2008 Maryland Terrapins football team The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) college football season . It was the Terrapins ' ( also officially known as the " Terps " ) 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) and its fourth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division . Ralph Friedgen led the team for his eighth season as head coach and was assisted by first - year offensive coordinator James Franklin and third - year defensive coordinator Chris Cosh . It was the first season since the departure of Charlie Taaffe in 2005 that Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself . Instead , those duties were handled by Franklin , a former Maryland wide receivers coach , who returned after a brief stint at Kansas State and in the National Football League ( NFL ) . With him , Franklin brought a new system : the West Coast offense . Cosh , whose complex defensive scheme had been criticized as too passive , resigned at the end of the season . The 2008 season in the ACC was described as chaotic , and for Maryland , there was no exception . The Terrapins were within grasp of the ACC Atlantic Division championship at the end of Week 12 , but lost their final two games and fell to a four - way tie for third place . Maryland closed the regular season with a 7 – 5 record — including four wins against Top 25 - ranked teams — which was enough to secure bowl eligibility . In the postseason , Maryland defeated Nevada of the Western Athletic Conference in the Humanitarian Bowl . Before the season . Coaching changes . In December 2007 , Maryland hired Kansas State offensive coordinator James Franklin to serve in that same role for the Terrapins . From 2000 to 2004 , he was the Maryland wide receivers coach . In 2003 and 2004 , he also served as the recruiting coordinator , and Rivals . com ranked Franklin as one of the nation ' s top - 25 recruiters both years . Because of the arrival of Franklin , 2008 was the first since 2005 that head coach Ralph Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself . At Maryland , Franklin installed a West Coast offense , which was well suited to quarterback Chris Turner ' s playing style and an experienced wide receiver corps that included play - maker Darrius Heyward - Bey and sure - handed Danny Oquendo . Key losses . Maryland lost several important players from the 2007 team . In January 2008 , shortly after Oregon State defeated Maryland in the Emerald Bowl , linebacker Erin Henderson announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the 2008 NFL Draft . Henderson , the brother of Butkus and Bednarik Award winner E . J . , had recorded an ACC - high four fumble recoveries in 2007 and was the Terrapins ' leader in total tackles ( 133 ) and tackles for loss ( 11 ) . The defensive line lost tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano , while the secondary unit lost both starting safeties , strong safety Christian Varner and free safety J . J . Justice , as well as cornerback Isaiah Gardner . The Maryland offense lost tailback s Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore who combined for 1 , 573 rushing yards and 25 touchdown s in 2007 . The offensive line saw the departure of tight end s Jason Goode and Joey Haynos , and offensive guard Andrew Crummey . Key returns . Despite the loss of some of the previous year ' s important players , Maryland entered the 2008 season with a seasoned squad . Forty - six of sixty - two lettermen returned ( 74 percent ) , which included ten offensive and six defensive starters . The 2008 team contained 31 seniors , which was the largest group since Friedgen became head coach in 2001 . Important returnees on the defensive unit included cornerback Kevin Barnes , who recorded four interception s in 2007 ; defensive end Jeremy Navarre , who had recorded 5 . 5 sack s ; and linebacker Dave Philistin , who had recorded 124 tackles . The offense ' s returning statistical leaders included quarterback Chris Turner , who threw for 1 , 958 passing yards in 2007 ; wide receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey , who had 786 receiving yards ; and running back Da ' Rel Scott , who had 135 rushing yards . Recruiting . The 2008 recruiting class was ranked 52nd in the nation by Scout . com and 38th by Rivals . com . Scout . com rated three recruits as four - star and six as three - star prospects , while Rivals . com rated six recruits each as four - star and three - star prospects . Kenny Tate , who was originally recruited as a wide receiver , was the only four - star prospect to see significant playing time in 2008 . Before the season , he was converted to safety , a position that had been attrited by the graduation of former starters Christian Varner and J . J . Justice , and Tate also saw action on special teams . Cornerback Cameron Chism , who saw action in nine games as a reserve , recorded seven tackles on kickoff return s to tie for second on the team in special teams tackles . Tight end Matt Furstenburg saw limited play time on special teams against Delaware and Middle Tennessee , but injured his foot and was awarded a medical redshirt . Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey also sat out the season as a redshirt to recuperate from foot surgery . The other four - star recruits who sat out on redshirt status were wide receiver Kerry Boykins , tight end Devonte Campbell , and defensive tackle Masengo Kabongo . Running back Davin Meggett , the son of former New York Giants star Dave Meggett , was the only true freshman to start a game for Maryland in 2008 , and he was a significant contributor throughout the season . Meggett was not a highly touted recruit , assessed by Scout . com as a two - star prospect , and his only other scholarship offers were from local - area Division I FCS schools . In 2008 , however , he led all ACC freshman with 5 . 