Clemson vs. Maryland Football Game Notes

Oct. 13, 2010

Clemson vs. Maryland Series Clemson holds a 30-26-2 advantage in the series with Maryland. The first game of the series was played in 1952, one year before both teams became charter members of the ACC. The two schools have played every year since 1952, the longest active continuous rivalry for the Tigers against an ACC school. It is the longest continuous rivalry for Maryland as well. The Terps won each of the first four games in the series before the Tigers got a tie in 1956 and a win in 1957.

The visiting team won four straight games between 2005-08. Maryland broke the string with a 24-21 win at College Park last year. That was the first time in the history of the series that the road team has won four in a row.

Clemson had won eight in a row and 13 of 14 prior to Ralph Friedgen’s return to his alma mater for the 2001 season. Friedgen is 6-3 against Clemson, including a 3-1 record at Death Valley. If he gains a victory Saturday he would be just the seventh opposing coach to win at Clemson at least four times. Bobby Bowden has the most wins at Death Valley by an opposing coach with six.

The three meetings between 2004-06 were decided within the last three minutes of the game and the average victory margin in those three games was just 2.7 points.

Five of the last six have been decided by four points or less. The only game that has not was Clemson’s 30-17 win at Maryland in 2007. Maryland has won the last two by exactly three 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.

In 2002, Maryland defeated Clemson in Death Valley, its first win at Memorial Stadium since 1985. It was Ralph Friedgen’s first game as Maryland head coach against Clemson in Death Valley. Clemson has won nine of the last 12 between the two teams in Death Valley, but Maryland has won the last two, including the 2008 game, 20-17. They won at Clemson in 2006 in an upset, 13-12. Had Clemson won that 2006 game it would have played in the ACC Championship game.

Clemson has a 16-13 lead in the series in games played at Clemson and a 13-12-1 lead in games played in Byrd Stadium. The teams were 1-1-1 in three games played in Baltimore.

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 and Maryland is second.

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, 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. C.J. Spiller had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Maryland last year. The greatest return game in ACC history by any individual was recorded by Clemson’s Don Kelley against Maryland in 1970. He had 223 total return yards on punt and interception returns in that game.

Tickets are now available at a discounted rate for the Clemson vs. Maryland game on October 16. Adult tickets are $24 each and youth tickets (18 and under) are $10 each.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Tickets are also still available for Clemson’s home games against Georgia Tech (October 23) and N.C. State (November 6). Tickets are $48 each for the N.C. State game and $50 each for the Georgia Tech game. Tickets may be purchased online at ClemsonTigers.com or by phone at 1-800-CLEMSON.