Maryland–Penn State football rivalry

Maryland–Penn State football rivalry
Maryland Terrapins
Penn State Nittany Lions
First meetingNovember 17, 1917
Penn State, 57–0
Latest meetingNovember 4, 2023
Penn State, 51–15
Next meetingNovember 30, 2024
Statistics
Meetings total47
All-time seriesPenn State leads, 43–3–1[1]
Largest victoryPenn State, 70–7 (1993)
Penn State, 66–3 (2017)
Longest win streakPenn State, 24 (1962–1988)
Current win streakPenn State, 3 (2021–present)
Map
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150km
100miles
Penn State
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Maryland
Locations of Maryland and Penn State

The Maryland–Penn State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Maryland Terrapins and Penn State Nittany Lions.[2][3] In a series dating back to 1917, Penn State has an overwhelming series advantage, having won 42 out of 46 games. When Maryland joined Penn State in the Big Ten Conference in 2014, this series became a yearly conference series with implications for the Big Ten East Division title. On October 4, 2023, the Big Ten announced future football opponents for the 2024 to 2028 seasons with the addition of four schools to the conference and the removal of divisions. The teams are scheduled to meet in 2024, 2026, and 2027.[4]

Series history

[edit]

The teams first played in 1917. Penn State has thoroughly dominated the series, leading 43–3–1, with their longest winning streak being 24 games from 1962 to 1988.[1]

Penn State and Maryland met in briefly interrupted stretches between 1917 and 1993, with a near-consecutive run played all but three years (1976, 1981, and 1983) between 1960 and 1993. However, the one-sided record belies what was often a competitive match-up until its final years. While Maryland only compiled one win and one tie, numerous games were narrowly lost by missed field goals and turnovers. In 1975, a field goal attempt by kicker Mike Sochko hit the upright with under a minute left; Maryland lost 15–13.[5] On September 7, 1985, no. 7 Maryland missed two field goals in the fourth quarter, and no. 19 Penn State won 20–18 in a game considered an upset.[6]

Aside from the painful memories for Maryland, both schools compete aggressively for recruits in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area and Delaware Valley.[7][8] When they did play, the game held recruiting implications for the entire mid-Atlantic. A more recent example of the recruiting competition is Baltimore-area player Antonio Logan-El, who committed verbally to Maryland, but ultimately signed with Penn State on live TV in 2006.[9][10] Penn State secured a large number of recruits from the Baltimore–Washington area with its 2006 class, including the 11th-overall 2009 NFL draft pick, defensive end Aaron Maybin of Ellicott City, Maryland,[11] who had considered attending Maryland.[7]

The 1993 game, during Penn State's first season in the Big Ten Conference, was the last game in the series for over 20 years.[12] Prior to Maryland's announcement to join the Big Ten, former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen and Penn State athletic spokesman Jeff Nelson had previously stated that the schools had undergone discussions in an attempt to schedule a rematch. Maryland and Penn State were unable to agree on the terms for a revival. In 2008, Maryland officials alleged that Penn State demanded a two-to-one ratio of home games, which Penn State officials denied.[13] Maryland head coach Randy Edsall, then in his first year, looked forward to a resumption of the rivalry in 2011.[14]

On November 19, 2012, Maryland announced that it would be joining the Big Ten Conference, effective July 1, 2014.[15] Maryland was placed in the East Division along with Penn State, ensuring that the rivalry will be played on a yearly basis.[16] Prior to Maryland joining the conference, Penn State coach James Franklin, speaking in Baltimore, Maryland, claimed the new Big Ten territory as "in-state" adding, "I know there other schools around here, but you might as well shut them down".[17] Maryland coach Randy Edsall responded to Franklin: "Talk is cheap."[18]

The first rematch was at Beaver Stadium on November 1, 2014. Prior to the game, Edsall said that he looked forward to creating a rivalry with Penn State, while Franklin said that he saw Maryland simply as a Big Ten opponent, not a rival.[19] During the warmups, Maryland and Penn State players scuffled. During the scuffle Maryland star wide receiver Stefon Diggs made contact with a referee and was handed a one-game suspension after the game for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy.[20] At the coin toss the captains of the Terps refused to shake hands with the Penn State captains. Maryland won 20–19 on a 43-yard field goal by Brad Craddock with 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter.[21] Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, coach Randy Edsall, and athletic director Kevin Anderson made public apologies to the Penn State President, coaching staff and players after being reprimanded by the Big Ten Conference.[20]

