2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Spread of effect
The tremors were felt across a wide area of England and Wales, from Hampshire in the south to Newcastle upon Tyne in the north, and as far west as Bangor, Northern Ireland. They were also reported in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the far north of France. Structural damage was recorded in some areas, including one case where a chimney collapsed and injured a person in Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Cause
The earthquake was caused by the sudden rupture and motion along a strike-slip fault, 18.6 kilometres (12 mi) beneath Lincolnshire. Earthquake motion occurred over a time span of ~2 minutes but it was most intense and was felt at the surface for just 10 to 30 seconds; maximum vertical ground motion at the epicentre of the earthquake was only ~1 mm. The observed focal mechanism implies either sinistral motion on a N–S or dextral motion on an E–W oriented strike-slip fault.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Cause
The nine aftershocks observed, ~5 kilometres (3 mi) SSW of the main earthquake event, point to an approximately N–S oriented fault. From the 5.2 ML magnitude of the main earthquake, a motion of a few centimetres along a ~2.5 kilometres (2 mi) long fault rupture is derived. The energy released was 3.98×1012 joules (equal to the detonation of ~950 tonnes of TNT).


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Cause
Unlike typical earthquakes worldwide, the earthquakes of Northern Europe are intraplate earthquakes, meaning they are not close to tectonic plate boundaries. Most intraplate earthquakes in northern Europe, including the British Isles, are thought to be driven by distant tectonic stresses – a combination of E–W North Atlantic Ridge and N–S African Plate regional stress fields, and local mantle conditions. Indeed, the motion on the strike-slip fault responsible for the earthquake is compatible with a local NW–SE stress field; a product of the E–W and N–S regional stress fields.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Cause
Only a minority of earthquakes in the UK are related to post-glacial rebound e.g. the minor earthquakes (<3.5 ML) of western Scotland, where glaciers ~1 km thick existed during the peak of the last ice age.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Effects
The earthquake resulted in structural damage to many homes and businesses in the epicentral area. Buildings as large as apartment blocks were reported to have shaken for up to 30 seconds afterwards. Birds and pets became highly agitated. There were no deaths, but a 19-year-old man in Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire suffered a broken pelvis when a piece of chimney fell through the roof onto his attic bed. The earthquake was felt by people as far south as Bournemouth, where it was felt as a mild but noticeable vibration, and as far away as Bangor, Northern Ireland, where it woke people.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Effects
Police in the Midlands received more than 5,000 telephone calls in an hour from members of the public regarding the earthquake. The earthquake caused power cuts in some areas. A church in March, Cambridgeshire reported that, since the earthquake, water had been coming up from the ground into the cellar at a rate of 10 imperial gallons (45 l) per hour. The spire of St Mary Magdalene church at Waltham on the Wolds in Leicestershire was damaged and was to be rebuilt at a cost of £100,000. Also damaged were the spires of St Andrew's church in Haconby, St Andrew's of Witham on the Hill, St Vincent's church in Caythorpe, all three in South Kesteven.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Effects
The cost of insurance payouts was estimated to be around £30 million, with the majority of damage being done to chimneys, roof tiles and by falling masonry.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Effects, Magnitude
The tremor was the largest earthquake to affect the UK since the 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake, which measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. The British Geological Survey gave the earthquake a reading of 5.2ML, while the United States Geological Survey reported it measured 4.8Mb. The French Atomic Energy Commission estimated the magnitude was 5.4ML.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Effects, Aftershocks
A total of nine aftershocks were recorded. The largest, measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale, occurred around five weeks after the initial event, on 5 April at 13:57 GMT.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Responses
Firefighting crews were called out to 50 incidents and 1 fire as a result of the quake. Building Control & Street Force officers worked quickly to assess damage in the area around West Lindsey, and West Lindsey District Council also urged people to call their telephone number if people were concerned about damage to their homes. Trent Street in Gainsborough was closed to traffic whilst a local builder assessed if properties were structurally safe, after 1 family was evacuated from their house following concerns about collapses.


2008 Market Rasen earthquake, Significance
The BGS described the earthquake as an "extremely large earthquake in UK terms but not large in world terms". Approximately 200 earthquakes occur in the UK every year, approximately 175 of which are too weak to be noticed by humans.


2008 Marseille municipal election
Municipal and mayoral elections were held in Marseille in March 2008, at the same time as other French municipal elections. The incumbent Mayor of the city, Jean-Claude Gaudin (UMP) faced Socialist candidate and Senator Jean-Noël Guérini. While polls in January and February indicated that Gaudin was safe, later polls showed the race tied and the 3rd sector of the city, a marginal UMP area, was likely to decide the election. Elections in Marseille depend not on the number of votes polled but the number of sectors won (there are 8 sectors). The same system applies in Lyon and Paris.


2008 Marseille municipal election
Gaudin was re-elected and will serve as mayor until 2014.


2008 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
The 2008 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Marshall competed as a member of the East Division of Conference USA, and played their home games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Thundering Herd were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Snyder. Marshall finished the season with a 4–8 record (3–5).


2008 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
Before the season, Sports Illustrated ranked Marshall the 115th team in the FBS (out of 120) and predicted they would finish with a 1–11 record. Against 11th-ranked Wisconsin, the Herd led 14–0 in the second quarter, but gave up 51 unanswered points in the remainder of the game. Later in the season, Marshall upset Houston, 37–23, after having led 37–9 earlier in the final period. The following week, they lost in overtime to favorite East Carolina by a field goal, 19–16. Marshall held Rice quarterback Chase Clement to 84 passing yards in the first half, which was tied at 7, but went on to lose, 35–10. In the season closer, they proved competitive for eventual Conference USA runners-up Tulsa.


2008 Marshallese presidential election
An indirect presidential election was held in the Marshall Islands on 7 January 2008. The parliament elected in November 2007 elected a new president after it formally convened. The opposition coalition elected a new president, Litokwa Tomeing, with a vote of 18 to 15 in favour, beating the incumbent president Kessai Note. A new Speaker from the opposition, Senator Jurelang Zedkaia, was also elected, defeating Senator Alvin Jacklick in another 18–15 vote. Senator Alik Alik from the United Democratic Party (the former government party) was elected as Vice-Speaker with 17 votes against 16 for Kaibuke Kabua.


2008 Marshallese presidential election
Tomeing had defected from the United Democratic Party to the opposition United People's Party before the election.


