[1] To date, Tatum remains the winningest Maryland football coach of the modern era, with a winning percentage of 0.819.
[2] The team was led on the field by sophomore quarterback and future Heisman Trophy runner-up Jack Scarbath who made his first career start in the season-opener.
Two weeks later, however, the Terrapins' bowl game hopes were ended with a homecoming defeat at the hands of NC State.
The loss, however, did not affect Maryland's poll ranking as the situation surrounding the game was generally understood.
Maryland had agreed to fill in a vacancy in the Navy schedule left open by a Georgetown cancellation.
Ed Modzelewski capped the ensuing Terrapins' possession with a five-yard rush into the end zone.
[18] The high-scoring game resulted in just the second-ever Maryland win in the 12th meeting of the intense in-state rivalry.
It was the Spartans first victory over their arch-rivals in thirteen years and propelled Michigan State to the number-two spot in the AP Poll.
[20] The previous season, Maryland had traveled to Michigan State where the Spartans handed them their lone defeat, 7–14.
[22] Maryland's defense held the high-powered Michigan State offense to 140 rushing yards, 67 of which were gained on a single run by Sonny Grandelius.
[23] After the upset win over number-two Michigan State, Maryland rose in the AP Poll to become the second-ranked team in the country.
[25] In the first quarter, Maryland executed an eight-play, 95-yard drive that culminated in an eight-yard touchdown rush by fullback Ed Fullerton.
In the third quarter, Maryland recorded two safeties in quick succession: one when punter Joe Pallotta stepped outside of the end zone and the other when Bob Ward tackled Frank Mattingly for a loss.
Maryland advanced inside the NC State five-yard line three times but was unable to score.
With six seconds remaining, Petruzzo intercepted a Blue Devils pass and returned it 46 yards for a score to clinch the game for Maryland, 26–14.
In the second quarter, quarterback Andy Davis, fourth-ranked in the nation in total yardage, led George Washington to tie the game before the half.
Ed Modzelewski rushed to the Colonials' three-yard line setting up a scoring run by Fullerton.
North Carolina, Maryland head coach Tatum's alma mater, possessed a nine-game winning streak in the series.
The first quarter remained scoreless, but in the second, North Carolina fumbled a punt by Maryland's Jack Targarona.
The Terrapins' defense held twice at their own one-yard line, but the Tar Heels' Bud Wallace pushed into the end zone on third down for the score.
With five seconds remaining, guard Bob Dean missed on a field goal attempt, which resulted in a stalemate of 7–7.
Maryland punter Targarona consistently pinned the Mountaineers deep in their own territory and recorded punts downed on the one-, eight-, five-, and eight-yard lines.