One day after surging past Bowling Green for a 45-14 victory, Maryland football moved closer to the newest AP top 25, released Sunday.
The Terps received 30 points in the Week 3 poll, up from 12 last week. This point total is the fifth-highest for an unranked team, placing Maryland 30th overall. Seven different voters had the Terps in their top 25, and they were placed as high as 13th (by the Albuquerque Journal’s Steve Virgen).
Maryland wasn’t even considered in the preseason rankings after a 4-8 campaign last year, but a second straight win over then-No. 23 Texas turned heads. Penalties hamstrung the Terps in the first half Saturday at Bowling Green, but miscues eventually gave way to a dominant second half on the ground. Maryland finished with 444 rushing yards and allowed just 15 (although that includes 42 lost yards on sacks); the Terps hadn’t rushed for more than 403 yards this century.
It’s unclear how much Maryland will be able to improve its standing in its home opener against Temple, who’s 0-2 with losses to Villanova and Buffalo. But if the Terps continue their current level of performance, they could soon find themselves ranked for the first time in five years.