2008 Martyr's Memorial B-Division League
Martyr's Memorial B-Division League was played the second tier of the Nepali football league system.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary took place on February 12, 2008. Nicknamed the "Potomac Primary" or the "Chesapeake Primary" because the District of Columbia and Virginia also held their primaries that day (and all three border the Potomac River), a total of 70 delegates were up for grabs in Maryland. The winner in each of Maryland's eight congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 46. Another 24 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama. The 70 delegates represented Maryland at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Twenty-nine other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary
By order of a judge, the polling places in the Maryland Democratic Primary were extended to 9:30 p.m. EST in order to compensate for voters who were delayed in traffic by inclement weather. The same day, an intense ice storm brought .25 inches-1 inch of ice accumulations across Maryland.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
With its significant African American population and high concentration of highly educated and highly affluent white progressive/liberal professionals, Maryland was a state that was very favorable for Barack Obama coming out of Super Tuesday. According to exit polls, 53 percent of voters in the Maryland Democratic Primary were white and they opted for Clinton by a margin of 52-42 compared to the 37 percent of African American voters who backed Obama by a margin of 84-15. Hispanics/Latinos, which comprised 4 percent of the electorate, supported Clinton by a margin of 55-45.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Obama swept all age groups, socioeconomic/income classes and educational attainment categories in Maryland as well. Of the 84 percent of self-identified Democrats who voted in the primary, 59 percent backed Obama while 40 percent supported Clinton; Independents, which made up 13 percent of the voters, also backed Obama by a 62-27 margin. Obama also won all ideological groups. Regarding religion, Obama won Protestants by a margin of 51-44 percent, other Christians by a margin of 74-21, other religions by a margin of 61-39, and atheists/agnostics by a margin of 62-37; Clinton won Roman Catholics by a margin of 48-45 and Jews by a margin of 60-40 percent.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Obama performed extremely well in the more urban parts of the state in and around Baltimore and the Washington, D.C. suburbs while Clinton performed strongly in the more rural parts of the state like the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, which takes in parts of Appalachia.


2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Although Clinton received two big endorsements from Governor Martin O’Malley and U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, it was not enough to help her much in the state, as many of the demographics were largely in Barack Obama’s favor. Obama received the endorsement of junior senator Ben Cardin


2008 Maryland Republican presidential primary
The 2008 Maryland Republican presidential primary took place on February 12, 2008. The state sent 37 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Three delegates were awarded to the winner of each of the state's eight congressional districts; the remainder of the state's delegates were at-large. John McCain won the primary election.


2008 Maryland Republican presidential primary
In opinion polling conducted on February 7 and 8, John McCain was the heavy favorite among Maryland's Republican voters. 56% of respondents supported him, 17% Mike Huckabee, 10% Ron Paul, with the rest scattered or undecided.


2008 Maryland Republican presidential primary
The District of Columbia and State of Virginia held their primaries on the same date, leading the day to be dubbed the "Potomac primary" by many pundits, after the river that borders all three jurisdictions.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' (also officially known as the "Terps") 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and its fourth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
Ralph Friedgen led the team for his eighth season as head coach and was assisted by first-year offensive coordinator James Franklin and third-year defensive coordinator Chris Cosh. It was the first season since the departure of Charlie Taaffe in 2005 that Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself. Instead, those duties were handled by Franklin, a former Maryland wide receivers coach, who returned after a brief stint at Kansas State and in the National Football League (NFL). With him, Franklin brought a new system: the West Coast offense. Cosh, whose complex defensive scheme had been criticized as too passive, resigned at the end of the season.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 season in the ACC was described as chaotic, and for Maryland, there was no exception. The Terrapins were within grasp of the ACC Atlantic Division championship at the end of Week 12, but lost their final two games and fell to a four-way tie for third place. Maryland closed the regular season with a 7–5 record—including four wins against Top 25-ranked teams—which was enough to secure bowl eligibility. In the postseason, Maryland defeated Nevada of the Western Athletic Conference in the Humanitarian Bowl.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Coaching changes
In December 2007, Maryland hired Kansas State offensive coordinator James Franklin to serve in that same role for the Terrapins. From 2000 to 2004, he was the Maryland wide receivers coach. In 2003 and 2004, he also served as the recruiting coordinator, and Rivals.com ranked Franklin as one of the nation's top-25 recruiters both years. Because of the arrival of Franklin, 2008 was the first since 2005 that head coach Ralph Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself. At Maryland, Franklin installed a West Coast offense, which was well suited to quarterback Chris Turner's playing style and an experienced wide receiver corps that included play-maker Darrius Heyward-Bey and sure-handed Danny Oquendo.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Key losses
Maryland lost several important players from the 2007 team. In January 2008, shortly after Oregon State defeated Maryland in the Emerald Bowl, linebacker Erin Henderson announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. Henderson, the brother of Butkus and Bednarik Award winner E.J., had recorded an ACC-high four fumble recoveries in 2007 and was the Terrapins' leader in total tackles (133) and tackles for loss (11).


