| First meeting | November 17, 1917 Penn State, 57–0 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | November 30, 2024 Penn State, 44–7 |
| Next meeting | 2026 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 48 |
| All-time series | Penn State leads, 44–3–1[1] |
| Largest victory | Penn State, 70–7 (1993) Penn State, 66–3 (2017) |
| Longest win streak | Penn State, 24 (1962–1988) |
| Current win streak | Penn State, 4 (2021–present) |
TheMaryland–Penn State football rivalry is an Americancollege footballrivalry between theMaryland Terrapins andPenn State Nittany Lions.[2][3] In a series dating back to 1917, Penn State has an overwhelming series advantage, having won 44 out of 48 games. When Maryland joined Penn State in theBig 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]
Between 1917 and 1944, Maryland and Penn State played a total of six games, all Penn State victories, including shutouts in 1917 (57–0), 1938 (33–0), 1939 (12–0), and 1943 (45–0).[1]
From 1944 to 1959, the teams did not play any games against each other.
The series resumed in 1960, with Maryland and Penn State playing 31 games between 1960 and 1993. During this middle period of competition, Penn State again dominated the series, compiling a 29–1–1 record, including 24 consecutive wins from 1962 to 1985 and six consecutive blowouts in 1967 (38–3), 1968 (57–13), 1969 (48–0), 1970 (34–0), 1971 (63–27), and 1972 (46–16).[1] Several later games were narrowly lost by missedfield goals andturnovers. 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]
The 1993 game, during Penn State's first season in theBig Ten Conference, was the last game in the series for over 20 years.[7] Prior to Maryland's announcement to join the Big Ten, former Maryland head coachRalph 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.[8] Maryland head coach Randy Edsall, in 2011, expressed his hope that the series might resume.[9]
On November 19, 2012, Maryland announced that it would be joining the Big Ten Conference, effective July 1, 2014.[10] Maryland was placed in the East Division along with Penn State, ensuring that Maryland and Penn State would play on a yearly basis.[11] 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".[12] Maryland coach Randy Edsall responded to Franklin: "Talk is cheap."[13]
The first rematch was atBeaver 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.[14] 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.[15] 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 byBrad Craddock with 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter.[16] Maryland wide receiverStefon Diggs, coachRandy Edsall, and athletic directorKevin Anderson made public apologies to the Penn State President, coaching staff and players after being reprimanded by theBig Ten Conference.[15]
After the 2014 game, Penn State won nine of the next ten games, including blowout victories in 2016 (38–14), 2017 (66–3), 2018 (38–3), 2019 (59–0), 2022 (30–0), 2023 (51–15), and 2024 (44–7).[1] Maryland defeated Penn State during COVID-shortened 2020 season, 35–19; Penn State began the 2020 season with a 0–5 record, the worst start in Penn State history.[17][18][19]
During the Big Ten years, local media debated whether the series could be considered a rivalry. Prior to the 2015 season, theHanover Evening Sun inHanover, 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."[20] 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."[21] Steve Heiser wrote in 2016 for theYork 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 two then-recent games.[22]
Maryland and Penn State compete for recruits in theBaltimore–Washington metropolitan area andDelaware Valley.[23][24] Penn State secured a large number of recruits from the Baltimore–Washington area with its 2006 class, including the 11th-overall2009 NFL draft pick, defensive endAaron Maybin ofEllicott City, Maryland,[25] who had considered attending Maryland.[23]
| Maryland victories | Penn State victories | Tie games |
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Ross has had to parry questions about the mismatched rivalry from members of the news media.
Only once in its 26-game rivalry with Maryland has Penn State lost.
