Fun Facts: Iowa-Maryland

1. The two times Iowa began its Big Ten season with three wins were 2002 and 2009. Both seasons ended with BCS bowl appearances. Since 1940, just 10 Iowa teams have begun a season 6-1 or better. Iowa is 5-1.

2. Maryland is 5-for-5 in fourth-down conversion attempts. Iowa is 9-of-12. Only two other Big Teams have converted more than half of their fourth-down tries.

3. Iowa has intercepted a pass on their opponents' final possession in four different games.

4. Maryland senior defensive end Andre Monroe has 19.5 career sacks. That's despite missing his entire sophomore season with a knee injury.

5. Terrapins 5-foot-7 sophomore defensive back William Likely III has returned a punt-return and an interception for touchdowns this season.

6. Iowa is 8-0 against the point spread in its last eight road games, and has covered the spread in each of its last six road games against teams with winning records. Maryland is 1-5 against the spread in its last six home games.

7. Maryland is fifth in the nation and first in the Big Ten in punt-return average, at 22.5 yards. Iowa is last in the Big Ten and 112th nationally at 4.7 yards.

8. Iowa starting free safety Jordan Lomax is from Upper Marlboro, Md. So is the player in Fun Fact No. 4, Andre Monroe. Upper Marlboro is 18 miles from Maryland's campus.

9. Maryland kicker Brad Craddock of Australia has made 17 straight field goal tries. His latest was a school-record 57-yarder against Ohio State.

10. University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh formerly was executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa

11. The largest crowd Maryland has played before in its last nine games was the sellout 51,802 for Ohio State two weeks ago. Last year's Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md., pitted Maryland and Marshall, and drew 30,163. Maryland's last ACC home game, against Boston College, produced a crowd of just 32,147.

12. Maryland's state flag is omnipresent at Byrd Stadium on days of games.

13. Testudo is Maryland's mascot and has been since 1933. It is a Diamondback terrapin, a turtle native to Chesapeake Bay.

14. Maryland's outside linebackers coach is Lyndon Johnson. The Terrapins have two Carters, an Adams, a Monroe and a Nixon on their playing roster.

15. Queen Elizabeth II attended a Maryland football game in 1957.

16. Manchester, Iowa, had 5,179 residents at the time of the 2010 census. Manchester, Md., had 4,808 citizens. Manchester, United Kingdom has about a half-million people.