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Key losses
The defensive line lost tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano, while the secondary unit lost both starting safeties, strong safety Christian Varner and free safety J. J. Justice, as well as cornerback Isaiah Gardner. The Maryland offense lost tailbacks Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore who combined for 1,573 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 2007. The offensive line saw the departure of tight ends Jason Goode and Joey Haynos, and offensive guard Andrew Crummey.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Key returns
Despite the loss of some of the previous year's important players, Maryland entered the 2008 season with a seasoned squad. Forty-six of sixty-two lettermen returned (74 percent), which included ten offensive and six defensive starters. The 2008 team contained 31 seniors, which was the largest group since Friedgen became head coach in 2001. Important returnees on the defensive unit included cornerback Kevin Barnes, who recorded four interceptions in 2007; defensive end Jeremy Navarre, who had recorded 5.5 sacks; and linebacker Dave Philistin, who had recorded 124 tackles. The offense's returning statistical leaders included quarterback Chris Turner, who threw for 1,958 passing yards in 2007; wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who had 786 receiving yards; and running back Da'Rel Scott, who had 135 rushing yards.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Recruiting
The 2008 recruiting class was ranked 52nd in the nation by Scout.com and 38th by Rivals.com. Scout.com rated three recruits as four-star and six as three-star prospects, while Rivals.com rated six recruits each as four-star and three-star prospects. Kenny Tate, who was originally recruited as a wide receiver, was the only four-star prospect to see significant playing time in 2008. Before the season, he was converted to safety, a position that had been attrited by the graduation of former starters Christian Varner and J.J. Justice, and Tate also saw action on special teams.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Recruiting
Cornerback Cameron Chism, who saw action in nine games as a reserve, recorded seven tackles on kickoff returns to tie for second on the team in special teams tackles. Tight end Matt Furstenburg saw limited play time on special teams against Delaware and Middle Tennessee, but injured his foot and was awarded a medical redshirt. Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey also sat out the season as a redshirt to recuperate from foot surgery. The other four-star recruits who sat out on redshirt status were wide receiver Kerry Boykins, tight end Devonte Campbell, and defensive tackle Masengo Kabongo.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Recruiting
Running back Davin Meggett, the son of former New York Giants star Dave Meggett, was the only true freshman to start a game for Maryland in 2008, and he was a significant contributor throughout the season. Meggett was not a highly touted recruit, assessed by Scout.com as a two-star prospect, and his only other scholarship offers were from local-area Division I FCS schools. In 2008, however, he led all ACC freshman with 5.13 yards per carry, and Megett finished the season with 457 yards and four touchdowns as a reserve.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Quarterback controversy
There was some controversy at the start of the season when head coach Ralph Friedgen selected senior Jordan Steffy as the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner. In 2007, when Steffy suffered a concussion against 10th-ranked Rutgers, the relatively untested Turner took over and led Maryland to an upset victory. He then started the remainder of the season, compiled a 4–5 record in games he started, and led another upset against eighth-ranked Boston College. In comparing the practice performances of Steffy, Turner, and third-stringer Josh Portis, offensive coordinator James Franklin said:


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Quarterback controversy
It gets hard if one quarterback all through spring and all through summer camp was statistically better in almost every single category, it's hard to rationalize not making him the starter ... because your gut feeling is one thing and the statistics are another. Jordan led by a pretty large amount in completion percentage ... [ and] the least interception percentage. He didn't lead in yards per [attempt or] ... percentage of explosive plays. I consider an explosive play a play of 16 yards or more ... Portis led in that and Turner was second and Jordan was third.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Before the season, Quarterback controversy
In the season opener against Delaware, Steffy suffered an injured thumb, and Turner took over in the fourth quarter. He remained the starter for the rest of the season, and Steffy saw no further game action. Portis saw limited playing time throughout the season, usually being put in for a single option play at a time.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Schedule
The Sagarin computer rating system calculated Maryland's strength of schedule to be 36th-most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams. The Cosgrove Computer Rankings calculated it as the 56th-most difficult out of the 120 Division I FBS teams. In accordance with conference rules, Maryland faced all five Atlantic Division opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, NC State, and Wake Forest. They also faced three Coastal Division opponents: official ACC rival Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech and Boston College were the ACC champions and runners-up, respectively, in 2007 and again in 2008. Maryland did not play ACC opponents Duke, Georgia Tech, and Miami.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Schedule
Maryland also played four non-conference games. For the season opener, the Terrapins met the 2007 Division I FCS runners-up, Delaware. California of the Pacific-10 Conference was played for the first time in school history as the first half of a home-and-home series. Athletic director Deborah Yow wanted to play one of the University of Maryland's five academic peer institutions, and to take a two-year hiatus from the 28-year series against West Virginia. She said, by adding California, "We weren't trying to add to the degree of difficulty [of Maryland's schedule]; we were trying to substitute for West Virginia." Games were also played against Middle Tennessee State of the Sun Belt Conference and Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. For the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland played Nevada in the teams' first meeting.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Personnel, Injuries
Injuries had devastated the Maryland roster the previous year, and while 2008 was more forgiving by comparison, several key players were injured. Starting cornerback Kevin Barnes suffered a season-ending scapular fracture against Wake Forest and missed the last six games. Sophomore LaQuan Williams and true freshman Kevin Dorsey, both wide receivers, sat out the entire season due to leg and foot injuries, respectively.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Personnel, Injuries
Leading receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey sat out the Boston College game due to a calf injury, and leading rusher Da'Rel Scott suffered a left shoulder injury in the third game against California, which plagued him throughout the season, although he missed just one game. Running back Morgan Green, who had contended for the starting position during summer camp, had an injury-riddled season, before seeing his first real action in the bowl game. Starting quarterback Jordan Steffy was put out for the season by a thumb injury on his throwing hand in the first game.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Personnel, Depth chart
Fr: Freshman  So: Sophomore  Jr: Junior  Sr: Senior  V: Number of prior seasons varsity experience  RS: Redshirt status prior season  TR: Sat out prior season due to NCAA transfer rules  SQ: Practice squad prior season  HS: High school experience only