13 yards per carry , and Megett finished the season with 457 yards and four touchdowns as a reserve . Quarterback controversy . There was some controversy at the start of the season when head coach Ralph Friedgen selected senior Jordan Steffy as the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner . In 2007 , when Steffy suffered a concussion against 10th - ranked Rutgers , the relatively untested Turner took over and led Maryland to an upset victory . He then started the remainder of the season , compiled a 4 – 5 record in games he started , and led another upset against eighth - ranked Boston College . In comparing the practice performances of Steffy , Turner , and third - stringer Josh Portis , offensive coordinator James Franklin said : It gets hard if one quarterback all through spring and all through summer camp was statistically better in almost every single category , it ' s hard to rationalize not making him the starter . . . because your gut feeling is one thing and the statistics are another . Jordan led by a pretty large amount in completion percentage . . . [ and ] the least interception percentage . He didn ' t lead in yards per [ attempt or ] . . . percentage of explosive plays . I consider an explosive play a play of 16 yards or more . . . Portis led in that and Turner was second and Jordan was third . In the season opener against Delaware , Steffy suffered an injured thumb , and Turner took over in the fourth quarter . He remained the starter for the rest of the season , and Steffy saw no further game action . Portis saw limited playing time throughout the season , usually being put in for a single option play at a time . Schedule . The Sagarin computer rating system calculated Maryland ' s strength of schedule to be 36th - most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams . The Cosgrove Computer Rankings calculated it as the 56th - most difficult out of the 120 Division I FBS teams . In accordance with conference rules , Maryland faced all five Atlantic Division opponents : Boston College , Clemson , Florida State , NC State , and Wake Forest . They also faced three Coastal Division opponents : official ACC rival Virginia , North Carolina , and Virginia Tech . Virginia Tech and Boston College were the ACC champions and runners - up , respectively , in 2007 and again in 2008 . Maryland did not play ACC opponents Duke , Georgia Tech , and Miami . Maryland also played four non - conference games . For the season opener , the Terrapins met the 2007 Division I FCS runners - up , Delaware . California of the Pacific - 10 Conference was played for the first time in school history as the first half of a home - and - home series . Athletic director Deborah Yow wanted to play one of the University of Maryland ' s five academic peer institutions , and to take a two - year hiatus from the 28 - year series against West Virginia . She said , by adding California , " We weren ' t trying to add to the degree of difficulty [ of Maryland ' s schedule ] ; we were trying to substitute for West Virginia . " Games were also played against Middle Tennessee State of the Sun Belt Conference and Eastern Michigan of the Mid - American Conference . For the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl , Maryland played Nevada in the teams ' first meeting . Personnel . Injuries . Injuries had devastated the Maryland roster the previous year , and while 2008 was more forgiving by comparison , several key players were injured . Starting cornerback Kevin Barnes suffered a season - ending scapular fracture against Wake Forest and missed the last six games . Sophomore LaQuan Williams and true freshman Kevin Dorsey , both wide receivers , sat out the entire season due to leg and foot injuries , respectively . Leading receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey sat out the Boston College game due to a calf injury , and leading rusher Da ' Rel Scott suffered a left shoulder injury in the third game against California , which plagued him throughout the season , although he missed just one game . Running back Morgan Green , who had contended for the starting position during summer camp , had an injury - riddled season , before seeing his first real action in the bowl game . Starting quarterback Jordan Steffy was put out for the season by a thumb injury on his throwing hand in the first game . Depth chart . < br > Game summaries . Delaware . The previous season , Delaware finished as the Division I FCS championship runners - up and scored more than 40 points in seven of 15 games . However , their star quarterback , Joe Flacco , and running back , Omar Cuff , both graduated and went on to the NFL . Later in the season , the Blue Hens finished 2008 with eight losses for the first time in school history . Delaware kicked off to start the game , and wide receiver Torrey Smith returned the ball 23 yards to the Maryland 32 - yard line . Quarterback Jordan Steffy then led a Maryland drive , but the series ended when placekicker Obi Egekeze missed a 48 - yard field goal attempt . On the next Maryland possession , Egekeze missed another field goal attempt , this time of 45 yards . The teams then exchanged several punts before Maryland took over on the Delaware 48 - yard line . Steffy completed a 36 - yard pass to Darrius Heyward - Bey , which set up a 12 - yard touchdown rush also by Heyward - Bey . Delaware drove 44 yards , but then missed their own 46 - yard field goal attempt . With 3 : 33 left in the half , Steffy engineered a 47 - yard drive to set up a 41 - yard field goal attempt , which Egekeze missed for the third time . On the first play of the second half , Delaware quarterback Rob Schoenhoft threw an interception to cornerback Kevin Barnes , who returned it 10 yards to the Delaware 46 - yard line . On the next play , Steffy threw an interception to Erik Johnson , who returned it to the Maryland 49 - yard line . The Terrapins ' next possession ended when , fourth and 18 , Steffy threw another interception at the Delaware one - yard line . Incidentally , this put the Blue Hens in worse field position than if the Terrapins had turned over on downs . Soon after , Delaware punt ed the ball away . Running back Da ' Rel Scott then rushed for a 30 - yard gain , which set up a 14 - yard touchdown run by running back Davin Meggett . Chris Turner took over as Maryland ' s quarterback on the second series of the fourth quarter after Steffy fractured his right thumb . On Delaware ' s subsequent possession , Schoenhoft engineered an 80 - yard drive , which culminated with a one - yard touchdown rush by running back Johnathan Smith . With 3 : 20 on the clock , Schoenhoft threw an interception to safety Terrell Skinner . Turner then scrambled for a first down , and Scott converted for a second first down , which allowed Maryland to run out the game clock . Maryland won , with a final score of 14 – 7 . In his first career start , Scott ran for 157 yards , but Friedgen thought he could have done better . Friedgen said , " He was a little tired from camp . . . Normally , he would break some of those runs . I don ' t think he quite had his third gear today . " Steffy played a solid first half , but in the second , threw two interceptions before suffering a season - ending thumb fracture . He was replaced by back - up Chris Turner who started for the remainder of the season . Regarding their loss , Delaware head coach K . C . Keeler said , " This is not like a moral victory . I don ' t believe in moral victories . . . This was not a payday for us . . . We play a home game , we make more money