Towson Tigers The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland , College Park in the sport of American football . The Terrapins compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . Since 1950 , the Terrapins have played their home games at Byrd Stadium in College Park , Maryland . The team ' s official colors of red , white , black , and gold have been in use in some combination since the 1920s and are taken from the state flag , and the nickname of the " Terrapins " ( often abbreviated as " Terps " ) was adopted in 1933 after a turtle species native to the state . Maryland shares storied rivalries with Virginia and West Virginia . The program ' s achievements have included one NCAA - recognized national championships , nine ACC championships , two Southern Conference championships , eleven consensus All - Americans , several Hall of Fame inductees , and twenty - four bowl game appearances . Maryland possesses the third - most ACC championships with nine , which places them behind Clemson ( 13 ) and Florida State ( 12 ) . Many former Terrapins players and coaches have gone on to careers in professional football including 15 first - round NFL Draft picks . The first officially recognized football team was fielded in 1892 , and excluding a brief hiatus in 1895 , Maryland has competed in college football each season since . Harry C . " Curley " Byrd , a student - athlete at Maryland , became head football coach in 1911 and served in that role for two decades before he became the university president . The Terrapins had consistent on - field success between 1947 and 1955 . Maryland then suffered a period of mediocrity , until 1972 , when the program again rose to national prominence under coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross . The football program underwent another period of lackluster performance beginning in 1986 and lasting until 2001 , when Ralph Friedgen was hired as head coach and engineered a first - year turnaround that culminated in a conference championship . In the following years , the Terrapins made regular postseason appearances , but were unable to match the success of Friedgen ' s first season . On November 19 , 2012 , it was announced that the Terrapins football team will leave the ACC to join the Big Ten Conference , effective 2014 . History . Early years ( 1892 – 1946 ) . In 1892 , the school then known as the Maryland Agricultural College fielded its first officially sanctioned college football team . They went scoreless in all three of that season ' s games , but the following year , posted a perfect record of 6 – 0 . For the first two decades of the program , the team primarily competed against local universities and high schools due to the prohibitive nature of long - distance travel at the time . In 1911 , Harry C . " Curley " Byrd became head coach and held that position for more than two decades until he was named the university president . In 1921 , Maryland joined the Southern Conference where it remained for thirty years . Between 1935 and 1946 , the school had several coaches that achieved fame elsewhere : Frank Dobson , a former assistant coach under John Heisman ; Clark Shaughnessy , architect of Stanford ' s undefeated 1940 turnaround ; and Paul " Bear " Bryant , who later became the long - time Alabama head coach . Bryant resigned after one season when a player he had suspended was reinstated by President Byrd . Jim Tatum era ( 1947 – 1955 ) . Jim Tatum was hired in 1947 , after a brief stint at Oklahoma where he had led the Sooners to a conference championship in his only season there . He was Maryland ' s sixth head coach in eight years , but Tatum stayed for nine seasons and became the school ' s most successful head coach in modern history . During his tenure , he led Maryland to two national championships ( one retroactive ) , three conference championships , three perfect seasons , six top - 20 final rankings , and five bowl game appearances . Seven of his players were named first - team All - Americans , including five consensus All - Americans . Under Tatum , Maryland finished every season with a winning record . After the 1947 season , the Terrapins participated in their first bowl game , the 1948 Gator Bowl , in which they tied Georgia , 20 – 20 . NCAA season - scoring leader Lu Gambino recorded all three Maryland touchdowns . In 1949 , Maryland again played in the Gator Bowl , where they defeated 20th - ranked , 20 – 7 . The Terrapins finished the season ranked 14th by the Associated Press . Maryland ' s current home