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Personnel, Depth chart
Boldface indicates a starting player for the respective position. An "up" arrow (↑) indicates upward movement in depth chart position from earlier in the season. A "down" arrow (↓) indicates downward movement in depth chart position from earlier in the season. A horizontal arrow (↔) indicates movement to a different position from earlier in the season. An asterisk (*) indicates that the player recovered from an injury to take a place on the depth chart.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
The previous season, Delaware finished as the Division I FCS championship runners-up and scored more than 40 points in seven of 15 games. However, their star quarterback, Joe Flacco, and running back, Omar Cuff, both graduated and went on to the NFL. Later in the season, the Blue Hens finished 2008 with eight losses for the first time in school history.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
Delaware kicked off to start the game, and wide receiver Torrey Smith returned the ball 23 yards to the Maryland 32-yard line. Quarterback Jordan Steffy then led a Maryland drive, but the series ended when placekicker Obi Egekeze missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. On the next Maryland possession, Egekeze missed another field goal attempt, this time of 45 yards. The teams then exchanged several punts before Maryland took over on the Delaware 48-yard line. Steffy completed a 36-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, which set up a 12-yard touchdown rush also by Heyward-Bey.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
Delaware drove 44 yards, but then missed their own 46-yard field goal attempt. With 3:33 left in the half, Steffy engineered a 47-yard drive to set up a 41-yard field goal attempt, which Egekeze missed for the third time. On the first play of the second half, Delaware quarterback Rob Schoenhoft threw an interception to cornerback Kevin Barnes, who returned it 10 yards to the Delaware 46-yard line. On the next play, Steffy threw an interception to Erik Johnson, who returned it to the Maryland 49-yard line.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
The Terrapins' next possession ended when, fourth and 18, Steffy threw another interception at the Delaware one-yard line. Incidentally, this put the Blue Hens in worse field position than if the Terrapins had turned over on downs. Soon after, Delaware punted the ball away. Running back Da'Rel Scott then rushed for a 30-yard gain, which set up a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Davin Meggett. Chris Turner took over as Maryland's quarterback on the second series of the fourth quarter after Steffy fractured his right thumb.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
On Delaware's subsequent possession, Schoenhoft engineered an 80-yard drive, which culminated with a one-yard touchdown rush by running back Johnathan Smith. With 3:20 on the clock, Schoenhoft threw an interception to safety Terrell Skinner. Turner then scrambled for a first down, and Scott converted for a second first down, which allowed Maryland to run out the game clock. Maryland won, with a final score of 14–7.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
In his first career start, Scott ran for 157 yards, but Friedgen thought he could have done better. Friedgen said, "He was a little tired from camp ... Normally, he would break some of those runs. I don't think he quite had his third gear today." Steffy played a solid first half, but in the second, threw two interceptions before suffering a season-ending thumb fracture. He was replaced by back-up Chris Turner who started for the remainder of the season. Regarding their loss, Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler said, "This is not like a moral victory.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Delaware
I don't believe in moral victories ... This was not a payday for us ... We play a home game, we make more money than playing this game down here. When we scheduled this game, I thought our program would possibly be in a position to beat a solid ACC school."