After the 2014 game, Penn State went on to win every game in the series from 2015 to 2019.[1] On October 24, 2015, Penn State won 31–30 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in a game with eight total turnovers committed by both teams, three by Penn State and five by Maryland. Christian Hackenberg passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns for Penn State.[22]

The series began rotating between the two campuses' stadiums in 2016, and Penn State won by lopsided scores in the four games from 2016 to 2019.[1] During that time, local media debated if the series could be considered a rivalry. Prior to the 2015 season, the Hanover Evening Sun in Hanover, Pennsylvania, published two columns debating the status of the rivalry. Zach Miller wrote that Maryland–Penn State football games "are still a long way from rivalry status."[23] In contrast, Brandon Stoneburg said that the 2014 Maryland win was the start of "a new era of Penn State vs. Maryland football, an era that is indeed a rivalry."[24] Steve Heiser wrote in 2016 for the York Dispatch that Maryland is the closest true rival to Penn State due to the campuses' home states bordering each other, the schools competing for recruits, and the close scores of the last two games.[25]

Entering the game as 27.5-point underdogs, Maryland defeated Penn State 35–19 on November 7, 2020, at Beaver Stadium and ended Penn State's five-game winning streak in the series.[26][27]

Game results

[edit]
Maryland victoriesPenn State victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 17, 1917 University Park, PA Penn State 57–0
2 November 13, 1937 University Park, PA Penn State 21–14
3 October 1, 1938 University Park, PA Penn State 33–0
4 November 4, 1939 University Park, PA Penn State 12–0
5 October 23, 1943 College Park, MD Penn State 45–0
6 November 18, 1944 University Park, PA Penn State 34–19
7 November 5, 1960 University Park, PA Penn State 28–9
8 November 4, 1961 College Park, MD Maryland 21–17
9 November 3, 1962 University Park, PA Penn State 23–7
10 November 2, 1963 College Park, MD Penn State 17–15
11 October 31, 1964 University Park, PA Penn State 17–9
12 December 4, 1965 College Park, MD Penn State 19–7
13 September 17, 1966 University Park, PA Penn State 15–7
14 November 4, 1967 College Park, MD Penn State 38–3
15 November 16, 1968 College Park, MD No. 3 Penn State 57–13
16 November 15, 1969 University Park, PA No. 5 Penn State 48–0
17 November 7, 1970 College Park, MD Penn State 34–0
18 November 6, 1971 University Park, PA No. 6 Penn State 63–27
19 November 4, 1972 University Park, PA No. 10 Penn State 46–16
20 November 3, 1973 College Park, MD No. 6 Penn State 42–22
21 November 2, 1974 University Park, PA No. 10 Penn State 24–17
22 November 1, 1975 College Park, MD No. 9 Penn State 15–13
23 September 24, 1977 University Park, PA No. 5 Penn State 27–9
24 November 4, 1978 University Park, PA No. 2 Penn State 27–3
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
25 October 6, 1979 College Park, MD Penn State 27–7
26 October 11, 1980 College Park, MD No. 14 Penn State 24–10
27 September 11, 1982 University Park, PA No. 7 Penn State 39–31
28 October 6, 1984 University Park, PA No. 11 Penn State 25–24
29 September 7, 1985 College Park, MD No. 19 Penn State 20–18
30 November 8, 1986 University Park, PA No. 2 Penn State 17–15
31 November 7, 1987 Baltimore, MD No. 16 Penn State 21–16
32 November 5, 1988 University Park, PA Penn State 17–10
33 November 11, 1989 Baltimore, MD Tie13–13
34 November 10, 1990 University Park, PA No. 21 Penn State 24–10
35 November 9, 1991 Baltimore, MD No. 9 Penn State 47–7
36 September 26, 1992 University Park, PA No. 9 Penn State 49–13
37 October 2, 1993 College Park, MD No. 9 Penn State 70–7
38 November 1, 2014 University Park, PA Maryland 20–19
39 October 24, 2015 Baltimore, MD Penn State 31–30
40 October 8, 2016 University Park, PA Penn State 38–14
41 November 25, 2017 College Park, MD No. 10 Penn State 66–3
42 November 24, 2018 University Park, PA No. 12 Penn State 38–3
43 September 27, 2019 College Park, MD No. 12 Penn State59–0
44 November 7, 2020 University Park, PA Maryland 35–19
45 November 6, 2021 College Park, MD No. 22 Penn State 31–14
46 November 12, 2022 University Park, PA No. 14 Penn State 30–0
47 November 4, 2023 College Park, MD No. 11 Penn State 51–15