field , Byrd Stadium , was constructed in 1950 , and named in honor of former coach and contemporary Maryland president Curly Byrd . Maryland started the 1950 season ranked 15th and defeated Navy , 35 – 21 , in the Byrd Stadium dedication game . The Terrapins won the 1951 Southern Conference co - championship alongside the . Their perfect season culminated with an upset over first - ranked Tennessee in the . At the time , however , the wire service s released their final rankings before the bowl games , and Maryland finished third in the Associated Press Poll . Several selectors , including analyst Jeff Sagarin , have retroactively credited Maryland with the national championship . In 1953 , Maryland and six other schools split from the Southern Conference to form the Atlantic Coast Conference . That year , Maryland shut - out two 11th - ranked teams : , 38 – 0 , and Alabama , 21 – 0 , won the ACC co - championship alongside , and were named the national champions as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation . The Terrapins were defeated by fourth - ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl . After the 1955 season , Tatum resigned to return to North Carolina , where he soon died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever . After Tatum ( 1956 – 1971 ) . The Terrapins entered 1956 ranked number - six , but after the departure of Tatum , they suffered their first losing season in a decade . It marked the beginning of a long undistinguished period of Maryland history , and between 1956 and 1971 , they compiled a record of 50 – 100 – 1 and only three winning seasons . In 1967 , they suffered their first winless season in 75 years . High points during this period included victories over 14th - ranked in 1957 , 11th - ranked Clemson in 1959 , eighth - ranked Clemson in 1960 , and seventh - ranked Syracuse in 1961 . Maryland became the first college football program in the nation to put players ' names on the back of their jersey s in 1961 . In 1962 , assistant coach Lee Corso convinced African - American wide receiver Darryl Hill to transfer from the Naval Academy . Hill broke the color barrier in football at four institutions : Gonzaga High School , the Naval Academy , Maryland , and the ACC . In 1965 , back Bob Sullivan led the nation with 10 interceptions . Jerry Claiborne era ( 1972 – 1981 ) . In 1972 , Jerry Claiborne took over as head coach of the Terrapins , which had only nine wins in the past five years . In his first season , Maryland improved to 5 – 5 – 1 , and the following year , they reached their first bowl game in almost two decades . The team steadily improved until his fifth season , 1976 , when they finished the regular season with an 11 – 0 record , their first perfect mark since Tatum ' s 1955 squad . Boomer Esiason later described Claiborne ' s coaching style as " vanilla " , and said his strategy was " run right , run left , run up the middle , punt , and play good defense . " He went on to say , " But , there ' s no question he made me a tougher player . . . We ' d do drills where the quarterback had to take on a linebacker . It was like he had a sign on our back , ' Hit us , we ' re stupid ' . It made you a tougher player . " In 1974 , Maryland had a preseason rank of 14th and later beat 17th - ranked to win the ACC championship . The Terrapins were defeated by 20th - ranked Tennessee in the and finished the season ranked 13th . In 1975 , Maryland again won the ACC and defeated 13th - ranked Florida in the to finish 13th in the nation . That season , the Terrapins led the ACC in total offense with 375 . 2 yards per game . Maryland started 1976 ranked 12th , and quarterback Mark Manges led them to eleven consecutive wins to secure their third straight ACC championship . Maryland ' s loss to sixth - ranked Houston in the , 30 – 21 , ended any hopes for a national championship . In 1978 , Maryland beat 20th - ranked and finished with a ranking of 20th . The game that pitted 11th - ranked Maryland against 12th - ranked Clemson has been described as one of the most exciting games of the era . The " big - play caravan " ultimately saw Clemson triumph , 28 – 24 . From 1974 to 1978 , Claiborne and the Terrapins secured five consecutive bowl game berths and three consecutive ACC championships . Maryland made it to a sixth bowl game in 1980 . After the 1981 season , Claiborne left the program for his alma mater , Kentucky , and was replaced by Bobby Ross , an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs . Bobby Ross era ( 1982 – 1986 ) . In