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Middle Tennessee State
The previous week, Middle Tennessee made two rapid-fire fourth-quarter touchdowns in a failed comeback attempt against the eventual Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy. The week following the Maryland game, Middle Tennessee nearly upset Kentucky. The Blue Raiders lost that game, 20–14, after wide receiver Eldred King caught a 61-yard pass only to be ankle-tackled at the Kentucky one-yard line as time expired.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Middle Tennessee State
After receiving the kickoff, Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock led an 80-yard, 10-play drive. It included a fake punt that caught Maryland off-guard, which allowed the punter to complete a 28-yard pass for a first-down conversion. Craddock ended the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass. On Maryland's second offensive play of the game, Da'Rel Scott broke free for a 63-yard run for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Middle Tennessee re-took the lead with a 31-yard field goal.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Middle Tennessee State
In the third quarter, Turner threw an interception that was returned 25 yards to the Maryland five-yard line, and Middle Tennessee subsequently scored on a rushing play. On Maryland's next possession, Turner completed a short pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey who ran for an 80-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Maryland advanced inside the Middle Tennessee 35-yard line three times, but was unable to capitalize. Middle Tennessee defenders saved two potential touchdowns with interceptions on their own two-yard line and in the end zone to preserve a Blue Raider victory, 24–14.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Middle Tennessee State
The game marked Middle Tennessee's first ever win over an ACC opponent, although they had come close in Charlottesville the year prior, when Virginia made a go-ahead field goal with eight seconds remaining. It was Middle Tennessee's fourth win against an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference. The other three all came against Vanderbilt.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, California (#23)
The Washington Post called the previous week's ten-point loss to Middle Tennessee the "worst defeat of [Ralph Friedgen's] eight-year tenure," and with the narrow margin of victory over Delaware, most analysts strongly favored 23-ranked California in its first meeting against Maryland. The previous week, California routed Washington State, 66–3.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, California (#23)
The game began with a Maryland kickoff to California, who were stopped for a net loss of 4 yards and forced to punt. On Maryland's first possession, it mounted a 60-yard drive that culminated in a 24-yard touchdown rush by Da'Rel Scott. California quarterback Kevin Riley then threw an interception to cornerback Kevin Barnes, which allowed Scott to rush for his second score of the game. California made a field goal, but on the following series, Maryland drove 60 yards and tight end Dan Gronkowski made a touchdown reception.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, California (#23)
The Golden Bears made another field goal to end the first half with a score of 21–6, in Maryland's favor. During the second quarter, Riley threw a short screen pass to running back Jahvid Best, who immediately received a hard hit from Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes. While still lying on the field, Best rolled to his side to vomit. Footage of the tackle and its aftermath circulated widely on the internet and became a viral video phenomenon.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, California (#23)
In the third period, Chris Turner completed a pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 27-yard touchdown to end the quarter with Maryland in the lead, 28–6. In the final period, California scored two touchdowns against a preventative defense, before Maryland responded with a fifth score on a one-yard rush by Davin Meggett. In the final minutes, Maryland placekicker Obi Egekeze missed a 27-yard field goal which might have clinched the victory. Instead, California scored a third touchdown to close within eight points. With 1:55 remaining to play, California attempted an onside kick, but it bounced out of bounds, and Maryland was able to run out the clock to finish the upset, 35–28.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, California (#23)
The Maryland offense scored five touchdowns against California, which bettered the combined total of four in the Terrapins' first two games. California running back Jahvid Best, an early Heisman Trophy contender, ran for 311 yards in his first two games, but was held to 25 yards on 10 carries against Maryland. In total, California's rushing offense was held to 38 yards. This was the first of four Maryland victories over ranked opponents during the 2008 season.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
Against Mid-American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan, Maryland showcased its offense, which scored on nine out of thirteen possessions. Starting tailback Da'Rel Scott sat out the game because of a shoulder injury suffered against California, and he was replaced by Morgan Green.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
Linebacker Adrian Moten blocked an Eastern Michigan punt, which gave Maryland excellent field position for their first possession on their opponents' 10-yard line. They were, however, were held to a field goal. Eastern Michigan responded with a 75-yard drive to the Maryland five-yard line, but threw an interception to safety Jamari McCollough. Maryland mounted an 80-yard drive, which included a 35-yard run by Darrius Heyward-Bey and culminated in a one-yard touchdown by Morgan Green. After both teams suffered "three-and-out" possessions, Eastern Michigan quarterback Kyle McMahon threw a second interception to Moten, which set up a second touchdown by Green.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan drove 80 yards in 11 plays, and running back Terrence Blevins ran for a touchdown to bring the score to 17–7. Torrey Smith returned the ensuing 59-yard kickoff 57 yards, which set up a 32-yard touchdown pass from Chris Turner to Heyward-Bey. Eastern Michigan then drove 80 yards for another touchdown. On the subsequent Maryland possession, Turner threw an interception to end the half with the score of 24–14. On the kickoff to start the second half, Smith returned the ball 27 yards.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
On the next play, Heyward-Bey gained 47 yards on a rush attempt, which set up a short touchdown pass to tight end Dan Gronkowski. On the next two series, the teams traded field goals which brought the score to 34–17. Turner threw another interception to start the fourth quarter, but linebacker Trey Covington then recorded a quarterback sack, which forced Eastern Michigan to turnover on downs. Turner was then sacked himself, and Maryland kicked a field goal. Eastern Michigan engineered an 80-yard drive for a touchdown, and closed the deficit to 37–24.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Eastern Michigan
Maryland reserve quarterback Josh Portis execute a lateral to wide receiver Danny Oquendo who in turn passed to receiver Isaiah Williams, which gained a 43-yard touchdown. Eastern Michigan was subsequently forced to punt, and Portis rushed 80 yards over six plays for the final touchdown. In the next series, Jamari McCoullough intercepted an Eastern Michigan pass to end the game, 51–24.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Clemson (#20)
Maryland traveled to Clemson to play in "Death Valley", traditionally one of the most difficult ACC venues for opponents to play. Clemson firmly held the momentum of the game for the first half, and their running backs exploited holes in the Maryland defensive line. During that time, Clemson recorded two touchdowns and a field goal. Despite gaining excellent field position through recovering a fumbled punt on the Clemson 19-yard line and a recovered fumble on the Clemson 30-yard line, Maryland was able to produce just two field goals from those turnovers. The Terrapins drives were also blunted by penalties for two false starts and a holding call.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Clemson (#20)
In the first possession of the second half, the Terrapins were forced to punt after a run attempt for loss, a false start penalty, and two incomplete passes. The Maryland defense took the field and stopped a Clemson drive. On the first play of their second series, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey executed a reverse to gain 76 yards before being stopped at the Clemson four-yard line. This set up a short Chris Turner touchdown pass to receiver Torrey Smith, and shifted the game's momentum in favor of Maryland. In the fourth quarter, three completions to Danny Oquendo set the stage for a one-yard rush into the endzone by Da'Rel Scott. In the second half, the Maryland defense allowed Clemson just 31 rushing yards and zero points, compared with 204 rushing yards and 17 points in the first half.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Clemson (#20)
The upset marked the fourth consecutive Maryland win against a ranked opponent (the others: #23 Cal, and, in the 2007 season, #8 Boston College and #10 Rutgers). It was also the fourth consecutive time that the visiting team has won the Maryland–Clemson series.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia
Virginia went into the game with a 1–3 record and at the bottom of the ACC. They mustered only 36 points (and just 20 points against Division I FBS teams) in the previous four games, while allowing their opponents 128 points. Their last game had been a 31–3 defeat at the hands of Duke, which finally broke the Blue Devils' 25-game ACC losing streak.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia
The Maryland offense had difficulty converting third downs, and managed only four on 13 attempts, while their defense allowed 226 passing yards and 201 rushing yards. Late in the first quarter, Virginia quarterback Marc Verica completed a pass to receiver Kevin Ogletree for a 51-yard touchdown, the Cavs' first passing score of the season. Virginia was able to score twice more before half, to put the Terrapins into a 21–0 deficit.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia
With seconds left in the second quarter, in a desperate gambit to recoup some points, quarterback Chris Turner attempted a hook and ladder play with a pass to Isaiah Williams who then lateraled to Darrius Heyward-Bey, who in turn lateraled to Da'Rel Scott. The maneuver picked up 45 yards before Scott was shoved out of bounds, and a flag was thrown for a late hit by Virginia. Since a half cannot end on a defensive penalty, time would have been added to the clock, but it was ruled that the foul occurred after time had expired. Therefore, the penalty was assessed after the kick-off, and the Terrapins' trick play was for naught.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia
In the third quarter, things got worse for Maryland as the Cavaliers added a field goal and another touchdown. In a final drive for 46 yards, Maryland attempted to avert a shutout. The effort fell short when a Turner pass was intercepted. The final result was 31–0.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia
