inside Lacrosse team. Our ability to deliver great experiences to lacrosse fans is due to the support of Konica Minolta and other partners like them. This is just a part of IL’s event plans for 2013, and we’re excited to make this first announcement with a long-standing partner like Konica Minolta.”

“Over the years, our partnership with Inside Lacrosse has been a wonderful arrangement for everyone,” said Kevin Kern, senior vice president, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “By continuing this partnership with Inside Lacrosse, we are able to further enhance our brand awareness, and lacrosse fans can count on the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and Konica Minolta Big City Classic as premier events on the college sports landscape.”

Well established as the premier media outlet in the sport, Inside Lacrosse is also recognized for its success in promoting the biggest events of the college lacrosse season. These events have brought unprecedented excitement and fan interest to the regular season. Over the past six years Inside Lacrosse has drawn more than 260,000 fans to its 13 events, including 55,354 fans to its three events in 2012. Lacrosse fans circle the dates for the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and the Konica Minolta Big City Classic on their calendars each year. The games lined up for the 2013 events guarantee that fans will be eagerly anticipating the start of the next season.

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.

- Terps -

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.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Led by a defense that ranks as one of the nation’s best, Maryland will look to build on its ACC-opening victory over Wake Forest when it travels to Virginia for a 3 p.m. game that will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic locally. The Terps and Cavaliers will be meeting for the 77th time, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps’ 120-year football history.

First-and-10

• For the first time since 1999, Maryland has held its opponent under 300 yards of total offense in four of the season’s first five games. Only No. 5 West Virginia, which is averaging 570.8 yards of total offense per game, exceeded the 300 mark against the Terrapins (363). The Terps rank seventh nationally in total defense (257.2 ypg), seventh in rushing defense (81.0 ypg) and 15th in passing defense (176.2 ypg). Maryland has been very 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 2.3 yards per rush, which ranks third 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 two games back: he has eight tackles, two for a loss, a sack, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He and Hartsfield helped seal the victory over Wake Forest by providing back-to-back sacks late in the fourth quarter, preserving a 19-14 win. Hartsfield earned ACC Linebacker of the Week honors for his play.

• Offensively, wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be Maryland’s most dynamic playmaker. The freshman has put together back-to-back 100-yard receiving games by catching three passes for 113 yards and two TDs against West Virginia and then hauling in five passes for 105 yards vs. Wake Forest. Against the Demon Deacons, his 63-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter setup the game-winning score. Diggs, who ranks second in the ACC and 19th nationally with 154.8 all-purpose yards per game, is the only player in the conference with 350 receiving yards, 150 punt return yards and 150 kickoff return yards. He has been named ACC Rookie of the Week in each of his last two games.

• 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.

• The Maryland running game has been a work in progress as four capable backs have all seen time this season. SophomoreJustus Pickett, the most experienced of the four, and true freshman Wes Brown received the bulk of the carries against Wake Forest. Brown leads the team with 150 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry, while Pickett is second with 137 rushing yards and is a threat on screen passes, having caught 13 passes for 70 yards. True freshman Albert Reid, who started against William & Mary, and redshirt freshman Brandon Ross, who started the last two games, have also been in the mix.

Quick Hitters

• A Terrapin has received Rookie of the Week honors three times in Maryland’s last four games. Quarterback Perry Hillsearned the award for his play against Temple (9/8), while Stefon Diggs received the honor for his play against West Virginia (9/22) and Wake Forest (10/6). Hills became the first Maryland true freshman QB to earn the award since Calvin McCall on 9/20/99, while Diggs became the first Maryland freshman receiver to earn it since Darrius Heyward-Bey on 10/30/06.

• Diggs ranks ninth in the conference and first among freshmen with 72.8 receiving yards per game. Diggs, who has 17 catches for 364 yards, is averaging 21.4 yards per catch. That leads all ACC receivers with 15 or more catches. It also ranks third among the top-100 receivers (yards per game) nationally.

• Diggs is the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games 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.

• Maryland held a high-powered West Virginia offense that came in averaging 226 rushing yards per game to just 25 yards on 25 attempts.

• 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 121.4 yards in the second half.

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.3 yards per carry, which ranks third nationally. Of the opponents’ 174 rushing attempts this season, 122 (70.1%) 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).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 43 tackles and three sacks, and has 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 five 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 Wake Forest the Terps did their best job of clock control all season, holding the ball for 35:48 to just 24:12 for Wake.

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. In the win over William & Mary, Marcus Leak got the game ball for offense, Joe Vellano for defense and Nathan Renfro for special teams. In the win over Temple, Sal Conaboy got the game ball for offense, Demetrius Hartsfield for defense and A.J. Francis for special teams. Against Wake, Kevin Dorsey got the offensive game ball, Jeremiah Johnson the defensive and Anthony Nixon special teams.

• 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-Virginia Series History

• Saturday’s game will mark the 77th meeting between the Terrapins and Cavaliers, the most between Maryland and any other school in the Terps’ 120-year football history. The schools have met every season since 1957.

• Maryland leads the all-time series, which began in 1919, by a 42-32-2 margin.

• Maryland is 21-18 all-time against Virginia on the road, and has won two of the last three meetings in Charlottesville. The road team has won five of the last six meetings.

• Virginia has won four out of the last five in the series, with Maryland’s win coming in Charlottesville in 2010.

