2020 Schedule Maryland Northwestern Setting The
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GAME INFO SETTING THE STAGE TELEVISION BIG TEN NETWORK MARYLAND NORTHWESTERN Chris Vosters (pxp) 2019 Record: 3-9 (1-8 B1G) 2019 Record: 3-9 (1-8 B1G) J Leman (analyst) Head Coach: Michael Locksley (Towson ‘92) Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern ‘96) Olivia Dekker (sideline) Top Returning Passer: Lance LeGendre (R-Fr.) / 7 yds Top Returning Passer: Hunter Johnson (Jr.) / 432 yds / 1 TD Top Returning Rusher: Tayon Fleet-Davis (Sr.) / 589 yds / 7 TDs Top Rusher: Daniel Anderson (So.) / 670 yds / 3 TDs MARYLAND SPORTS RADIO NETWORK Johnny Holliday (pxp) / 42nd season Top Returning Receiver: Dontay Demus Jr. (Jr.) / 903 yds / 6 TDs Top Receiver: Riley Lees (Sr.) / 879 yds / 7 TDs CJ Brown (analyst) / 2nd season Top Returning Tackler: Ayinde Eley (Jr.) / 90 TT / 2 INTs / 3 FRs Top Tackler: Blake Gallagher (Sr.) / 248 TT / 13 TFL / 4 INTs LaMont Jordan (analyst) / 3rd season 105.7FM (Balt.) / 980AM (DC) TuneIn Radio App WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW XM 382 Maryland will compete in its 128th season of football this fall as the Terps open up their season this Saturday 2020 SCHEDULE 1 at Northwestern, with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on the Big Ten Network. Head Coach Michael Locksley will enter his second season at the helm as he brings in a top-35 recruiting class and returns three All-Big Ten performers DATE OPPONENT TIME from a year ago. O24 at Northwestern * BTN 7:30 p.m. ESPN O30 #21 MINNESOTA *^ 7:30 p.m. The Terps excelled in the return game last year, leading the Big Ten with a 13.67 yard average on punt returns N7 at #8 Penn State * TBD and standing fourth with a 22.73 yard average on kick returns. Maryland was the only school in the Big Ten and N14 #5 OHIO STATE * TBD 5 one of only five power five teams (Alabama, Duke, Kansas State, UCLA) to score both a kick return and punt N21 MICHIGAN STATE * TBD return touchdown. N28 at Indiana * TBD D5 at #18 Michigan * TBD The Terps have won 10 consecutive season-openers dating back to 2010, the fifth longest streak among D12 RUTGERS * TBD power-five schools in the country, trailing only Ohio State (20), Alabama (19), Utah (12) and Michigan State (11), D19 B1G Champions Week * TBD 10 with Maryland and Alabama being the only two among the group to beat two ranked teams during the streak ALL CAPS indicates home game; *Big Ten game.; (Maryland def. No. 23 Texas, 2017 & 2018). In the 10-game streak, Maryland has outscored its opponents by an ^ Homecoming game; All times Eastern average margin of 22 points (42-20) and totaled at least 30 points in six-straight openers. SERIES NOTABLES Maryland had 14 touchdowns of 40-plus yards last season, the most in the Big Ten. The Terps scored a 40-plus MARYLAND: yard touchdown in 10 of 12 games, including two in the final game of the season at Michigan State. The two •This is Maryland’s first ever trip to North- 14 80-yard touchdowns against Rutgers were the first time Maryland has had two 80-plus yard touchdowns in the western and only the second meeting same game since at least 1977. between the two schools. Maryland will With the Big Ten going to an all-conference schedule in 2020, the Terps will play eight games against conference now have played at every Big Ten school only opponents, facing six teams within the division (Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, but Illinois. 54.1 Rutgers) and two teams cross-division (Minnesota & Northwestern). The Terps’ eight opponents were 39-33 in Big Ten games last year, a .541 winning percentage, the third-highest percentage of any team’s eight opponents • 2017 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the across the Big Ten. Maryland will play four of its eight scheduled games against teams in the 2020 Preseason Year DJ Moore had a record setting day Coaches Poll, three in the top-15 and two in top-10. when the Terps played Northwestern in 2017, tallying 210 receiving yards on Maryland will welcome 57 newcomers to the fold in 2020, 39 freshmen and 18 transfers. The Terps freshmen 12 receptions and two touchdowns, all class, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten, is highlighted by five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett and four-star 57 standouts Peny Boone and Ruben Hyppolite II. The incoming transfers are highlighted by former four-star career-highs. Moore’s 210 yards are sixth quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who comes to College Park from Alabama and has three years of eligibility all-time in a single game by a Maryland remaining. receiver. STREAKS SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT Starts on Offense: WR Dontay Demus