Quick Lane Bowl Preview: Maryland

Monday, December 26

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

2:30 PM

Boston College

Maryland

Buy Tickets

December 24, 2016 | Football

Everything you need to know for the Quick Lane Bowl and what to watch for on Dec. 26

THE FACTS
Matchup: Boston College (6-6, 2-6 ACC) vs. Maryland (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten)
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
When: Monday, Dec. 26, 2:30 p.m. ET
Game Information: Game Notes | Depth Chart

TUNE IN
Watch: ESPN | WatchESPN
Listen: WEEI 850AM | BC IMG Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: Link

HOW TO FOLLOW
Quick Lane Bowl: @quicklanebowl
Boston College: @BCFootball | #BCEagles
Maryland: @TerpsFootball | #FeartheTurtle
Game-Specific Hashtag: #BCvsMD

MORE INFORMATION
Website: http://www.detroitlions.com/quicklanebowl | bceagles.com | umterps.com

Statistic Breakdown	National	Rank	Value
	BC	MD	BC	MD
3rd Down Conversion Pct	119	104	0.325	0.349
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense	12	64	0.319	0.393
4th Down Conversion Pct	60	106	0.500	0.407
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense	17	20	0.364	0.375
First Downs Defense	6	106	184	284
First Downs Offense	128	112	174	219
Fumbles Lost	104	38	11	7
Fumbles Recovered	11	91	12	6
Kickoff Return Defense	8	23	17.24	18.49
Kickoff Returns	21	83	23.59	20.03
Net Punting	112	51	34.75	38.09
Passes Intercepted	53	125	11	4
Passing Offense	121	110	141.5	174.0
Passing Yards Allowed	32	51	203.7	215.8
Punt Return Defense	33	40	5.41	5.59
Punt Returns	10	32	13.74	10.19
Red Zone Defense	52	20	0.818	0.769
Red Zone Offense	95	49	0.800	0.861
Rushing Defense	8	101	106.9	217.9
Rushing Offense	100	40	146.8	205.5
Scoring Defense	43	70	24.6	29.0
Scoring Offense	123	92	19.1	25.4
Team Passing Efficiency	115	82	111.33	124.85
Team Passing Efficiency Defense	80	56	135.00	127.30
Team Sacks	10	23	3.25	2.75
Team Tackles for Loss	15	40	7.7	6.5
Time of Possession	13	97	33:29	27:51
Total Defense	8	82	310.6	433.7
Total Offense	127	93	288.3	379.5

EAGLES BOWL HISTORY

Boston College last appeared in a bowl on Dec. 27, 2014 as the Eagles took on Penn State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. The Eagles fell to the Nittany Lions in overtime 31-30.
Boston College has made 25 bowl appearances in program history, including 15 of the last 18 years.
The football program is currently tied for 35th all-time in NCAA history with 13 bowl victories.

SERIES HISTORY

The game will be the 12th all-time meeting between the two schools and the first since Maryland was in the ACC in 2013. The Eagles lead the series, 8-3, and have won the last three meetings.
Boston College won the last game at Byrd Stadium, 29-26, on Nov. 23, 2013. Maryland has not won in the series since a 24-21 victory at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 23, 2010.
Nine of the 11 all-time games played between the two Eastern schools came in ACC play. The series began in 1985 with the Terrapins winning, 31-13, over Boston College in Foxboro.
Four members of the Boston College team are Maryland natives: Senior captain John Johnson (West Hyattsville), junior Kamrin Moore (District Heights), freshman Elijah Johnson (Severn) and junior Jack Kenny (Baltimore).

SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS

Maryland enters the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl 6-6 overall, including a 3-6 mark in the Big Ten under first-year head coach D.J. Durkin.
The Terps rank 94th nationally in total offense (379.5 yards per game), 92nd in scoring offense (25.4 points per game), 40th in rushing offense (205.5 yards per game) and 110th in passing offense (174.0 yards per game).
Maryland is 81st nationally in total defense (433.7 yards per game), 71st in scoring defense (29.0 points per game), 101st in rushing defense (217.9 yards per game) and 52nd in passing yards allowed (215.8 yards per game).
The quarterback for the Terrapins, Perry Hills, finished the season throwing for 1,245 yards with a completion percentage of 66.0 percent and tossing 10 touchdowns. Hills also rushed for four touchdowns this season.
The Terrapins' offense relied primarily on three receivers all season. Teldrick Morgan, D.J. Moore and Levern Jacobs combined for 115 receptions with Morgan leading the trio in catches (40) and Moore leading in yards (597) and touchdowns (6).
Linebackers Jermaine Carter and Shane Cockerille led Maryland defensively as the two recorded over 100 tackles each and combined for eight sacks.
Kicking for Maryland will be Adam Greene, who was 8-13 on field goals this season and was 34-35 on PATs.

THE EAGLES BREAKDOWN

Boston College ranked as one of the nation's top defenses the entire season. Currently, the Eagles rank eighth in the nation and first in the ACC in total defense allowing just 310.6 yards per game. BC has allowed just 106.9 rushing yards per game, seventh-best nationally and second in the conference.
BC is also among the top-20 defenses nationally in third-down conversion percentage defense (12th, 31.9%), fourth-down conversion percentage defense (16th, 36.4%), first-down defense (Seventh, 184), fumbles recovered (11th, 12), sacks (Ninth, 3.25 per game) and tackles-for-loss (13th, 7.7 per game).
Graduate quarterback Patrick Towles will make his final start in a BC uniform. This season, Towles threw for 1,579 yards and 10 touchdowns and finished the regular season with a 51 percent completion percentage in 12 starts. He has also added four touchdowns on the ground.
Towles' go-to guys in 2016 were a trio of sophomores: wide receiver Jeff Smith, wide receiver Michael Walker and tight end Tommy Sweeney. The three players recorded 80 of the team's 139 receptions this season and combined for eight touchdowns.
Redshirt sophomore running back Jon Hilliman remained the leading rusher for the Eagles all season rushing for 463 yards and five touchdowns. He was helped out by redshirt freshman Davon Jones, who broke out as a reliable back and was the second-most used in the group. Jones rushed for 4.0 yards per carry and added a pair of touchdowns this season.
Junior linebackers Connor Strachan and Matt Milano both earned All-ACC honorable mention honors this season. Strachan led the Eagles defense with 70 tackles, including 10 tackles-for-loss and recovered four fumbles this season. As for Milano, he finished the season with 55 tackles and was just behind Strachan in TFLs with 9.5, but added a pick-six and a blocked punt to his resume.
Senior free safety John Johnson and sophomore strong safety Will Harris anchored the secondary for the Eagles. Starting every game together, the duo combined for five interceptions with Johnson leading the team with three. Johnson also finished with the second-most tackles on the team with 65 and Harris added 46 stops.
Junior defensive end Harold Landry has played his best football of his BC career in 2016 and was named to the Walter Camp All-America and Associated Press All-America second teams. During the season, he was a disruptive force and ranked tied for first in the nation in sacks with 15.0, 14th in tackles-for-loss with 20.5 and first in the nation with seven forced fumbles.
Junior kicker Mike Knoll proved to be reliable all season as he connected on 11-of-12 field goals with his only miss coming on a block. He also was 24-of-25 this year on PATs.