• From 1969 through 2000, play between the two schools was feast or famine for one team. From 1969-87, the Terrapins held an 18-1 advantage in the series and at one point ran off 16 wins in a row, the longest streak in the series. Then from 1988 to 2000, the series swung almost exclusively to the Cavs as they were 11-2 in that span. Over the last 11 meetings, Virginia holds a 6-5 edge.

• Maryland’s 41-21 win in 2001 broke a string of nine straight losses to Virginia. In the win, the Terps allowed a 24-7 lead to be cut to three in the third quarter before scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth to win going away.

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On how the offensive players performed:

“Obviously we didn’t run the ball very well, so it’s hard to say if any of them did well. Whether it’s in the run game or pass game, we have a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. It starts with executing our techniques and executing the fundamental things that we teach. When you go back and watch the tape as a play caller, you see that plays are there but then a guy shows up. It’s not just one guy, it’s a guy on each play, maybe not doing their job or not taking care of their responsibilities. As coaches we have to find a way to get our guys to find a way to the things they’re coached to do in games.”

On whether the breakdowns in the running game are different each time or something particular:

“That’s the point. You can’t say that it’s this type of play that we’re running. It’s individual technique and fundamental technique things that we just have to get cleaned up. The positive side of it is that our guys, especially on the offensive side of the bal,l have had a chance in every game in the fourth quarter to win. Three of the five games we found a way and made the plays whether it be in the run game, or the pass game to win the ball game and that’s a positive. That’s something that we’ll build on but the next step for us is the execution has got to be a lot better.”

On how frustrating it’s been to see the running game struggle:

“It’s frustrating, but the thing is when you’re starting young players up front, and young in the middle of your offense, you have guys who don’t have a lot of game experience. So the thing you’d like to be able to do is find a way to run the football to take some pressure off of the young quarterback. We just haven’t been able to do it consistently. There’ve been times, the opening drive of the second half, we had a series where we had been moving the ball down the field. Wes [Brown] did a good job coming in and getting the ball downhill, and I can recall having at least a drive of some plays where we were able to cover people up. If we can do that consistently than we’ll have a chance.”

On giving Wes Brown and Justus Picket the bulk of the carries:

“They make the least amount of mistakes. That’s the thing for us, when you look at us across the board, and it’s not just one guy or one position, I think that during the course of the game we have enough what we call ‘mental assignments’ where a guy goes the wrong way, blocks the wrong guy, or doesn’t take care of his responsibility. For us right now everything we call and how we go about our game plan on offense we have to be pretty perfect. Those two guys have been the most steady in terms of knowing their assignments. Albert [Reid] still has a role, and you’ll see him. He came and filled in when Wes went out for a minute, and I still think he’s in the mix as well.”

On the importance of Justus Picket:

“He’s been the guy who’s been out there when we’ve had to do it. I know in the William & Mary game Kevin Dorsey made the big run after the catch on the screen play, and Justus came back and put it in. The Temple game where we let them back in the game, and had to put a drive together, Justus was the guy who scored the touchdown. Again this past weekend, he’s been a guy who’s been pretty steady and I think it starts with his game experience. He’s only a sophomore, but he played a lot of ball last year and that lends itself to help and be able to handle the things that happy through the course of this year. Whereas a guy like Brand Ross, it’s only been his second ball games for us. Wes Brown has still only played in his fifth ball game, same thing for Albert Reid. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel for these young guys with each game gaining a ton of experience that will be fruitful for us in the future. Unfortunately now we have to get these guys to play better.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On the goal line stand vs. Wake Forest:

“That was awesome wasn’t it? I don’t know how I could break it down; it was just great all across the board. The defensive linemen cut their offensive linemen, which made it easier for the linebackers and secondary players to see the [running]back take a leap. I think it was [Demetrius] Hartsfield who hit him first below, and then it was Cole [Farrand] who came from the other side. They got a hit on him, and then next thing you know Dexter [McDougle] comes flying all out with his best impression of Troy Polamalu without the hair and then just did a good job of hitting. It was just an awesome play, I think that was a spark for us, a big play that was huge and it kept us rolling and I think it affected the offense also.”

On preparing for Virginia using two different quarterbacks:

“Yeah, [Phillip] Sims has had an opportunity to play in almost every game. We got a chance to see him and how he handles the offense. They’re going to run the same stuff, they do the same things, there’s not a big difference. I’m just glad I don’t have to make that quarterback decision.”

On the play of Anthony Nixon:

“Anthony has done a good job of asking questions that don’t just pertain to him, but pertain to the whole scheme. So he can understand where he fits and how he fits. At practice, when you correct him, he’ll look at it on tape and say ‘coach that’s the one you were telling me about.’ So he’s always thinking, and that’s just a testament to his high school coach, his parents, and that everything is important to him.”

On how much he’s seen Jeremiah Johnson improve:

“I just think Jeremiah is another guy where everything is important to him. When you talk to him about football, he sees it. You can talk to him and he sees it. He’s just a smart kid, good grades, and that’s probably why he’s a god football player. He knows how to study, does what he’s supposed to do, and I’m excited for him.”

On the play of Darin Drakeford:

“He’s done a good job. He’s been drawing some double teams. He’s been either drawing double teams or the backs come and chip him. So that’s slowed down his production, but it also helps the guy who plays right inside him. So whoever is on his side gets the opportunity to get a single block.”

– Terps –