•Clemson has won two of the last
three, but the Terps won last year on he last play
of the game. Tommy Bowden is 4-4 against
Maryland in his career, but Ralph Friedgen is 4-2
against the Tigers and Bowden. Clemson has
won 10 of the last 14.
•Clemson had won eight in a row and
13 of 14 prior to Ralph Friedgen’s return to his
alma mater.
•Each of the last three meetings have
been decided within the last three minutes of
the game and the average victory margin has
been just 2.7 points.
•Clemson held Maryland to just 12 total
points in winning every game between 1993-
98. Clemson recorded four shutouts, including
three in a row during that time period. During
Clemson’s eight-game winning streak in the series
from 1993-2000, Clemson held Maryland to
an average of 7.0 points per game, while scoring
26.8 points per game themselves.
•Clemson has not scored over 28
points against Maryland since the 2000 season
when the Tigers won at Clemson, 35-14. Clemson
did score 28 in 2005 in a 28-24 win, but
Clemson has averaged just 15 points per game
against Maryland since Ralph Friedgen took over
prior to the 2001 season.
•In 2002, Maryland defeated Clemson
in Death Valley, its first win at Memorial Stadium
since 1985. Clemson has won nine of the
last 11 between the two teams in Death Valley.
Clemson has a 16-12 lead in the series in games
played at Clemson and a 12-11-1 lead in games
played in Byrd Stadium.
•Saturday’s game will be a meeting of
two of the traditional powerhouses of the ACC.
Both Clemson and Maryland have been in the
ACC since its inception in the fall of 1953. Both
teams played their first ACC game against each
other on October 3, 1953 at Clemson, a 20-0
Maryland victory. Clemson has the most ACC
wins in the history of the league with 220 and
Maryland is second with 193.
•Clemson and Maryland have both
won the National Championship, the Terps during
that first ACC season in 1953, and Clemson
in 1981. Clemson has the most ACC championships
with 13, while Maryland is third with nine.
•The two teams played at the end of
the season in most years between 1978-88 and
the game usually decided the ACC championship.
That was certainly the case in 1978 when
the Tigers won 28-24 at College Park, clinching
an undefeated season in the league over Maryland.
It was 11th ranked Maryland’s only league
loss that season.
•Clemson also clinched the ACC
championship with a November victory or tie
over Maryland in 1981, 1982, 1986 (tie), 1987
and 1988. Maryland clinched the ACC Championship
in 2001 with a 37-20 victory over Clemson
in College Park. The Terps also clinched
the title in 1985 with a victory in Death Valley.
•Clemson has a history of great return
performances against Maryland over the years.
In 2001, Derrick Hamilton had a 100-yard kickoff
return for a score in a game in College Park.
Darnell Stephens had an 89-yard punt return
for a score against the Terps in Death Valley in
1991, one year after Doug Thomas had a 98-
yard kickoff return against Maryland in Baltimore.
The greatest return game in ACC history was
recorded by Clemson’s Don Kelley against Maryland
in 1970. He had 224 total return yards on
punt and interception returns in that game.
Last Year vs. Maryland
Dan Ennis booted a 31-yard field goal
with no time left on the game clock to lift Maryland
to a 13-12 upset win over #19 Clemson at Memorial
Stadium on November 4.
Clemson took a 12-10 lead on Jad
Dean’s fourth field goal of the game, a 22-yarder
with 2:25 left in the game. But Maryland drove 52
yards to set up the game-winner.
Clemson lost despite out-gaining the
Terrapins by 93 yards. The Tigers also outrushed
Maryland 143-54, but Clemson had to settle for
four field goals.
Four of the Tigers’ 68 offensive plays
resulted in 201 yards. Thomas Hunter hauled in
a 71-yard catch, while Chansi Stuckey caught a
60-yard pass.
Stuckey had eight catches for 129 yards,
both game-highs, and Will Proctor was 18-27 for
251 yards. James Davis had a game-high 90 yards
rushing. The Tiger offensive line only allowed one
sack, and the team did not turn the ball over and
committed only one penalty, but it proved costly.
All four starting kickers (punters, placekickers)
performed well. Dean was 4-4 on field
goals, while Ennis was 2-2. Cole Chason averaged
41.8 yards a punt for the Tigers, while Adam
Podlesh had a 43.3-yard average.
Sam Hollenbach, who led the Terrapins
on the game-winning drive, was 23-34 for 247
yards and a touchdown.
Clemson took its first possession 70
yards, highlighted by Proctor’s 60-yard pass to
Stuckey. After the drive stalled and the Tigers
set up for a field goal, Maryland was flagged for
offsides, giving Clemson a first down. But the next
three plays netted no yards, and Dean kicked a
27-yard field goal.