It was the first time Maryland was shut out since 2004, when they were similarly defeated by Virginia in Charlottesville, 16–0. It was Maryland's worst shutout loss since losing to Virginia in 1997, 45–0, and the largest margin of loss since losing to Virginia Tech in 2004, 55–6.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest (#21)
After an embarrassing 31–0 loss against struggling Virginia, the Terrapins continued their inconsistent season against nationally ranked Atlantic Division front-runner 21st-ranked Wake Forest.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest (#21)
Maryland first scored with a halfback option, when Chris Turner pitched to Da'Rel Scott, who connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for a nine-yard pass into the end zone. In the second and third quarters, Maryland placekicker Obi Egekeze made four field goals. In the final quarter, Danny Oquendo brought down a short pass from Turner and ran it in past two defenders for a touchdown totaling 50 yards.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest (#21)
Against Wake Forest's best-ranked pass defense in the nation, Chris Turner threw for a season-high of 321 yards and a career-best 68% completion rate (28–41). Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott twice fumbled to give Wake Forest excellent field position, but both opportunities were wasted with missed field goal attempts. Wake Forest's leading scorer, placekicker Sam Swank, was out due to injury.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest (#21)
Ralph Friedgen stated that "We finally put a full game together. I think by far it's the best we've played all year." It was Maryland's fifth consecutive defeat of a ranked opponent, and the third of the season, making them 3–0 against ranked opponents, but just 2–2 against all others. The game also marked the first time that Wake Forest had been held scoreless in 124 games when it lost to Air Force in 1998, and it was the first time since 1957 that the Terrapins had bounced back to shut out an opponent following a shutout of their own. The last Maryland shutout of a ranked opponent was in 1955 against UCLA.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, NC State
In a frigid driving rain at College Park, NC State brought an inspired effort in an attempt to break a three-game losing streak. In the first series of the game, the Wolfpack used 14 plays and 8 minutes to drive 73 yards and score first. Maryland immediately responded with a drive that ended with a 13-yard Turner pass to Dan Gronkowski. In the following series, NC State again scored a touchdown, and Maryland kicked a field goal in response. NC State running back Andre Brown fumbled on the first play, and Maryland recovered on the Wolfpack 24-yard line.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, NC State
The Terrapins capitalized on the turnover with a Davin Meggett run into the endzone. After a Wolfpack field goal, the score was even at halftime, 17–17. In the third quarter, Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott rushed 24 yards for a touchdown. Late in the quarter, Danny Oquendo fumbled a punt return on the 50-yard line and the Wolfpack recovered. NC State equalized once more with a Russell Wilson pass, which brought the score to 24–24.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, NC State
With 4:50 remaining on the clock, and the ball on their own eight-yard line, Maryland drove 89 yards to the Wolfpack three-yard line, which included a pass to Davin Meggett for 31 yards. This set up a 20-yard field goal attempt by Obi Egekeze with eight seconds on the clock. The kick was good and put Maryland ahead for good, 27–24.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, NC State
The Wolfpack lost its fourth straight game to remain the only ACC team winless in conference play (ACC: 0–4). The favorite Terrapins once again struggled against an underdog opponent, but managed to edge the Wolfpack and secure a sixth win for bowl eligibility. With it, Maryland was ranked for the first time since 2006, at 25th on the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' Poll rankings. The fan poll ESPNU Allstate Standings had the Terrapins ranked 14th in the nation, ahead of AP first-ranked Texas and fourth-ranked Oklahoma.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, NC State
Maryland had a bye in Week 10, while ACC Atlantic rival 16th-ranked Florida State lost to Georgia Tech. This allowed Maryland to take the uncontested lead in the Atlantic Division and rise in the AP Poll to number-23 and USA Today Coaches' Poll to number-21. Florida State fell to 24th, while once 19th-ranked Tulsa, 20th-ranked Minnesota, 23rd-ranked Oregon, and 24th-ranked South Florida were all dropped from the rankings after their own loses.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia Tech
The two teams met for a Thursday night game at Blacksburg, a time and site where the Hokies have traditionally excelled. In the first quarter, Maryland drove 56 yards, but was held to a 46-yard field goal attempt, which was missed by Obi Egekeze. In the next series, Tech quarterback Sean Glennon led the Hokies on an 80-yard drive that culminated in a short pass to Greg Boone for a score. The next series went into the second quarter, and Maryland was again forced to attempt a field goal, which was made good. Hokies tailback Darren Evans then broke away for a 50-yard carry to the Maryland 30-yard line, and later capped it with a one-yard rush into the endzone. Before the half, Tech managed a field goal to expand their lead, 17–3.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia Tech
In the second half, Chris Turner hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for a short bubble screen pass behind the line of scrimmage, and Heyward-Bey ran it 63 yards for the score. During the next series, the Terrapins were held three-and-out, but the punt was fumbled and recovered by Maryland on the Hokies 11-yard line. However, the Terrapins were again forced to settle for a field goal, which made it a one-possession lead for VT at 20–13 with 2:29 left in the third quarter. In the final quarter, the Hokies managed another field goal and held onto the lead for a final result of 23–13.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Virginia Tech
Hokies tailback Darren Evans ran for a school-record of 253 yards, and exceeded 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time in his career. The Hokie defense shut down the Terrapins running game and held them to −12 yards on 18 carries. Maryland also proved unable or unwilling to blitz against Sean Glennon, the Tech quarterback hobbled by an ankle injury. Glennon threw for 127 yards and a touchdown.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16)
In another driving rainstorm at College Park, Maryland met 16th-ranked North Carolina. Maryland's first possession ended as a "three-and-out" series, and the Terrapins elected to punt. The ball was snapped high and sailed over punter Travis Baltz's head. Baltz recovered it in the Maryland end zone for a safety, which averted a possible North Carolina touchdown. Maryland kicked off to North Carolina, and held the Tar Heels to a field goal. On the subsequent possession, Maryland took the lead, 7–5, after a 76-yard drive that culminated with a short run by Da'Rel Scott.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16)
On North Carolina's next possession, quarterback Cameron Sexton threw a long pass, which was tipped by Maryland safety Kenny Tate, but deflected into the hands of receiver Cooter Arnold hands, who ran it into the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown. Davin Meggett powered 57 yards through the opposing defensive line on nine carries for another touchdown, which put Maryland back in the lead. Shortly before halftime, North Carolina kicked another field goal for the game's fifth lead change. The rain and wind let up in the third quarter, but the waterlogged playing field still presented challenging conditions.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16)
North Carolina placekicker Casey Barth struck the left upright on an unsuccessful 28-yard field goal attempt, but the Tar Heels soon recovered a fumble from Maryland back-up quarterback Josh Portis. North Carolina failed to capitalize, however, and punted the ball away. Chris Turner engineered a 73-yard drive in 19 plays, which included a scramble for a first down by the typically immobile pocket quarterback. That run put Maryland within field goal range, and Egekeze made the 26-yard attempt with 1:42 remaining to play. North Carolina received the kick and managed a first down, but Sexton then threw a 34-yard interception to safety Jamari McCollough. The Terrapins were then able to run out the play clock to win, 17–15.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16)
The victory was Maryland's sixth consecutive against ranked opponents, which set a school record. At the time, Maryland was the only team in the nation with four wins over ranked opponents during the 2008 season. Only BCS National Championship Game participants Florida and Oklahoma later finished with more wins against ranked teams. Maryland also improved their home record to 6–0 for the season. Head coach Ralph Friedgen improved his record against North Carolina to 5–1, and kept North Carolina winless in College Park since 1997.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16), ACC Atlantic Division championship race
The results of that weekend's games improved the clarity of the ACC Championship Game picture, but did not decide it. Maryland improved their ACC record to 4–2 and took the uncontested lead of the Atlantic Division. Florida State lost to Boston College that same day, which meant four teams were still able to secure the division title: Boston College, Florida State, Maryland, and Wake Forest.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16), ACC Atlantic Division championship race
Boston College (ACC: 3–3) could travel to the ACC Championship Game if they won out by beating both Wake Forest and Maryland. Boston College eventually did just that, and lost to Virginia Tech in the 2008 ACC Championship Game. Florida State (ACC: 4–3) would have won the Atlantic Division if they beat Maryland, Maryland beat Boston College, and Boston College beat Wake Forest. Under those circumstances, Florida State would have finished with a 5–3 record, tied with Maryland, but win the tiebreaker because they had defeated Maryland head-to-head.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16), ACC Atlantic Division championship race
However, Maryland lost to Boston College, which relegated Florida State to a second-place finish in the division. Wake Forest (ACC: 4–3) would have won the division if they won their last game against Boston College, and both Florida State and Boston College beat Maryland. In that case, Florida State and Wake Forest would have had identical conference records (ACC: 5–3), and Wake Forest would have won the tiebreaker because they defeated Florida State earlier in the season.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, North Carolina (#16), ACC Atlantic Division championship race
Maryland (ACC: 4–2) would have won the division title if they had either: (1) beaten both Florida State and Boston College; (2) beaten Florida State, while Boston College lost to Wake Forest; or (3) beaten Boston College, while Boston College lost to Wake Forest. That last scenario would have caused a three-way tie between Maryland, Florida State, and Wake Forest. All would have possessed a 5–3 conference record, and no head-to-head tiebreaker would have been possible. In that case, the winner would have been decided by divisional record, of which the Terrapins would have had the best (ACC Atlantic: 4–1).


