Maryland DE Yannick Ngakoue breaks Terps' single-season sack record

Junior defensive end Yannick Ngakoue broke the University of Maryland single-season sacks record during the Terrapins' game against Indiana. Bruce Palmer (1978) and Mark Duda (1982) previously held the 13-sack record. Ngakoue's first-quarter strip-sack of Hoosiers quarterback Nate Sudfeld was No. 13.5 on the season.

The play was initially ruled an interception by Quinton Jefferson but was, on review, re-classified as Ngakoue's record-setting sack, a Maryland spokesman said.

Ngakoue has been one of the bright spots during an otherwise disappointing season for Maryland this year. The junior defensive end has thrived in the Terps' switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Ngakoue was named to the midseason watch list for the Hendricks Award, given to the nation's best defensive end.

If Ngakoue returns to Maryland next year, he has a very realistic chance to break the school's all-time sacks record of 25, set by Andre Monroe, set last season. Ngakoue entered Saturday with 20.5 career sacks.

The former four-star prospect has demonstrated why programs like Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others offered him a scholarship back in high school. Now, he sits atop Maryland's single-season sack list.

Earlier in the week, Ngakoue was asked if he put any stock or thought into the record.

"Not at all," he said.

Sack stat-counting isn't always perfectly uniform, but Ngakoue entered Saturday second in the entire country to Penn State's Carl Nassib, who had 15.5. He'll have a chance to run his total higher at Rutgers next weekend.