a surprising choice , former Maryland assistant coach and Citadel head coach Bobby Ross , who was not a big name at the time , was selected as head coach in 1982 . In contrast to Claiborne ' s style , Ross implemented a high - powered offense . He replaced the I - veer triple option with an NFL - style offense that emphasized dropback passes , bootlegs , and play action passes . This change in tactics and strategy enabled starting quarterback Boomer Esiason the opportunity to excel to a degree not seen under Claiborne the season prior . Esiason said , " Ross has an uncanny knack of putting players in a position to not only succeed , but to overachieve . . . If he didn ' t show up at Maryland , I don ' t know what would have happened to me . I don ' t know if I would have turned into the player I was and played in the NFL . " In the following years , several Maryland quarterbacks went on to careers in the National Football League ( NFL ) , and the school was nicknamed " Quarterback U " as a result . In Ross ' s inaugural season , Maryland defeated 10th - ranked , and then edged Miami before their most important conference game of the season against the 1981 national champions , the Clemson Tigers . Between 1974 and 1988 , either Clemson or Maryland won the ACC title all but three years . Clemson had lost to the 1980 national champions , seventh - ranked Georgia , 13 – 7 , and tied , 17 – 17 , after the opposing quarterback , Doug Flutie , led a comeback . Clemson was therefore unable to defend their NCAA championship , but either Clemson or Maryland , with perfect conference records , would secure the ACC title . Thus , decades before the official ACC Championship Game , 1982 saw a rare " de facto " title match . Clemson scored first , then pulled away 14 – 7 before half . In the second half , a favorable wind twice yielded Maryland excellent field position , Esiason threw for two rapid - fire touchdowns and a two - point conversion , and the defense held Clemson at bay . However , the Terrapins also turned the ball over five times in the second half and lost , 24 – 22 . With the win , Clemson won the ACC and Maryland finished second . Immediately after the game , the NCAA announced its investigation into Clemson recruiting had found improprieties . As a result , the Tigers were denied a bowl game and television coverage in the following season . The ACC instituted further punishment , making Clemson ineligible for a conference title for the next two years . Maryland finished 1982 ranked 20th after losing to ninth - ranked Washington in the . In 1983 , Maryland lost to third - ranked Auburn and 20th - ranked West Virginia , but beat 17th - ranked Pittsburgh and third - ranked . Clemson and Maryland once more met with perfect ACC records , and Maryland again lost , this time blown out , 52 – 27 . Despite the loss , Maryland was awarded the conference championship because of the sanctions against Clemson . In 1984 , Maryland defeated the defending national champions , sixth - ranked Miami , in what was then the biggest comeback in college football history and judged by some as the most exciting . At half time , Maryland trailed Miami , 31 – 0 . Back - up quarterback Frank Reich replaced Stan Gelbaugh and proceeded to throw four touchdown passes , and capitalizing on Miami errors , the Terrapins won , 42 – 40 . The recovery from the 31 - point halftime deficit stood as the greatest college football comeback for the next 22 years , until the record was finally broken by Michigan State against Northwestern . Reich later repeated the feat in his professional career when he led the Buffalo Bills to overcome a 32 - point deficit and set the NFL comeback record . That season , Maryland also defeated 17th - ranked West Virginia and 20th - ranked Clemson , and secured the ACC championship . In the postseason , they edged Tennessee , 28 – 27 , in the and finished 12th in the nation . Maryland entered the 1985 season with a number - one preseason rank , and set its all - time home attendance record in Byrd Stadium with an average of 49 , 385 over five games . However , they dropped to a ranking of 17th in Week 2 , and then out of the polls in Week 4 after a shutout by Michigan . Despite the early setbacks , the Terrapins finished undefeated in six conference games to take the ACC championship for the third consecutive year . Maryland defeated , 35 - 18 , in the Cherry Bowl and earned a final ranking of 18th . In 1986 , the Terrapins posted a mediocre 5 – 5 – 1 record . After the season , Ross resigned as head