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
After Wake Forest lost to Boston College earlier in the day, Florida State required a win over Maryland to proceed to the ACC Championship Game. The Seminoles also needed Maryland to win against Boston College the following week. As a testament to the must-win nature of the game for Florida State, it was designated as a "Sod Game", where, if won, the team would bring home a piece of Byrd Stadium's sod to be commemorated in their "Sod Cemetery".


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Maryland received the opening kickoff and pushed into Florida State territory. On third down, Chris Turner was sacked and Maryland was forced to punt. Florida State was held three-and-out and punted. The Terrapins again pushed down field, before, on fourth and four on the Florida State 27-yard line, elected to attempt a field goal. Obi Egekeze's 44-yard attempt went wide of the uprights far to the right.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Florida State started a drive in the first quarter for 73 yards which culminated with a seven-yard Christian Ponder pass to Preston Parker for the score. The two teams traded punts, and Terrapins running back Da'Rel Scott fumbled the ball on the Maryland 26-yard line. Seminole linebacker Derek Nicholson picked up the ball and ran it into the endzone to bring the score to 14–0. On the next possession, Chris Turner threw his first interception in five games. Florida State then went three-and-out and punted.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Maryland drove for 53 yards before another Turner pass was intercepted by Toddrick Verdell, who returned it for 34 yards. Florida State quarterback Ponder completed a 17-yard pass to Parker, and then ran it himself for 16 yards to the Maryland five-yard line. Two Antone Smith rushes brought the score to 21–0 at the half.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
At the beginning of the second half, the Terrapins kicked off to the Seminoles before both teams traded field goals. Those were the only points for Maryland all night. In the fourth quarter, Florida State added another field goal. On the next possession, Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott and receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey both made short runs for a first down. Scott lost his second fumble of the night on the Terrapin 43-yard line. Florida State took over and scored another touchdown. After Maryland went three-and-out, Seminoles kicker Graham Gano made his third field goal of the night.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
The Seminoles defense accumulated six sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. The loss ended Maryland's aspirations for the Atlantic Division title and, with it, a shot at the ACC Championship. Florida State remained in the running until Maryland lost to Boston College the following week.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Three hours before kick-off, Florida State safety Myron Rolle successfully interviewed for a Rhodes Scholarship in Birmingham, Alabama. Rolle then took a private flight to arrive at the game in time to play late in the first half.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
Maryland entered the game having been knocked out of the running for the Atlantic Division title the previous week, but able to play spoiler for Boston College. The Eagles were playing to earn a berth to the ACC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. Additionally, competing within a closely contested ACC, Maryland could have greatly improved its standing for bowl selection with an eighth win. The Eagles were the fifth ranked team to face Maryland. The Terrapins were, to that point, 4–0 against top-25 opposition and the only team to beat four ranked opponents in 2008. Boston College was fielding second-string quarterback Dominique Davis in his first career appearance. He replaced starter Chris Crane, who had suffered a broken collarbone the previous week.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
Boston College kicked off, and Torrey Smith made a 27-yard return to the Maryland 31-yard line. After a Terrapins false start and Eagles offsides penalty, Chris Turner connected with Torrey Smith for 12 yards and a first down. Turner gained another first down with a completion to Danny Oquendo to put them into BC territory. A rush for no gain and two incomplete passes forced a punt. Boston College responded with a 14-play, 88-yard drive that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jarvis.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
On the next possession, Turner completed passes to Emani Lee-Odai and Torrey Smith for 16- and 43-yard gains, respectively, and placed them at the Boston College one-yard line. Turner capped the drive with a one-yard rush for a score to tie the score, 7–7. To end the first quarter, Boston College linebacker Mike McLaughlin literally hurdled over 5-ft 8-in Davin Meggett to sack Turner in what was ranked an ESPN SportsCenter "Play of the Day". The Eagles and Terrapins traded punts twice, and then Boston College turned over on downs before Maryland was forced to punt again. After a Boston College punt, Chris Turner threw an interception to Mark Herzlich. On the next play Dominique Davis threw to Rich Gunnell for a 45-yard touchdown reception.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
The second half started off with traded punts. Boston College took over with excellent field position on the Maryland 34-yard line, but was held to fourth and eight yards on the Terrapins' nine-yard line. The Eagles faked a field goal attempt, and holder Billy Flutie, nephew of Heisman winner Doug Flutie, rolled right and passed to Jordon McMichael for a nine-yard touchdown. The teams traded punts again, before Turner led the Terrapins on a 70-yard drive into the final quarter. A 13-yard reception by Danny Oquendo brought the score to 21–14. Boston College was then held three-and-out and punted.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
The Terrapins drove to the Eagles' 19-yard line, but Obi Egekeze missed the 36-yard field goal attempt. Boston College's next drive consisted of ten rush attempts by Montel Harris and burned three minutes off the clock. The Eagles punted and Turner completed three passes to advance to their own 35-yard line. Linebacker Robert Francois intercepted a pass and ran it 36 yards into the endzone. Steve Aponavicius's extra point brought it to 28–14. With 1:42 left, Turner completed eight passes including an 8-yard touchdown toss to Torrey Smith. With 0:14 remaining in the game, Maryland attempted an onside kick, but it bounced out of bounds. Boston College took possession and ran out the clock to end the game, 28–21.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Boston College (#20)
Boston College ended Maryland's six-game winning streak against ranked opponents. With a 7–5 record, the Terrapins' postseason bowl game options were also limited. The Eagles secured the ACC Atlantic Division title and, with it, a trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship Game to face Virginia Tech for the second-straight season. Boston College held the Maryland run to −6 yards, forcing reliance on Chris Turner's passing ability. It was the second game of the season the Terrapins were held to negative rushing yards (this had also occurred against Virginia Tech). Turner, however, was able to throw for 360 yards, bettering Boston College's total offensive yardage of 318 yards.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Bowl selection process
Maryland achieved bowl eligibility through its sixth win against NC State. The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 7–5 overall record and 4–4 record against ACC opponents. Maryland's conference record was identical to four other ACC teams, and the league fielded an NCAA record of ten bowl-eligible teams. For the 2008 season, there were eight non-Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl games with ACC tie-ins: the Gator Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl, the Music City Bowl, the Humanitarian Bowl, the Emerald Bowl, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, and the EagleBank Bowl.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Bowl selection process
After Maryland suffered a fifth loss in the season closer against Boston College, it was very unlikely that the team's preferred postseason game, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, was going to extend an invitation. The game's selection committee in Charlotte, North Carolina was eager to secure nearby North Carolina (8–4). Meanwhile, the EagleBank Bowl, hosted by RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., not far from the Maryland campus, secured in-state rival Navy, but the game date conflicted with Maryland's final exams.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Bowl selection process
Soon after Maryland's regular season finale, sportswriters and analysts speculated that the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, was the most likely postseason destination. Bowl officials there worked to secure a game of undefeated teams between the hometown team, Boise State, and Ball State of the Mid-American Conference. However, Ball State rejected the proposal to play at Boise State's homefield as unacceptable.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Bowl selection process
On December 7, 2008, Maryland accepted a bid to play in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl against Nevada. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) team likewise finished with a 7–5 record. Nevada was ranked the number-five total offense and number-two rushing offense in the nation with 510.6 total yards per game. In 2008, running back Vai Taua ran for 1,420 and quarterback Colin Kaepernick for 1,115 yards, and the latter threw for an additional 2,479 yards.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Bowl selection process
The Humanitarian Bowl executive director, Kevin McDonald, said, "We look forward to welcoming a Maryland [team] that defeated four Top 25 opponents and spent three weeks ranked ... Nevada comes in having played two teams, Texas Tech and Missouri, that were then ranked nationally in the top ten. They also gave ninth-ranked Boise State their toughest [WAC] game."


