The Maryland Football Team Is Set to Open Its Season Against Border-State Rival West Virginia on Saturday, 2020 SCHEDULE 1 September 4 at 3:30 P.M
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GAME INFO SETTING THE STAGE TELEVISION ESPN MARYLAND WEST VIRGINIA Anish Shroff (pxp) 2020 Record: 2-3 (2-3 B1G) 2020 Record: 6-4 (4-4 Big 12) Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) Head Coach: Michael Locksley (Towson ‘92) Head Coach: Neal Brown (UMass, ‘02) Taylor McGregor (sideline) Top Returning Passer: Taulia Tagovailoa (Jr.) / 1,111 yds / 7 TDs Top Returning Passer: Jarret Doege (R-Sr.) / 3,405 yds / 21 TDs Top Returning Rusher: Tayon Fleet-Davis (R-Sr.) / 615 yds / 4.2yds/c / 7 TDs Top Returning Rusher: Leddie Brown (Sr.) / 1,823 yds / 4.6yds/c / 14 TDs MARYLAND SPORTS RADIO NETWORK Top Returning Receiver: Dontay Demus Jr. (Sr.) / 1,233 yds / 16.4 yds/c / 10 TDs Top Returning Receiver: Winston Wright Jr. (Jr.) / 650 yds / 9.8yds/c / 4 TDs Johnny Holliday (pxp) / 43rd season Top Returning Tackler: Jordan Mosley (Sr.) / 112 TT / 3.5 TFLs / 1 INT Top Returning Tackler: Sean Mahone (R-Sr.) / 143 TT / 7.0 TFLs / 8 PBUs Steve Suter (analyst) / 1st season 105.7FM (Balt.) / 980AM (DC) One Maryland App TuneIn Radio App WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW XM 200 / Sirius 98 The Maryland football team is set to open its season against border-state rival West Virginia on Saturday, 2020 SCHEDULE 1 September 4 at 3:30 p.m. at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. DATE OPPONENT TIME S4 WEST VIRGINIA 3:30 p.m. The Terps bring back seven All-Big Ten honorees from 2020. S Nick Cross, WR Dontay Demus Jr., OL Jaelyn Duncan, WR Rakim Jarrett, DL Mosiah Nasili-Kite, DB Tarheeb Still and QB Taulia Tagovailoa S11 HOWARD 7:30 p.m. 7 S17 at Illinois * 9:00 p.m. all return to the Terps as the foundation of the 2021 team. S25 KENT STATE TBA O1 IOWA * 8:00 p.m. The Terps have won nine-straight non-conference openers heading into the 2021 season, tied for the O9 at Ohio State* 12:00 p.m. second-longest streak in the Big Ten, only trailing Michigan State who has won 11-straight. Maryland’s O23 at Minnesota * TBA streak dates back to 2010 when the Terps beat Navy 17-14 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and O30 INDIANA *^ 12:00 p.m. 9 includes two wins over another Big 12 opponent, Texas. The Terps defeated the Longhorns in back-to-back N6 PENN STATE * TBA years, winning 51-41 in Austin in 2017 and then 34-29 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. in 2018, both with N13 at Michigan State* TBA Texas ranked #23. Maryland has won six home games during this stretch, most recently beating Howard, N20 MICHIGAN * TBA 79-0, in Michael Locksley’s first game as head coach in 2019. N27 at Rutgers * TBA ALL CAPS indicates home game; *Big Ten game. Maryland returns 85% of its total production from 2020 to the team in 2021, the 10th-highest returning production of any team in the country and the highest total returning production of any team in the Big Ten, SERIES NOTABLES 10 according to ESPN. The Terps return 86% of its offensive production, the 14th-highest mark in the country and 85% of its defensive production, the 17th-highest mark in the country. MARYLAND: • The Terps won four in a row against Maryland welcomes the 18th ranked recruiting class in the nation to the fold in 2021, the fourth-highest West Virginia from 2001-04, including two ranked class in the Big Ten, which is headlined by the top-ranked inside linebacker and No. 10 overall high wins in the Terrapins 10-win 2003 season. school player in the nation Terrence Lewis. The Terps have six ESPN300 selections in the 2021 class, Maryland defeated the Mountaineers, 18 where Lewis is joined by linebacker Demeioun Robinson, linebacker Branden Jennings, defensive 41-7 in the 2004 Gator Bowl, led by 381 lineman Tommy Akingbesote, defensive lineman Taizse Johnson and running back Antwain Littleton passing yards and four TDs from former Jr. Coupled with the 2020 signing of five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, this marks the first time Mountaineer Scott McBrien. Steve Suter Maryland has signed a five-star rated player in consecutive classes since rankings began in 2000.The returned a punt for a touchdown and Terrapins are one of only 11 programs nationally that have signed a five star prospect in both 2020 and 2021, according to 247Sports. made a highlight-reel catch to help the Terrapins (10-3) reach 10 wins for the Maryland averaged 264 yards per game through the air last season, the 35th best mark in the country and third straight year. the second best in the Big Ten and only allowed 200 passing yards per game, the 25th best mark in