coach . He expressed frustration over the university ' s failure to improve Byrd Stadium and its associated facilities . Ross had shown recruits stadium and facility renovation plans as an indication of the program ' s direction , and when they did not come to fruition , he felt that he had misled the players . Ross also stated that he was hurt by " innuendo , insinuation , and guilt by association " with respect to the cocaine - induced death of Maryland basketball star Len Bias . He said , " I feel the football team has represented the university well , both on and off the field . " The athletics department investigation report had commended the propriety of the football program , but university chancellor John B . Slaughter did not offer his vocal support for Ross until a month later . Dark years ( 1987 – 2000 ) . Maryland athletics in general were marred by the death of Len Bias , and the football team was no exception . After Ross resigned , offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Krivak was promoted to head coach . This was the beginning of a lackluster period for Terrapins football . From 1987 to 2000 , the Terrapins went 55 – 88 overall ( . 385 ) with only two winning seasons and one bowl appearance . The Krivak era was met with a brutal schedule with non - conference opponents conisting of national powers Michigan , Miami , Penn State , and Syracuse among others . After a 4 - 7 season in 1987 , a controversial loss to in the final game of 1988 cost the team a sixth win for bowl eligibility . In 1989 , Maryland tied Joe Paterno ' s 13th - ranked Penn State for the only time in the series ' existence . The following season , the Terrapins beat 25th - ranked West Virginia and upset 8th - ranked Virginia . Maryland received a bid to the and tied Louisiana Tech in what would be their only postseason appearance during this period . Athletic director Andy Geiger rewarded Krivak with a five - year contract extension , but the 1991 season unraveled after a rash of injuries , and Maryland had its worst finish in two decades with a 2 – 9 mark . After public criticism from several players , Krivak felt he lost credibility as the head coach and resigned on December 6 . Geiger named Holy Cross head coach Mark Duffner as Krivak ' s replacement . Duffner had amassed a 60 – 5 – 1 record and two undefeated seasons in his six years at Holy Cross . At Maryland , he installed a run and shoot offense which shattered many school records . However , his defenses were notoriously weak , usually giving up points so quickly that even his prolific offense couldn ' t keep up . For example , in the 1993 game against Virginia Tech , the Terrapins lost by 27 points despite gaining 649 yards of total offense . During this time , quarterbacks Scott Milanovich and John Kaleo set numerous school records for passing under Duffner , most of which still stand . In 1993 , Maryland earned the dubious honor of most yards allowed per game , a record which also stands : in eleven games , the Terrapins surrendered 6 , 083 yards — an average of 553 . 0 yards per game . Maryland also gave up 236 more points than they scored , the worst point differential in school history . After the season , Duffner reorganized his staff by firing three assistant coaches . The team showed moderate improvement the next two years , and in 1995 finished 6 – 5 , which was the first winning record since 1990 . However , Maryland backslid in 1996 with a 5 – 6 record and a struggling offense . Duffner was fired after the season , having accumulated a combined record of 20 – 35 . Ron Vanderlinden was hired as head coach for the 1997 season under a five - year contract . Vanderlinden had helped engineer turnarounds at Northwestern as defensive coordinator and at Colorado as a defensive assistant . The 1995 Northwestern team in particular had shocked observers when it recorded a 10 – 2 season and the Big Ten championship . In 1999 , Maryland showed signs of significant improvement , and a winning season appeared certain when Maryland possessed a 5 – 2 record . The Terrapins , however , then suffered a three - game losing streak . In their finale against Virginia , the Terrapins needed a win to garner a likely invitation to either the Aloha Bowl or Oahu Bowl — a Maryland alumnus was the chief executive officer of both events . The Terrapins came from behind and held the lead , 30 – 27 , with 5 : 18 left to play . They regained possession with 1 : 40 remaining , but an inexperienced quarterback unintentionally stopped the clock by going out of bounds . After the ensuing punt , Virginia mounted a touchdown drive to win the game and end Maryland ' s bowl hopes . Despite narrowly missing a winning season , Vanderlinden was granted a two - year contract extension . In 2000 , Maryland again fell short of a winning season and bowl game . The Terrapins entered their season closer with a 5 – 5 record , and again fell , this time in a rout by 24th - ranked Georgia Tech . Vanderlinden was fired the following day . Despite the failure to deliver a winning season , Vanderlinden did oversee substantive improvement in the program . In 1998 , the Terrapins were one of the most improved teams in defense , scoring defense , passing defense , and rushing . In 1999 , Maryland allowed a conference low of 11 sacks compared with 56 in 1997 . In that same period , Maryland also improved from last to first in the conference in rushing , due in large part to Heisman Trophy candidate and school career rushing leader LaMont Jordan . During Vanderlinden ' s tenure , Maryland also recruited several key players who were instrumental in the team ' s later success . Friedgen era ( 2001 – 2010 ) . Ralph Friedgen , a former Maryland player and assistant under Bobby Ross , was hired as Vanderlinden ' s replacement for the 2001 season . Friedgen had previously been denied an interview for the position twice by his alma mater . While offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech , he had been described as an " offensive genius " , and Friedgen later received similar plaudits while at Maryland . When he took over , Maryland had not won a bowl game in 16 years and had only one winning season since 1990 . In 2001 , Maryland won its first four games and entered the AP Poll for the first time since September 1995 . Maryland beat 15th - ranked Georgia Tech in overtime when placekicker Nick Novak , the ACC ' s future all - time scoring leader , equalized and then won the game with 46 - and 26 - yard field goal s , thereby ensuring a winning season and bowl appearance . In Tallahassee , 18th - ranked Florida State broke a stalemate in the fourth quarter to hand Maryland its only defeat of the regular season , 52 – 31 . Maryland closed the year with a win over NC State , which secured the ACC championship and made the Terrapins the first team other than Florida State to take the title outright since the Seminoles joined the conference in 1991 . Sixth - ranked Maryland then faced fifth - ranked Florida in the Orange Bowl - - their first - ever BCS appearance , and their first major bowl of any sort since the 1977 Cotton Bowl . The Terrapins lost , 56 – 23 , and finished with a 10 – 2 record and ranked 10th in the nation . In 2002 , Maryland had a preseason rank of 20th , but their first three games included a shutout by 12th - ranked Notre Dame , 22 – 0 , and a loss to 16th - ranked Florida State , 37 – 10 . The Terrapins rallied to defeat 13th - ranked West Virginia and 17th - ranked NC State , while losing only to Virginia . That loss , however , prevented Maryland from earning a share of the ACC championship alongside Florida State . The Terrapins routed Tennessee in the Peach Bowl , 30 – 3 , and finished with an 11 – 3 record and final ranking of 18th . Maryland began the 2003 season with losses to Northern Illinois and eighth - ranked Florida State . They later defeated 23rd - ranked West Virginia , but were edged by Georgia Tech . In the postseason , 24th - ranked Maryland delivered a second crushing defeat against 20th - ranked West Virginia in the Gator Bowl , 41 – 7 , and finished the season ranked 17th . " The New York Times " computer poll ranked Maryland third in the nation , behind only split - national champions Louisiana State and Southern California . The 2004 season was Friedgen ' s first with a losing record . Maryland finished with a 5 – 6 mark that included an overtime loss to West Virginia , 19 – 16 . The highlight of the season was an upset victory over fifth - ranked Florida State , which was Maryland ' s first against the Seminoles and their first win against a top - 10 team since 1990 . The Terrapins again ended the 2005 season with a 5 – 6 record . That season opened with a victory over , which was the first meeting between the intrastate foes in 40 years . In 2006 , Maryland returned to a bowl game and finished with a 9 – 4 record . During the season , the Terrapins upset 19th - ranked Clemson , 13 – 12 , and five of their games were won by four points or less . In the Champs Sports Bowl , Maryland beat Purdue , 24 – 7 . In 2007 , Maryland overcame