than playing this game down here . When we scheduled this game , I thought our program would possibly be in a position to beat a solid ACC school . " Middle Tennessee State . The previous week , Middle Tennessee made two rapid - fire fourth quarter touchdowns in a failed comeback attempt against the eventual Sun Belt Conference champions , Troy . The week following the Maryland game , Middle Tennessee nearly upset Kentucky . The Blue Raiders lost that game , 20 – 14 , after wide receiver Eldred King caught a 61 - yard pass only to be ankle - tackled at the Kentucky one - yard line as time expired . After receiving the kickoff , Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock led an 80 - yard , 10 - play drive . It included a fake punt that caught Maryland off - guard , which allowed the punter to complete a 28 - yard pass for a first - down conversion . Craddock ended the drive with a 5 - yard touchdown pass . On Maryland ' s second offensive play of the game , Da ' Rel Scott broke free for a 63 - yard run for a touchdown . In the second quarter , Middle Tennessee re - took the lead with a 31 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , Turner threw an interception that was returned 25 yards to the Maryland five - yard line , and Middle Tennessee subsequently scored on a rushing play . On Maryland ' s next possession , Turner completed a short pass to Darrius Heyward - Bey who ran for an 80 - yard touchdown . In the fourth quarter , Maryland advanced inside the Middle Tennessee 35 - yard line three times , but was unable to capitalize . Middle Tennessee defenders saved two potential touchdowns with interceptions on their own two - yard line and in the end zone to preserve a Blue Raider victory , 24 – 14 . The game marked Middle Tennessee ' s first ever win over an ACC opponent , although they had come close in Charlottesville the year prior , when Virginia made a go - ahead field goal with eight seconds remaining . It was Middle Tennessee ' s fourth win against an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) conference . The other three all came against Vanderbilt . California ( # 23 ) . " The Washington Post " called the previous week ' s ten - point loss to Middle Tennessee the " worst defeat of [ Ralph Friedgen ' s ] eight - year tenure , " and with the narrow margin of victory over Delaware , most analysts strongly favored 23 - ranked California in its first meeting against Maryland . The previous week , California routed Washington State , 66 – 3 . The game began with a Maryland kickoff to California , who were stopped for a net loss of 4 yards and forced to punt . On Maryland ' s first possession , it mounted a 60 - yard drive that culminated in a 24 - yard touchdown rush by Da ' Rel Scott . California quarterback Kevin Riley then threw an interception to cornerback Kevin Barnes , which allowed Scott to rush for his second score of the game . California made a field goal , but on the following series , Maryland drove 60 yards and tight end Dan Gronkowski made a touchdown reception . The Golden Bears made another field goal to end the first half with a score of 21 – 6 , in Maryland ' s favor . During the second quarter , Riley threw a short screen pass to running back Jahvid Best , who immediately received a hard hit from Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes . While still laying on the field , Best rolled to his side to vomit . Footage of the tackle and its aftermath circulated widely on the internet and became a viral video phenomenon . In the third period , Chris Turner completed a pass to Darrius Heyward - Bey for a 27 - yard touchdown to end the quarter with Maryland in the lead , 28 – 6 . In the final period , California scored two touchdowns against a preventative defense , before Maryland responded with a fifth score on a one - yard rush by Davin Meggett . In the final minutes , Maryland placekicker Obi Egekeze missed a 27 - yard field goal which would have clinched the victory . Instead , California scored a third touchdown to close within eight points . With 1 : 55 remaining to play , California attempted an onside kick , but it bounced out of bounds , and Maryland was able to run out the clock to win the upset , 35 – 28 . The Maryland offense scored five touchdowns against California , which bettered the combined total of four in the Terrapins ' first two games . California running back Jahvid Best , an early Heisman Trophy contender , ran for 311 yards in his first two games , but was held to 25 yards on 10 carries against Maryland . In total , California ' s rushing offense was held to 38 yards . This was the first of four Maryland victories over ranked opponents during the 2008 season . Eastern Michigan . Against Mid - American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan , Maryland showcased its offense , which scored on nine out of thirteen possessions . Starting tailback Da ' Rel Scott sat out the game because of a shoulder injury suffered against California , and he was replaced by Morgan Green . Linebacker Adrian Moten blocked an Eastern Michigan punt , which gave Maryland excellent field position for their first possession on their opponents ' 10 - yard line . They were , however , were held to a field goal . Eastern Michigan responded with a 75 - yard drive to the Maryland five - yard line , but threw an interception to safety Jamari McCollough . Maryland mounted an 80 yard drive , which included a 35 - yard run by Darrius Heyward - Bey and culminated in a one - yard touchdown by Morgan Green . After both teams suffered " three - and - out " possessions , Eastern Michigan quarterback Kyle McMahon threw a second interception to Moten , which set up a second touchdown by Green . Eastern Michigan drove 80 yards in 11 plays , and running back Terrence Blevins ran for a touchdown to bring the score to 17 – 7 . Torrey Smith returned the ensuing 59 - yard kickoff 57 yards , which set up a 32 - yard touchdown pass from Chris Turner to Heyward - Bey . Eastern Michigan then drove 80 yards for another touchdown . On the subsequent Maryland possession , Turner threw an interception to end the half with the score of 24 – 14 . On the kickoff to start the second half , Smith returned the ball 27 yards . On the next play , Heyward - Bey gained 47 yards on a rush attempt , which set up a short touchdown pass to tight end Dan Gronkowski . On the next two series , the teams traded field goals which brought the score to 34 – 17 . Turner threw another interception to start the fourth quarter , but linebacker Trey Covington then recorded a quarterback sack , which forced Eastern Michigan to turnover on downs . Turner was then sacked himself , and Maryland kicked a field goal . Eastern Michigan