the 35 country and the third best in the Big Ten. The Terps were one of only four teams in the FBS and the only team in the Big Ten with a top-35 pass offense and defense (BYU, Kent State, West Virginia). STREAKS SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT Starts on Offense: WR Dontay Demus Jr. (18) Twitter: @TerpsFootball Dustin Semonavick Starts on Defense: DL Ami Finau & S Jordan Mosley (5) @CoachLocks (Asst. AD/FB Communications) Games with a Catch: WR Dontay Demus Jr. (19) Instagram: @TerpsFootball Email: [email protected] Games with a Receiving Touchdown: WR Dontay Demus Jr. (4) @CoachLocks O: 301-314-7065 // C: 757-544-8393 Wins when Maryland commits no turnovers: 7 Facebook: /MarylandFootball YouTube: /MarylandAthletics Ben Kessler (Secondary Football) Email: [email protected] O: 301-314-7068 // C: 908-770-3059 MARYLAND TERRAPINS 2021 MARYLAND FOOTBALL ON THE OFFENSE By The Numbers 1 QB Taulia Tagovailoa had an impressive first year with the Terps, completing 75-of-122 passes for 1,011 yards while throwing seven touchdown passes. Tagovailoa led the Big Ten, averaging 13.48 yards per completion and stood second in the league in passing efficiency (138.5) and third in passing yards per game (252.8). Tagovailoa also entered his name in the Maryland record books, with his 2020 season ranking ninth all-time in completion percentage (61.5%) and passing efficiency. Against Minnesota (10/30), Tagovailoa threw for 394 yards, the 10th-highest single game mark in program history. 2 A Terp earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors in two-straight weeks last season with QB Taulia Tagovailoa earning Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition after a 26-of-35, 394 yard, five touchdown performance against Minnesota (10/30) and WR Rakim Jarrett earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after a five reception, 144 yard, two touchdown performance at Penn State (11/7), the first time Maryland has hadback-to-back weekly honors since William Likely (Defensive) and Cole Farrand (Defensive) did it in consecutive weeks vs. Syracuse (9/20) and Indiana (9/27) in 2014. 2 WR Rakim Jarrett had a standout game at Penn State (11/7) last season, becoming the first true freshman wide receiver to have over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns since Stefon Diggs at West Virginia in 2012 (9/22). Jarrett finished the game with five receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns, the second-most receiving yards ever by a true freshman, only trailing Stefon Diggs’ 152 vs. Boston College on October 27, 2012 and the third-most by any freshman, trailing Diggs and Darrius Heyward- Bey (redshirt freshman), who had 175 vs. Miami on November 11, 2006. Jarrett ranks seventh among all freshman wide receivers in the FBS in receptions per game (4.2) and eighth receiving yards per game (63). 5 In five games last season, Maryland had five different leading receivers: Nick DeGennaro, 42 yards at Northwestern (10/24); Jeshaun Jones, 103 yards vs. Minnesota (10/30); Rakim Jarrett, 144 yards at Penn State (11/7) ; Dontay Demus Jr., 114 yards at #12 Indiana (11/28) and Brian Cobbs, 99 yards vs. Rutgers (12/12). The Terps were the only team in the Big Ten that had five different receivers lead the team in receiving yards in a game last season. All five wide receivers return for the Terps in 2021. 10 With four receiving touchdowns last season, WR Dontay Demus Jr. now has 10 in his career, tied for the 11th most in program history. With one more touchdown, Demus Jr. will move up to ninth all-time, tying Marcus Badgett (1989-92) and Barry Johnson (1987-90). 30 Maryland welcomes Dan Enos as its offensive coordinator for the 2021 season. Enos has 30 years of coaching experience and last year helped lead Cincinnati to one of the best seasons in program history, which featured a 9-1 record, American Athletic Conference Championship, Top-10 ranking and Sugar Bowl berth. 2 GAME 1: MARYLAND vs. WEST VIRGINIA 2021 MARYLAND FOOTBALL ON THE DEFENSE/ST By The Numbers 1 Still Island. CB Tarheeb Still led the nation in pass breakups per game in his freshman 2020 season, averaging two per game and 10 on the season, the highest per game mark in program history. Still was selected to The Athletic’s Freshman All-America Team, one of five defensive backs named to the team. The sophomore tallied four pass breakups in Maryland’s finale against Rutgers, the most by a Maryland freshman in 31 years and tying for the most in a single game by any Big Ten player last season. 1 All-Big Ten performer Mosiah Nasili-Kite led the Big Ten and ranked 23rd nationally in 2020 with 0.80 sacks per game, recording four in Maryland’s five games last season.