extensive injuries to again secure a postseason appearance . During the season , unranked Maryland tallied two shocking upsets against 10th - ranked Rutgers , 34 – 24 , and eighth - ranked Boston College , 42 – 35 . They finished the season with a rout of NC State to attain bowl eligibility , 37 – 0 , but lost to Oregon State in the Emerald Bowl , 21 – 14 . According to the final Sagarin computer - generated rankings , Maryland had the second - hardest schedule in the ACC and the 27th - hardest schedule among Division I teams . Numerous observers described Maryland ' s 2008 season as " wildly inconsistent " . The Terrapins defeated four of their five ranked opponents — 25th - ranked California , 19th - ranked Clemson , 19th - ranked Wake Forest , and 17th - ranked North Carolina — but also lost to heavy underdogs Middle Tennessee and Virginia . Ultimately , Maryland defeated Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl and finished the season with an 8 – 5 record . Before the 2009 season , many analysts projected the Terrapins to finish last or second - to - last in the Atlantic Division of the ACC , and expressed particular concern with the inexperienced offensive line . The prognostications proved accurate , and Maryland finished 2 – 10 for their first ten - loss season in program history . Maryland rebounded in 2010 to finish with a 9 – 4 record , including a win in the Military Bowl , and ranked 23rd in the AP Poll . The ACC named Friedgen Coach of the Year , while freshman quarterback Danny O ' Brien became the first Terrapin ever named ACC Rookie of the Year . Citing lack of fan support , the athletic department bought out the final year of Friedgen ' s contract for $ 2 million . UMD Athletic Director Kevin Anderson became the first AD in NCAA history to fire a reigning conference coach of the year . Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall was hired as his replacement . Edsall era ( 2011 - present ) . The 2011 season was not a successful one for Maryland . After a nationally televised win over Miami , the Terrapins struggled for the remainder of the season . They only managed to record one more win ( against FCS opponent Towson ) and finished with a 2 - 10 record . The team did attract national attention for its " Maryland Pride " uniforms that were created by Under Armour , who had become the official outfitter of the Maryland Athletic Department in September 2008 . After the 2011 season , Edsall fired both his offensive coordinator Gary Crowton and his defensive coordinator Todd Bradford . Mike Locksley , who had been fired in 2011 from his head coaching position at New Mexico , was hired to be the new offensive coordinator . Locksley had previously worked at Maryland under head coaches Vanderlinden and Friedgen , and was the recruiting coordinator for Maryland before and during the three consecutive 10 + win seasons under Friedgen . Brian Stewart , who had been the defensive coordinator for the Houston Cougars , was hired to replace Bradford as the new defensive coordinator . Home stadium . During its first few decades , the football program had only one poorly suited athletic field on which to play and practice and had no dedicated facilities such as locker rooms . Former coach and contemporary university president Dr . Harry C . Byrd allocated funds for the construction of a stadium in 1915 , and it was completed in 1923 . The Board of Regents voted to name it Byrd Stadium in honor of its main advocate . The stadium ' s capacity was 5 , 000 . During this time , it was common for Maryland to play its better - drawing games in larger stadiums in Washington , D . C . or Baltimore . In 1950 , that small field was replaced by the identically named but much larger Byrd Stadium , which was constructed at the cost of $ 1 million . The new stadium had an initial capacity of 34 , 680 , which has since been upgraded to 51 , 055 through extensive additions . Shortly after its construction , the stadium hosted its dedication game against , which Maryland won 35 – 21 . That same year , the new field held its first and only bowl game , the Presidential Cup Bowl , which featured and Georgia . In 2006 , the University of Maryland became the first school to sell naming rights to its field . The home field was officially branded " Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium " in a 25 - year , $ 20 million contract . In 2008 , Chevy Chase Bank was bought out by Capital One , and the stadium was renamed Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium . Traditions . Nickname . When the school was known as the Maryland Agricultural College , from 1856 to 1916 , the media called the athletics teams the " Farmers " and the " Aggies " . As the University of Maryland , the teams became known as " The Old Liners " in reference to the state nickname . During the 1923 season , " The New York Times " referred to Maryland as the Orioles , after a bird species endemic to the region that was already the namesake for several baseball teams . In 1932 , Curley Byrd suggested that the namesake become the diamondback terrapin ( " Malaclemys terrapin " ) , a species of land - dwelling turtle common throughout the state , particularly the Chesapeake Bay area where Dr . Byrd spent his early life . The student newspaper had already been named " The Diamondback " since 1921 , and the athletics teams were sometimes referred to as the " Terrapins " as early as 1928 . Newspapers began referring to the team simply as the " Terps " to shorten headlines . The truncated name stuck and is now in official use by the school . The mascot is a diamondback terrapin named Testudo , which means " turtle " in Latin . It is also the name of an ancient Roman military tactic , in which soldiers protected their infantry square from projectiles by completely enclosing it with their shields . Derivations of the word have also been used in scientific nomenclature related to the reptile , such as the order Testudine and the family Testudinidae . In 1933 , the graduating class raised funds for a 300 - pound bronze replica of a terrapin . It was initially placed in front of Ritchie Coliseum , which was then the home arena of the basketball team . In 1951 , after being the subject of numerous pranks , the statue was relocated to Byrd Stadium , reinforced with 700 pounds of concrete , and anchored with steel rods . It was moved again in the 1960s , in front of McKeldin Library , and a second replica was placed at Byrd Stadium in 1992 . In the 2000s , under coach Ralph Friedgen , it was a pregame tradition for the football players to walk 200 yards , through what is known as " Terp Alley " , to the locker rooms , and touch the bronze Testudo . Colors . Originally , the athletic teams had no official colors and often used gray or maroon and gray for their uniforms . Senior classes would sometimes select colors of their own choosing . In modern times , the uniforms have been based on some combination of the four colors of the Maryland flag : red , white , black , and gold . The dominant colors have occasionally changed back and forth with changes of the head coach . In 1904 , Maryland adopted a state flag based on the heraldry of Lord Calvert : the Calvert family arms ( black and gold ) quartered with his mother ' s Crossland family arms ( red and white ) . From the early 1920s until 1942 , the black and gold were adopted as the official school colors . In 1942 , Clark Shaughnessy left Stanford to coach at Maryland . He brought with him an affinity for a red and white color scheme and changed the team ' s uniforms . Shaughnessy left after one season , and the school switched back to the more traditional black and gold . He returned in 1946 and again changed the colors to red and white . He was replaced with Jim Tatum the following season , but Shaughnessy ' s colors were retained . In 1961 , Maryland wore gold jerseys with black numerals for the first time since 1945 for their season opener against Southern Methodist . In 1987 , Joe Krivak introduced black jerseys with the Maryland flag on the sleeves for selected games and then black pants followed in 1991 . Ron Vanderlinden took over in 1997 and a new black and white uniform was adopted . Under Ralph Friedgen , Maryland returned to red and white in 2001 , with black uniforms being reserved for select games . Maryland was one of the first schools to utilize the " blackout " concept , where fans uniformly wear the color to stand out in the stadium . It was introduced unofficially as the " Byrd Blackout " in 2005 . For the 2011 season , Maryland wore new Under Armour uniforms that offered a " dizzying array " of combinations in the four school colors . In the season opener against Miami , the Terrapins unveiled a unique uniform based on the Maryland state flag that received nationwide media attention . In recent years since 2001 under Ralph Friedgen and continued by Randy Edsall , Maryland has worn a uniform combination of all - red , red jerseys and red pants for the annual game on homecoming weekend . Rivalries . It is arguable whether the Terrapins have any