engineered an 80 - yard drive for a touchdown , and closed the deficit to 37 – 24 . Maryland reserve quarterback Josh Portis execute a lateral to wide receiver Danny Oquendo who in turn passed to receiver Isaiah Williams , which gained a 43 - yard touchdown . Eastern Michigan was subsequently forced to punt , and Portis rushed 80 yards over six plays for the final touchdown . In the next series , Jamari McCoullough intercepted an Eastern Michigan pass to end the game , 51 – 24 . Clemson ( # 20 ) . Maryland traveled to Clemson to play in " Death Valley " , traditionally one of the most difficult ACC venues for opponents to play . Clemson firmly held the momentum of the game for the first half , and their running backs exploited holes in the Maryland defensive line . During that time , Clemson recorded two touchdowns and a field goal . Despite gaining excellent field position through recovering a fumbled punt on the Clemson 19 - yard line and a recovered fumble on the Clemson 30 - yard line , Maryland was able to produce just two field goals from those turnovers . The Terrapins drives were also blunted by penalties for two false starts and a holding call . In the first possession of the second half , the Terrapins were forced to punt after a run attempt for loss , a false start penalty , and two incomplete passes . The Maryland defense took the field and stopped a Clemson drive . On the first play of their second series , wide receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey executed a reverse to gain 76 yards before being stopped at the Clemson four - yard line . This set up a short Chris Turner touchdown pass to receiver Torrey Smith , and shifted the game ' s momentum in favor of Maryland . In the fourth quarter , three completions to Danny Oquendo set the stage for a one - yard rush into the endzone by Da ' Rel Scott . In the second half , the Maryland defense allowed Clemson just 31 rushing yards and zero points , compared with 204 rushing yards and 17 points in the first half . The upset marked the fourth consecutive Maryland win against a ranked opponent ( the others : # 23 Cal , and , in the 2007 season , # 8 Boston College and # 10 Rutgers ) . It was also the fourth consecutive time that the visiting team has won the Maryland – Clemson series . Virginia . Virginia went into the game with a 1 – 3 record and at the bottom of the ACC . They mustered only 36 points ( and just 20 points against Division I FBS teams ) in the previous four games , while allowing their opponents 128 points . Their last game had been a 31 – 3 defeat at the hands of Duke , which finally broke the Blue Devils ' 25 - game ACC losing streak . The Maryland offense had difficulty converting third downs , and managed only four on 13 attempts , while their defense allowed 226 passing yards and 201 rushing yards . Late in the first quarter , Virginia quarterback Marc Verica completed a pass to receiver Kevin Ogletree for a 51 - yard touchdown , the Cavs ' first passing score of the season . Virginia was able to score twice more before half , to put the Terrapins into a 21 – 0 deficit . With seconds left in the second quarter , in a desperate gambit to recoup some points , quarterback Chris Turner attempted a hook and ladder play with a pass to Isaiah Williams who then lateraled to Darrius Heyward - Bey , who in turn lateraled to Da ' Rel Scott . The maneuver picked up 45 yards before Scott was shoved out of bounds , and a flag was thrown for a late hit by Virginia . Since a half cannot end on a defensive penalty , time would have been added to the clock , but it was ruled that the foul occurred after time had expired . Therefore , the penalty was assessed after the kick - off , and the Terrapins ' trick play was for naught . In the third quarter , things got worse for Maryland as the Cavaliers added a field goal and another touchdown . In a final drive for 46 yards , Maryland attempted to avert a shutout . The effort fell short when a Turner pass was intercepted . The final result was 31 – 0 . It was the first time Maryland was shut out since 2004 , when they were similarly defeated by Virginia in Charlottesville , 16 – 0 . It was Maryland ' s worst shutout loss since losing to Virginia in 1997 , 45 – 0 , and the largest margin of loss since losing to Virginia Tech in 2004 , 55 – 6 . Wake Forest ( # 21 ) . After an embarrassing 31 – 0 loss against struggling Virginia , the Terrapins continued their inconsistent season against nationally - ranked Atlantic Division front - runner 21st - ranked Wake Forest . Maryland first scored with a halfback option , when Chris Turner pitched to Da ' Rel Scott , who connected with Darrius Heyward - Bey for a nine - yard pass into the end zone . In the second and third quarters , Maryland placekicker Obi Egekeze made four field goals . In the final quarter , Danny Oquendo brought down a short pass from Turner and ran it in past two defenders for a touchdown totaling 50 yards . Against Wake Forest ' s best - ranked pass defense in the nation , Chris Turner threw for a season - high of 321 yards and a career - best 68 % completion rate ( 28 – 41 ) . Maryland running back Da ' Rel Scott twice fumbled to give Wake Forest excellent field position , but both opportunities were wasted with missed field goal attempts . Wake Forest ' s leading scorer , placekicker Sam Swank , was out due to injury . Ralph Friedgen stated that " We finally put a full game together . I think by far it ' s the best we ' ve played all year . " It was Maryland ' s fifth consecutive defeat of a ranked opponent , and the third of the season , making them 3 – 0 against ranked opponents , but just 2 – 2 against all others . The game also marked the first time that Wake Forest had been held scoreless in 124 games when it lost to Air Force in 1998 , and it was the first time since 1957 that the Terrapins had bounced back to shut out an opponent following a shutout of their own . The last Maryland shutout of a ranked opponent was in 1955 against UCLA . NC State . In a frigid driving rain at College Park , NC State brought an inspired effort in an attempt to break a three - game losing streak . In the first series of the game , the Wolfpack used 14 plays and 8 minutes to drive 73 yards and score first . Maryland immediately responded with a drive that ended with a 13 - yard Turner pass to Dan Gronkowski . In the following series , NC State again scored a touchdown , and Maryland kicked a field goal in response . NC State running back Andre Brown fumbled on the first play , and Maryland recovered on the Wolfpack 24 - yard line . The Terrapins capitalized on the turnover with a Davin Meggett run into the endzone . After a Wolfpack field goal , the score was even at halftime , 17 – 17 . In the third quarter , Maryland running back Da ' Rel Scott rushed 24 yards for a touchdown . Late in the quarter , Danny Oquendo fumbled a punt return on the 50 - yard line and the Wolfpack recovered . NC State equalized once more with a Russell Wilson pass , which brought the score to 24 – 24 . With 4 : 50 remaining on the clock , and the ball on their own eight - yard line , Maryland drove 89 yards to the Wolfpack three - yard line , which included a pass to Davin Meggett for 31 yards . This set up a 20 - yard field goal attempt by Obi Egekeze with eight seconds on the clock . The kick was good and put Maryland ahead for good , 27 – 24 . The Wolfpack lost its fourth straight game to remain the only ACC team winless in conference play ( ACC : 0 – 4 ) . The favorite Terrapins once again struggled against an underdog opponent , but managed to edge the Wolfpack and secure a sixth win for bowl eligibility . With it , Maryland was ranked for the first time since 2006 , at 25th on the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches ' Poll rankings . Interestingly , the fan poll ESPNU Allstate Standings had the Terrapins ranked 14th in the nation , ahead of AP first - ranked Texas and fourth - ranked Oklahoma . Maryland had a bye in Week 10 , while ACC Atlantic rival 16th - ranked Florida State lost to Georgia Tech . This allowed Maryland to take the uncontested lead in the Atlantic Division and rise in the AP Poll to number - 23 and USA Today Coaches ' Poll to number - 21 . Florida State fell to 24th , while once 19th - ranked Tulsa , 20th - ranked Minnesota , 23rd - ranked Oregon , and 24th - ranked South Florida were all dropped from the rankings after their own loses . Virginia Tech . The two teams met for a Thursday night game at Blacksburg , a time and site where the Hokies have traditionally excelled . In the first quarter , Maryland drove 56 yards , but was held to a 46 - yard field goal attempt , which was missed by Obi Egekeze . In the next series , Tech quarterback Sean Glennon led the Hokies on an 80 - yard drive that culminated in a short pass to Greg Boone for a score . The next series went into the second quarter , and Maryland was again forced to attempt a field goal , which was made good . Hokies tailback Darren Evans then broke away for a 50 - yard carry to the Maryland 30 - yard line , and later capped it with a one - yard rush into the endzone . Before the half , Tech managed a field goal to expand their lead , 17 – 3 . In the second half , Chris Turner hit Darrius Heyward - Bey for a short bubble screen pass behind the line of scrimmage , and Heyward - Bey ran it 63 yards for the score . During the next series , the Terrapins were held three - and - out , but the punt was fumbled and recovered by Maryland on the Hokies 11 - yard line . However , the Terrapins were again forced to settle for a field goal , which made it a one - possession lead for VT at 20 – 13 with 2 : 29 left in the third quarter . In the final quarter , the Hokies managed another field goal and held onto the lead for a final result of 23 – 13 . Hokies tailback Darren Evans ran for a school - record of 253 yards , and exceeded 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time in his career . The Hokie defense shut down the Terrapins running game and held them to −12 yards on 18 carries . Maryland also proved unable or unwilling to blitz against Sean Glennon , the Tech quarterback hobbled by an ankle injury . Glennon threw for 127 yards and a touchdown . North Carolina ( # 16 ) . In another driving rainstorm at College Park , Maryland met 16th - ranked North Carolina . Maryland ' s first possession ended as a " three - and - out " series , and the Terrapins elected to punt . The ball was snapped high and sailed over punter Travis Baltz ' s head . Baltz recovered it in the Maryland end zone for a safety , which averted a possible North Carolina touchdown . Maryland kicked off to North Carolina , and held the Tar Heels to a field goal . On the subsequent possession , Maryland took the lead , 7 – 5 , after a 76 - yard drive that culminated with a short run by Da ' Rel Scott . On North Carolina ' s next possession , quarterback Cameron Sexton threw a long pass , which was tipped by Maryland safety Kenny Tate , but deflected into the hands of receiver Cooter Arnold hands , who ran it into the end zone for a 59 - yard touchdown . Davin Meggett powered 57 yards through the opposing defensive line on nine carries for another touchdown , which put Maryland back in the lead . Shortly before halftime , North Carolina kicked another field goal for the game ' s fifth lead change . The rain and wind let up in the third quarter , but the waterlogged playing field still presented challenging conditions . North Carolina placekicker Casey Barth struck the left upright on an unsuccessful 28 - yard field goal attempt , but the Tar Heels soon recovered a fumble from Maryland back - up quarterback Josh Portis . North Carolina failed to capitalize , however , and punted the ball away . Chris Turner engineered a 73 - yard drive in 19 plays , which included a scramble for a first down by the typically immobile pocket quarterback . That run put Maryland within field goal range , and Egekeze made the 26 - yard attempt with 1 : 42 remaining to play . North Carolina received the kick and managed a first down , but Sexton then threw a 34 - yard interception to safety Jamari McCollough . The Terrapins were then able to run run out the play clock to win , 17 – 15 . The victory was Maryland ' s sixth consecutive against ranked opponents , which set a new school record . At the time , Maryland was the only team in the nation with four wins over ranked opponents during the 2008 season . Only BCS National Championship Game participants Florida and Oklahoma would later finish with more wins against ranked teams . Maryland also improved their home record to 6 – 0 for the season . Head coach Ralph Friedgen improved his record against North Carolina to 5 – 1 , and kept North Carolina winless in College Park since 1997 . ACC Atlantic Division championship race . The results of that weekend ' s games improved the clarity of the ACC Championship Game picture , but did not decide it . Maryland improved their ACC record to 4 – 2 and took the uncontested lead of the Atlantic Division . Florida State lost to Boston College that same day , which meant four teams were still able to secure the division title : Boston College , Florida State , Maryland , and Wake Forest . Boston College ( ACC : 3 – 3 ) could travel to the ACC Championship Game if they won out by beating both Wake Forest and Maryland . Boston College eventually did just that , and lost to Virginia Tech in the 2008 ACC Championship Game . Florida State ( ACC : 4 – 3 ) would have won the Atlantic Division if they beat Maryland , Maryland beat Boston College , and Boston College beat Wake Forest . Under those circumstances , Florida State would have finished with a 5 – 3 record , tied with Maryland . Florida State would win the tiebreaker because they had defeated Maryland head - to - head . As it happened , Maryland lost to Boston College , which relegated Florida State to a second - place finish in the division . Wake Forest ( ACC : 4 – 3 ) would have won the division if they won their last game against Boston College , and both Florida State and Boston College beat Maryland . In that case , Florida State and Wake Forest would have had identical conference records ( ACC : 5 – 3 ) , and Wake Forest would have won the tiebreaker because they defeated Florida State earlier in the season . Maryland ( ACC : 4 – 2 ) would have won the division title if they had either : ( 1 ) beaten both Florida State and Boston College ; ( 2 ) beaten Florida State , while Boston College lost to Wake Forest ; or ( 3 ) beaten Boston College , while Boston College lost to Wake Forest . That last scenario would have caused a three - way tie between Maryland , Florida State , and Wake Forest . All would have possessed a 5 – 3 conference record , and no head - to - head tiebreaker would have been possible . In that case , the winner would have been decided by divisional record , of which the Terrapins would have had the best ( ACC Atlantic : 4 – 1 ) . Florida State . After Wake Forest lost to Boston College earlier in the day , Florida State required a win over Maryland to proceed to the ACC Championship Game . The Seminoles would also need Maryland to win against Boston College the following week . As a testament to the must - win nature of the game for Florida State , it was designated as a " Sod Game " , where , if won , the team would bring home a piece of Byrd Stadium ' s sod to be commemorated in their " Sod Cemetery " . Maryland received the opening kickoff and pushed into Florida State territory . On third down , Chris Turner was sacked and Maryland was forced to punt . Florida State was held three - and - out and punted . The Terrapins again pushed down field , before , on fourth and four on the Florida State 27 - yard line , elected to attempt a field goal . Obi Egekeze ' s 44 - yard attempt went wide of the uprights far to the right . Florida State started a drive in the first quarter for 73 yards which culminated with a seven - yard Christian Ponder pass to Preston Parker for the score . The two teams traded punts , and Terrapins running back Da ' Rel Scott fumbled the ball on the Maryland 26 - yard line . Seminole linebacker Derek Nicholson picked up the ball and ran it into the endzone to bring the score to 14 – 0 . On the next possession , Chris Turner threw his first interception in five games . Florida State then went three - and - out and punted . Maryland drove for 53 yards before another Turner pass was intercepted by Toddrick Verdell , who returned it for 34 yards . Florida State quarterback Ponder completed a 17 - yard pass to Parker , and then ran it himself for 16 yards to the Maryland five - yard line . Two Antone Smith rushes brought the score to 21 – 0 at the half . At the beginning of the second half , the Terrapins kicked off to the Seminoles before both teams traded field goals . It would be the only points Maryland would muster all night . In the fourth quarter , Florida State added another field goal . On the next possession , Maryland running back Da ' Rel Scott and receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey both made short runs for a first down . Scott lost his second fumble of the night on the Terrapin 43 - yard line . Florida State took over and scored another touchdown . After Maryland went three - and - out , Seminoles kicker Graham Gano made his third field goal of the night . The Seminoles defense accumulated six sacks , two interceptions , and two forced fumbles . The loss ended Maryland ' s aspirations for the Atlantic Division title and , with it , a shot at the ACC Championship . Florida State remained in the running until Maryland lost to Boston College the following week . Three hours before kick - off , Florida State safety Myron Rolle successfully interviewed for a Rhodes Scholarship in Birmingham , Alabama . Rolle then took a private flight to arrive at the game in time to play late in the first half . Boston College ( # 20 ) . Maryland entered the game having been knocked out of the running for the Atlantic Division title the previous week , but able to play spoiler for Boston College . The Eagles were playing to earn a berth to the ACC Championship Game for the second consecutive year . Additionally , competing within a closely contested ACC , Maryland could have greatly improved its standing for bowl selection with an eighth win . The Eagles were the fifth ranked team to face Maryland . The Terrapins were , to that point , 4 – 0 against top - 25 opposition and the only team to beat four ranked opponents in 2008 . Boston College was fielding second - string quarterback Dominique Davis in his first career appearance . He replaced starter Chris Crane , who had suffered a broken collarbone the previous week . Boston College kicked off , and Torrey Smith made a 27 - yard return to the Maryland 31 - yard line . After a Terrapins false start and Eagles offsides penalty , Chris Turner connected with Torrey Smith for 12 yards and a first down . Turner gained another first down with a completion to Danny Oquendo to put them into BC territory . A rush for no gain and two incomplete passes forced a punt . Boston College responded with a 14 - play , 88 - yard drive that resulted in a seven - yard touchdown pass to Justin Jarvis . On the next possession , Turner completed passes to Emani Lee - Odai and Torrey Smith for 16 - and 43 - yard gains , respectively , and placed them at the Boston College one - yard line . Turner capped the drive with a one - yard rush for a score to tie the score , 7 – 7 . To end the first quarer , Boston College linebacker Mike McLaughlin literally hurdled over 5 - ft 8 - in Davin Meggett to sack Turner in what was ranked an ESPN SportsCenter " Play of the Day " . The Eagles and Terrapins traded punts twice , and then Boston College turned over on downs before Maryland was forced to punt again . After a Boston College punt , Chris Turner threw an interception to Mark Herzlich . On the next play Dominique Davis threw to Rich Gunnell for a 45 - yard touchdown reception . The second half started off with traded punts . Boston College took over with excellent field position on the Maryland 34 - yard line , but was held to fourth and eight