Maryland answered on its next drive
to take the lead. On third-and-six from the Tiger
seven, Hollenbach found Oquendo near the sideline,
and the sophomore backed his way into the
endzone for a score on the first play of the second
quarter.
The two teams exchanged punts, then
the Tigers went on an 11-play, 79-yard scoring
drive. Davis ran 42 yards off right tackle to move
the ball to the Terrapin 32. But the drive stalled,
and Dean came on to make a 32-yard field goal.
Maryland drove into Tiger territory late
in the second quarter, but Hollenbach’s errant
pass sailed high, allowing Michael Hamlin to pull
down the interception. The Terrapins led 7-6 at
halftime.
After the Tigers were unsuccessful on
a fourth-and-one in Terrapin territory, Hollenbach
side-stepped the rush and hurled the ball 57 yards
to Jason Goode on the first play of the ensuing
drive to move the ball to the four. But the Tiger
defense stiffened behind a 10-yard sack by Gaines
Adams, and Ennis kicked a 31-yard field goal.
With 7:56 left and trailing 10-9, Clemson
took over at its own 10. Proctor scrambled on the
first play to the 17, but Erin Henderson stripped the
ball, and it rolled towards the endzone. An alert
C.J. Spiller hustled back to fall on the ball near the
goal line. The officials ruled that he gained possession
in the endzone for a safety, but the replay
officials overturned the call and gave Clemson the
ball on the one.
Two plays later, facing third-and-19 from
the one, Proctor found Hunter wide-open over the middle. He raced 71 yards to the Maryland 28.
Davis later carried four yards on third-and-three,
giving Clemson first-and-goal at the four. Two plays
later, Davis carried what looked like the go-ahead
touchdown, but the Tigers were called for their only
penalty of the game. Dean still gave Clemson a 12-
10 lead on his 22-yard field goal with 2:25 left.
But too much time was still on the clock
for Hollenbach and company. After the senior
signal-caller found Oquendo for 12 yards for a first
down, the Terrapins faced fourth-and-inches at the
Tiger 45. His off-guard quarterback sneak gained
five yards, good for a first down. Hollenbach, who
was 5-5 for 47 yards on the drive, connected with
Williams (13 yards) and Joey Haynos (12 yards),
moved the ball to the middle of the field, then spiked
the ball with three seconds left. Ennis came on and
drilled the 31-yard field goal.
Clemson And Maryland Have Played Three Consecutive Nail Biters
Clemson and Maryland have played three consecutive thrilling
games. Each of the last three games have been decided by scores inside
the last three minutes, including two games inside the last 25 seconds.
As noted above, last year’s game was decided on a 31-yard field goal by
Maryland’s Dan Ennis as the final horn sounded.
Clemson won the previous two contests on touchdowns by
Reggie Merrieweather. In 2004 at Clemson, Merriweather scored from the
two-yard line with 23 seconds left to give Clemson a 10-7 victory. In
2005,
Merrieweather scored the game winner with 2:58 left on a 38-yard run to
give Clemson a 28-24 lead and victory.
A look to the stats of each of the last three games shows the
contests have been basically defensive in nature. Clemson has averaged
less than 100 yards per game on the ground against Maryland the
last three years, but the Terps are at just over 60 yards per game on
the
ground against Clemson.
Maryland has the upper hand in passing yardage, but Clemson
has a slight lead in total offense. Still both offenses have failed to
average
over 300 yards per game against the other defense over the last three
years. The average margin of victory over the last three games is just
2.7
points per game and the total score of the three games is Clemson 50
and
Maryland 44.
Harper Stats Comparable to Ryan
Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper is having a strong year as
the Tigers quarterback. He has already established 19 Clemson records
on a season or single game basis and many more should be on the way if
he continues his current pace. The junior from Alpharetta, GA had his
best
game of the year statistically against Central Michigan when he
completed
20-22 passes for 273 yards and five scores, leading to a Clemson record
273.9 passing efficiency figure.
A look to the latest ACC stats shows that Harper leads the
ACC in a number of statistical categories and even compares favorably
to Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Ryan of Boston College. Those two
teams have not faced each other year, but will at Clemson on November
17. Entering this week’s play, Harper has a better completion
percentage,
passing efficiency, more touchdown passes, a better yards per attempt
and
better touchdown/interception ratio.
Harper has accomplished those figures even though he has already
played against the ACC’s top two scoring defenses in Georgia Tech
and Virginia Tech. Ryan still has to go against Virginia Tech this
coming
Thursday.
|