Jr. (12) Twitter: @TerpsFootball Dustin Semonavick Starts on Defense: DB Deonte Banks (8) @CoachLocks (Asst. AD/FB Communications) Games with a Catch: WR Dontay Demus Jr. (15) Instagram: @TerpsFootball Email: [email protected] Season-opening Wins: 10 @CoachLocks O: 301-314-7065 // C: 757-544-8393 Wins when Maryland commits no turnovers: 6 Facebook: /MarylandFootball YouTube: /MarylandAthletics Ben Kessler (Secondary Football) Email: [email protected] O: 301-314-7068 // C: 908-770-3059 MARYLAND TERRAPINS 2020 MARYLAND FOOTBALL ON THE OFFENSE By The Numbers 2 With both a rushing and receiving touchdown against Texas and Illinois in his freshman 2018 season, redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Jeshaun Jones became the first Big Ten freshman to have two games with a touchdown catch and touchdown run since Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett in 2003. With five receiving touchdowns, Jones tallied the most by a Maryland freshman since Stefon Diggs in 2012. Jones is back for the Terps in 2020 after missing last season with an ACL injury. 6 WR Dontay Demus Jr. had an impressive sophomore campaign last season, tallying 625 yards, the 23rd most in a single season all-time by a Terp and six touchdowns, the first Maryland sophomore withsix receiving touchdowns in a season since DJ Moore also had six in 2016. 7 Maryland is one of only seven teams in the FBS (Colorado State, Houston, Iowa, Navy, North Carolina, Troy) that returns its top five pass catchers by yards to its roster from last season. Leading the group is All-Big Ten performer Dontay Demus Jr., who recorded 625 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. He is joined by returning pass catchers Brian Cobbs, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tayon Fleet-Davis and Darryl Jones. Demus Jr., Cobbs, Fleet-Davis and Jones will all participate in the 2020 season. 10 Wide Receiver U: Maryland is one of only two schools (Alabama) that has two NFL wide receivers currently in the top-10 in the league in receiving yards. Stefon Diggs stands second in the NFL with 509 yards while DJ Moore ranks 10th in the league with 381 yards. 34 Maryland has scored at least 34 points in seven straight season openers, with an average of 52 points per game. This is Maryland’s first time beginnng the season with a conference opponent since 2011, when the Terps defeated Miami 32-24 in College Park, the second-straght season opening win on this current streak. 50 The Terps were explosive on offense last season, tallying seven rushes of over 50 yards, the fifth-most in the nation and second-most in the Big Ten, trailing only Ohio State. Maryland scored on all seven big play rushes, including one in two straght games, a 63-yard touchdown by Anthony McFarland Jr. at Michigan State and a 58-yard score by Javon Leake vs. Nebraska. 2 GAME 1: MARYLAND at NORTHWESTERN 2020 MARYLAND FOOTBALL ON THE DEFENSE/ST By The Numbers 3 The Terps forced three safeties last season (Lavonte Gater vs. Howard and two team vs. Temple), the most in the country. 5 Maryland had one of the best special teams units in the Big Ten last season ranking fourth in the conference in kick return average (22.73 yards per return) and leading the league in punt return average (13.67 yards per return) and opponent net punting average (35.12 yards). The Terps have had a top-five kickoff return unit in the Big Ten for the each of the past three seasons (2017-19), scoring the most kickoff return touchdowns of any team over that span with five. 6 Six Maryland players from the 2019 team moved onto the NFL this offseason. RB Anthony McFarland Jr. was drafted in the fourth round (124 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers, DB Antoine Brooks Jr. was also selected by the Steelers in the sixth round (198), while DB Tino Ellis (Miami Dolphiins), LB Keandre Jones (Cincinnati Bengals) and TE Tyler Mabry (Seattle Seahawks) all signed as undrafted free agents. 12 LB Ayinde Eley ranked 12th in the Big Ten in total tackles last season with 79 (44 solo). Eley added four tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and an interception to his 2019 totals en route to All-Big Ten plaudits. 16.5 In Maryland’s 10-game season opener win streak, the Terps have held opponents to just an average of 16.5 points per game, and under 20 points in six of the last 10 openers. 60 S Nick Cross had a sensational freshman season, tallying 45 tackles (30 solo), leading the team with two interceptions and five pass breakups, en route to Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors. Cross was named to the 2019 Pro Football Focus First Team All-Freshman Team after being the primary coverage defender on 22 targeted passes and not allowing more than 60% of those passes to be completed.