Series: Penn State leads 43–3–1[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Rivalry finder: Maryland-Penn State". Sports Reference College Football. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Terps hope to buck tradition Saturday". The Gettysburg Times. AP. September 4, 1985. p. 11. Retrieved August 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Ross has had to parry questions about the mismatched rivalry from members of the news media.
  3. ^ "Moore crushes Terps' upset hopes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 13, 1980. p. 28. Retrieved August 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Only once in its 26-game rivalry with Maryland has Penn State lost.
  4. ^ "Big Ten Conference Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024-28". Big Ten Conference. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  5. ^ David Ungrady, Tales from the Maryland Terrapins, p. 198, Sports Publishing LLC, 2003, ISBN 1-58261-688-4.
  6. ^ White, Gordon S. Jr. (September 8, 1985). "Penn State rallies to take 21st straight from Maryland". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Barr, Josh (February 1, 2006). "Penn State's Lure Is Not A Good Sign for Maryland". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Markus, Don (September 26, 2019). "'More a recruiting rivalry': Maryland football has more than a win at stake vs. No. 12 Penn State". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  9. ^ "Antonio Logan-El Lowdown". Nittany Notes. Scout.com. April 5, 2007. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "Lineman Logan-El chooses Penn State". USA Today. January 25, 2006. Archived from the original on February 16, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  11. ^ Stevens, Patrick (April 30, 2009). "Ralph's recruiting class". D1scourse. WashingtonTimes.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012.
  12. ^ Denlinger, Ken (October 1, 1993). "Memories Terps would sooner forget". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Barker, Jeff (October 3, 2008). "Maryland, Penn State disagree on the facts". Tracking the Terps. BaltimoreSun.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  14. ^ VanO'Linda, Dick (June 21, 2011). "Maryland's Edsall would like series vs. Penn State". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  15. ^ Greenstein, Teddy (November 19, 2012). "Maryland approves move to Big Ten; Rutgers next". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  16. ^ McCullough, Andy (November 19, 2012). "Rutgers to join Big Ten: Top 5 things you need to know". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  17. ^ Hockensmith, Dustin (May 7, 2014). "'Dominate the state(s)': Penn State's James Franklin fires shots at Maryland and Rutgers". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  18. ^ Walk, John (June 16, 2014). "Comments by Penn State's Franklin don't concern Maryland's Edsall". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  19. ^ Juliano, Joe (October 31, 2014). "Penn State-Maryland a rivalry? Not exactly". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Zenitz, Matt (November 3, 2014). "Maryland's Stefon Diggs suspended and Randy Edsall reprimanded for sportsmanship violations". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  21. ^ "Craddock kicks Maryland past Penn State 20–19". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 1, 2014. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  22. ^ "Penn State vs. Maryland – Game Summary". ESPN. October 24, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  23. ^ Miller, Zach (July 30, 2015). "Commentary: Penn State vs. Maryland matchup is no rivalry". Hanover Evening Sun. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  24. ^ Stoneburg, Brandon (July 30, 2015). "Commentary: Penn State vs. Maryland rivalry is alive and well". Hanover Evening Sun. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  25. ^ Heiser, Steve (October 4, 2016). "Penn State-Maryland game a rivalry in making". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  26. ^ "Maryland vs. Penn State – Game Summary". ESPN. November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  27. ^ Johnson, Travis (November 7, 2020). "Maryland gets first win against Penn State in 5 years, 35–19". Associated Press. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
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