Schedule
In the preseason, the Terrapins were predicted to finish last (sixth) in the ACC Atlantic Division by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele's, and The Sporting News forecast a fifth-place divisional finish for the Terps. Athlon also ranked Maryland as 57th out of the 120 Division I FBS teams.
Maryland began the 2009 season with the second game of the home-and-home series at California. In Week 2, they faced James Madison, which in 2008 advanced to the Division I FCS semi-finals. Two more home games, a rematch from 2008 against Middle Tennessee and a game against Rutgers, rounded out Maryland's non-conference schedule.
On October 5, 2009, Jack Heise, an influential alumni booster and avid Terrapins fan nicknamed "Mr. Maryland", died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The football team honored his memory by wearing Heise's initials on their helmets for the remainder of the 2009 season.
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | 10:00 PM | at #12 California* | California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA | ESPN2 | L 13–52 | 62,367 | ||
| September 12 | 6:00 PM | James Madison* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN360 | W 38–35 OT | 46,485 | ||
| September 19 | 3:30 PM | Middle Tennessee* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN360 | L 31–32 | 43,167 | ||
| September 26 | 3:30 PM | Rutgers* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN360 | L 13–34 | 43,848 | ||
| October 3 | 12:00 PM | Clemson | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPNU | W 24–21 | 46,243 | ||
| October 10 | 6:30 PM | at Wake Forest | BB&T Field • Winston-Salem, NC | ESPN360 | L 32–42 | 32,780 | ||
| October 17 | 4:00 PM | Virginia | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD (Rivalry) | ESPNU | L 9–20 | 44,864 | ||
| October 24 | 1:30 PM | at Duke | Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC | ESPN360 | L 13–17 | 24,650 | ||
| November 7 | 1:00 PM | at NC State | Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC | ESPN360 | L 31–38 | 55,631 | ||
| November 14 | 1:00 PM | #21 Virginia Tech | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN360 | L 9–36 | 51,514 | ||
| November 21 | 12:00 PM | at Florida State | Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL | Raycom | L 26–29 | 66,042 | ||
| November 28 | 3:30 PM | Boston College | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPNU | L 17–19 | 35,042 | ||
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