yards on the Terrapins ' nine - yard line . The Eagles faked a field goal attempt , and holder Billy Flutie , nephew of Heisman winner Doug Flutie , rolled right and passed to Jordon McMichael for a nine - yard touchdown . The teams traded punts again , before Turner led the Terrapins on a 70 - yard drive into the final quarter . A 13 - yard reception by Danny Oquendo brought the score to 21 – 14 . Boston College was then held three - and - out and punted . The Terrapins drove to the Eagles ' 19 - yard line , but Obi Egekeze missed the 36 - yard field goal attempt . Boston College ' s next drive consisted of ten rush attempts by Montel Harris and burned three minutes off the clock . The Eagles punted and Turner completed three passes to advance to their own 35 - yard line . Linebacker Robert Francois intercepted a pass and ran it 36 yards into the endzone . Steve Aponavicius ' s extra point brought it to 28 – 14 . With 1 : 42 left , Turner completed eight passes including an 8 - yard touchdown toss to Torrey Smith . With 0 : 14 remaining in the game , Maryland attempted an onside kick , but it bounced out of bounds . Boston College took possession and ran out the clock to end the game , 28 – 21 . Boston College ended Maryland ' s six game winning streak against ranked opponents . With a 7 – 5 record , the Terrapins ' postseason bowl game options were also limited . The Eagles secured the ACC Atlantic Division title and , with it , a trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game to face Virginia Tech for the second - straight season . Boston College held the Maryland run to −6 yards , forcing reliance on Chris Turner ' s passing ability . It was the second game of the season the Terrapins were held to negative rushing yards ( this had also occurred against Virginia Tech ) . Turner , however , was able to throw for 360 yards , bettering Boston College ' s total offensive yardage of 318 yards . Bowl selection process . Maryland achieved bowl eligibility through its sixth win against NC State . The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 7 – 5 overall record and 4 – 4 record against ACC opponents . Maryland ' s conference record was identical to four other ACC teams , and the league fielded an NCAA record of ten bowl - eligible teams . For the 2008 season , there were eight non - Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) bowl games with ACC tie - ins : the Gator Bowl , the Chick - fil - A Bowl , the Champs Sports Bowl , the Music City Bowl , the Humanitarian Bowl , the Emerald Bowl , the Meineke Car Care Bowl , and the EagleBank Bowl . After Maryland suffered a fifth loss in the season closer against Boston College , it was very unlikely that the team ' s preferred postseason game , the Meineke Car Care Bowl , would extend an invitation . The game ' s selection committee in Charlotte , North Carolina was eager to secure nearby North Carolina ( 8 – 4 ) . Meanwhile , the EagleBank Bowl , hosted by RFK Stadium in Washington , D . C . , not far from the Maryland campus , secured in - state rival Navy , but the game date conflicted with Maryland ' s final exams . Soon after Maryland ' s regular season finale , sportswriters and analysts speculated that the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise , Idaho , was the most likely postseason destination . Bowl officials there worked to secure a game of undefeated teams between the hometown team , Boise State , and Ball State of the Mid - American Conference . However , Ball State rejected the proposal to play at Boise State ' s homefield as unacceptable . On December 7 , 2008 , Maryland accepted a bid to play in the Roady ' s Humanitarian Bowl against Nevada . The Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) team likewise finished with a 7 – 5 record . Nevada was ranked the number - five total offense and number - two rushing offense in the nation with 510 . 6 total yards per game . In 2008 , running back Vai Taua ran for 1 , 420 and quarterback Colin Kaepernick for 1 , 115 yards , and the latter threw for an additional 2 , 479 yards . The Humanitarian Bowl executive director , Kevin McDonald , said , " We look forward to welcoming a Maryland [ team ] that defeated four Top 25 opponents and spent three weeks ranked . . . Nevada comes in having played two teams , Texas Tech and Missouri , that were then ranked nationally in the top ten . They also gave ninth - ranked Boise State their toughest [ WAC ] game . " Nevada ( 2008 Humanitarian Bowl ) . Prior to the game , Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen placed a partial - game suspension on seven players who violated the team ' s pre - bowl curfew , including leading rusher , Da ' Rel Scott , and senior wide receiver Danny Oquendo . Consequently , a much younger line - up initially started for Maryland during the early part of the game , including , according to Friedgen , some who probably would not have seen playing time otherwise . The game started with Maryland receiving the kick - off and on the first series , quarterback Chris Turner linked up with freshman Adrian Cannon for a 59 - yard touchdown . However , placekicker Obi Egekeze missed the extra point . Nevada quarterback and Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year , Colin Kaepernick , responded with a drive which included a 68 - yard pass to the Maryland 3 - yard line . The Terrapin defense stopped two rushing attempts by Vai Taua , but a short pass was good for the score , and with the extra point , Nevada took the lead 6 – 7 . The Wolf Pack then kicked a 69 - yard kick - off to Torrey Smith , who returned it 99 yards for a second Maryland touchdown . Egekeze made good the extra point and Maryland regained the lead , 13 – 7 . On the next kick - off , Egekeze attempted to kick the ball as it fell off the tee , resulting in a short squib , which was returned to the Terrapins ' 9 - yard line . Kaepernick threw into the endzone where it was intercepted by Maryland safety Kenny Tate for a touchback , but the Terrapins were soon forced to punt . Kaepernick advanced the ball downfield before a Taua 17 - yard touchdown run . In the next series , Maryland sophomore Morgan Green rushed for three yards and then a 53 - yard touchdown breakaway . Later , Turner converted on third down with a 16 - yard toss to Ronnie Tyler and threw again to Tyler for a 14 - yard touchdown . Turner tallied a two - point conversion with a throw to Davin Meggett , and Maryland led at halftime 28 – 14 . Wolf Pack running back Taua was able to capitalize after a Turner - thrown pick and narrow their deficit , 28 – 21 . A sack against Turner knocked the ball loose , was recovered by Nevada , fumbled again , and finally recovered by the Terrapins ' Scott Burley . Turner then connected with Darrius Heyward - Bey for an 11 - yard first down and a fresh Da ' Rel Scott made his first touch of the game for another first down on the Nevada 23 . Turner was again sacked and fumbled , and Nevada recovered . Kaepernick then completed 38 - yard and 21 - yard passes to even the score , 28 – 28 . Turner converted on third down with a 26 - yard toss to Torrey Smith . Scott was soon able to break open down the middle for a 49 - yard touchdown run . On the next Maryland series , Da ' Rel Scott was handed the ball four times in succession and scored his second touchdown . With 4 : 01 remaining , Kaepernick led a drive starting from the Nevada 23 , before a scramble for a touchdown made it a one - possession game with 2 : 19 remaining . Jaekle attempted an on - side kick , but it was recovered by Maryland . Scott picking up a first down and clinched a 42 – 35 Maryland victory . Maryland freshman wide receiver Torrey Smith , with his 99 - yard kickoff return touchdown , broke the all - time ACC record for single - season kickoff returns with 1 , 089 yards . Maryland running back Da ' Rel Scott rushed for 174 yards , earning Most Valuable Player honors alongside Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick who threw for 370 yards . Scott set the University of Maryland ' s record for rushing yards in a bowl game , in what was just one - and - half quarters of playing time due to his curfew suspension . He also broke the 1 , 000 - yard per season barrier , making him one of just seven players in school history to do so . Four Maryland back - ups who saw significant play due to the curfew suspensions also scored touchdowns : second - string X - receiver Torrey Smith , second - string slot receiver Ronnie Tyler , third - string slot receiver Adrian Cannon , and third - string running back Morgan Green . Rankings . In Week 9 , after defeating Wake Forest to improve to a 6 – 1 record , Maryland was ranked 25th by both the Associated Press and the Coaches ' Poll s . It was the first time the team was ranked since Week 11 in 2006 . Maryland would rise in the polls , and enter the Harris and BCS rankings after beating NC State the following week . However , after the loss to Virginia Tech , the Terps fell out of the rankings altogether . Maryland made one final poll appearance after the win over North Carolina , before losing to Florida State . Postseason . Coaching changes . At the end of the regular season , but before the postseason bowl game , Maryland lost two members of its coaching staff . On December 5 , 2008 , the school announced that defensive coordinator Chris Cosh would return to Kansas State to take over as assistant coach and co - defensive coordinator . He joined the staff of the recently re - hired Bill Snyder , who was Kansas State ' s head coach from 1996 to 2005 . Cosh previously served under Snyder as his linebackers coach from 2004 to 2005 . For the bowl game , Maryland appointed outside linebackers coach Al Seamonson as the interim defensive coordinator . Maryland also lost its special teams and tight ends coach , Danny Pearman , who was hired by new Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney . Pearman was a Clemson alumnus and played there as a tight end from 1984 to 1987 . At Alabama , he coached special teams and the offensive and defensive tackles from 1990 to 1997 , during which time Swinney played there as a wide receiver . For Maryland ' s bowl game , third - year intern Brian White acted as interim tight ends coach , and he assisted head coach Ralph Friedgen in directing the special teams . After the bowl game , in February 2009 , the athletic department named offensive coordinator James Franklin the " head coach - in - waiting " , meaning that he would be the eventual successor to Ralph Friedgen . Upon the expiration of Friedgen ' s contract in January 2012 , Franklin will be offered the position or paid a US $ 1 million contractual buyout . In June 2009 , Friedgen said he might like to stay an additional two years past his current contract , but athletic director Deborah Yow responded that the school could not afford the buyout . She said that any extension would have to be worked out between Friedgen and Franklin . All - star games . Five Maryland players were selected by postseason all - star games . Defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre appeared in the Texas vs . The Nation Game . Offensive linemen Edwin Williams and Jaimie Thomas participated in the East - West Shrine Game . Linebacker Moise Fokou played in the Under Armour Senior Bowl . Kevin Barnes was also selected to participate in the Senior Bowl very early in the season before he suffered a scapular fracture . He attended the game , but did not play due to his injury . NFL Draft . Five former Maryland players were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft , which tied North Carolina for the most of any Atlantic Coast Conference team . Wide receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey , who ran the fastest 40 - yard dash time at the combine of 4 . 30 seconds , was selected by the Oakland Raiders as the seventh overall pick , far higher than most analysts had anticipated . Cornerback Kevin Barnes , who had scored the highest grade on the intelligence test at the combine , was selected in the third round by the Washington Redskins . Linebacker Moise Fokou , guard Jaimie Thomas , and tight end Dan Gronkowski were all selected in the seventh round . Additionally , several former Terrapins were signed by NFL teams as free agents shortly after the draft . These consisted of : linebacker Dave Philistin , center Edwin Williams , wide receiver Isaiah Williams , defensive end Jeremy Navarre , offensive tackle Scott Burley , linebacker Chase Bullock , offensive tackle Dane Randolph , and defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi . Awards . All - conference honors . All - ACC honorees were selected by a 67 - member committee from the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Media Association ( ACSMA ) . Maryland tied with Atlantic Division Co - Champion Boston College for most All - ACC honorees at nine . Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech each secured eight All - ACC honors . Three Maryland players were selected to the first team : punter Travis Baltz , running back Da ' Rel Scott , and center Edwin Williams . Linebacker Alex Wujciak was named to the second team . Offensive linemen Scott Burley and Jaimie Thomas , tight end Dan Gronkowski , wide receiver Darrius Heyward - Bey , and defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre were named as honorable mention All - ACC players . Statistics . Special teams . Sources :