traditional school rival in the sport of football . Media observers have occasionally suggested that Maryland is an odd team out in the ACC , as most other schools in the conference have more vehement opponents . Maryland ' s designated ACC rival is Virginia , but Virginia has more heated rivalries with Virginia Tech and North Carolina . Of Maryland ' s historical non - conference opponents , West Virginia has a rivalry with Pittsburgh and the Naval Academy shares with West Point one of the most storied college sports rivalries , the Army – Navy Game . However , Maryland does compete against several schools in regular contests that have been called rivalries . Additionally , former coach Ralph Friedgen — who had also previously coached at Georgia Tech which competes with Georgia in Clean , Old - Fashioned Hate — had taken steps to reinvigorate dormant or dispassionate Maryland rivalries . West Virginia has often been called Maryland ' s biggest rival , and the teams have met 46 times since their first game in 1919 . In 2001 , both programs hired new head coaches , with West Virginia being taken over by Rich Rodriguez . Due to their proximity , the schools regularly raid their opponent ' s recruiting areas . The long - running series was put on hiatus for the 2008 and 2009 seasons , but resumed in 2010 . Virginia and Maryland are currently designated official ACC cross - divisional rivals and the teams have a long - standing rivalry due to proximity and history . The programs also vie for recruits in the same region , and more recently , an additional factor has been the schools ' academic competition . Maryland and Virginia have occasionally served as spoilers for one another by precluding a championship or bowl game appearance . Maryland played the Naval Academy , which is also located in the state of Maryland , several times between the 1930s and 1960s . In 1964 , an incident in which a Terrapins player flashed an obscene gesture prompted Navy officials to suspend the series for 40 years . They finally played again in 2005 , and have scheduled more meetings in the future . As of 2010 , the winner of the Crab Bowl Classic is awarded the Crab Bowl Trophy . Into the 1930s , games were regularly played against and , which in addition to Virginia , were characterized at the time as Maryland ' s " ancient rivals " . Maryland has not played either Johns Hopkins or Yale since 1934 . Penn State and Maryland formerly possessed one of the most lopsided series in college football . The teams met in briefly interrupted stretches from 1917 until 1993 , and Penn State won 35 of 37 meetings . Maryland ' s sole win came in 1961 . The record , however , belies what was usually a competitive match - up until the later years , and many games were decided by missed field goals , turnovers , or questionable officiating . Both schools still aggressively compete for recruits in the Baltimore – Washington metropolitan area , and when they did play , it held recruiting implications . The rivalry will be revived in 2014 when the Terrapins join the Big Ten . Team achievements . Maryland has accumulated various titles and distinctions in its 116 years of intercollegiate competition . Some of the most prestigious achievements are annotated below : Individual honors . Over the years , many Maryland players have received All - American honors . Eleven Terps have been named consensus ( received a majority of votes ) first - team All - Americans and one , E . J . Henderson , has received that honor twice . Additionally , some have been awarded prestigious awards , including the Bednarik Award , Butkus Award , Outland Trophy , and Lombardi Award . While no Terrapin has ever received the Heisman Trophy , which is bestowed upon college football ' s most outstanding player , several have received votes by the award ' s selection committee . Quarterbacks Jack Scarbath and Bernie Faloney finished second and fourth in the voting in 1952 and 1953 , respectively . Additionally , Bob Pellegrini , Gary Collins , Randy White , and Boomer Esiason all finished in the top - ten of the voting for a Heisman . Six Maryland players and four coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Bear Bryant , Jerry Claiborne , Clark Shaughnessy , and Jim Tatum were inducted as coaches . The players included Dick Modzelewski , Bob Pellegrini , Jack Scarbath , and Bob Ward . Stan Jones and Randy White were also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . College Football Hall of Famers . ^ denotes player is also in Pro Football Hall of Fame