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
Prior to the game, Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen placed a partial-game suspension on seven players who violated the team's pre-bowl curfew, including leading rusher, Da'Rel Scott, and senior wide receiver Danny Oquendo. Consequently, a much younger line-up started for Maryland, including, according to Friedgen, some who probably would not have seen playing time otherwise.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
The game started with Maryland receiving the kick-off and on the first series, quarterback Chris Turner linked up with freshman Adrian Cannon for a 59-yard touchdown. However, placekicker Obi Egekeze missed the extra point. Nevada quarterback and Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year, Colin Kaepernick, responded with a drive which included a 68-yard pass to the Maryland 3-yard line. The Terrapin defense stopped two rushing attempts by Vai Taua, but a short pass was good for the score, and with the extra point, Nevada took the lead 6–7.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
The Wolf Pack then kicked a 69-yard kick-off to Torrey Smith, who returned it 99 yards for a second Maryland touchdown. Egekeze made good the extra point and Maryland regained the lead, 13–7. On the next kick-off, Egekeze attempted to kick the ball as it fell off the tee, resulting in a short squib, which was returned to the Terrapins' 9-yard line. Kaepernick threw into the endzone where it was intercepted by Maryland safety Kenny Tate for a touchback, but the Terrapins were soon forced to punt. Kaepernick advanced the ball downfield before a Taua 17-yard touchdown run.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
In the next series, Maryland sophomore Morgan Green rushed for three yards and then a 53-yard touchdown breakaway. Later, Turner converted on third down with a 16-yard toss to Ronnie Tyler and threw again to Tyler for a 14-yard touchdown. Turner tallied a two-point conversion with a throw to Davin Meggett, and Maryland led at halftime 28–14.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
Wolf Pack running back Taua was able to capitalize after a Turner-thrown pick and narrow their deficit, 28–21. A sack against Turner knocked the ball loose, was recovered by Nevada, fumbled again, and finally recovered by the Terrapins' Scott Burley. Turner then connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for an 11-yard first down and a fresh Da'Rel Scott made his first touch of the game for another first down on the Nevada 23. Turner was again sacked and fumbled, and Nevada recovered. Kaepernick then completed 38-yard and 21-yard passes to even the score, 28–28.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
Turner converted on third down with a 26-yard toss to Torrey Smith. Scott was soon able to break open down the middle for a 49-yard touchdown run. On the next Maryland series, Da'Rel Scott was handed the ball four times in succession and scored his second touchdown. With 4:01 remaining, Kaepernick led a drive starting from the Nevada 23, before a scramble for a touchdown made it a one-possession game with 2:19 remaining. Jaekle attempted an on-side kick, but it was recovered by Maryland. Scott picking up a first down and clinched a 42–35 Maryland victory.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Game summaries, Nevada (2008 Humanitarian Bowl)
Maryland freshman wide receiver Torrey Smith, with his 99-yard kickoff return touchdown, broke the all-time ACC record for single-season kickoff returns with 1,089 yards. Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott rushed for 174 yards, earning Most Valuable Player honors alongside Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick who threw for 370 yards. Scott set the University of Maryland's record for rushing yards in a bowl game, in what was just one-and-half quarters of playing time due to his curfew suspension. He also broke the 1,000-yard per season barrier, making him one of just seven players in school history to do so. Four Maryland back-ups who saw significant play due to the curfew suspensions also scored touchdowns: second-string X-receiver Torrey Smith, second-string slot receiver Ronnie Tyler, third-string slot receiver Adrian Cannon, and third-string running back Morgan Green.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Rankings
In Week 9, after defeating Wake Forest to improve to a 6–1 record, Maryland was ranked 25th by both the Associated Press and the Coaches' Polls. It was the first time the team was ranked since Week 11 in 2006. Maryland rose in the polls, and entered the Harris and BCS rankings after beating NC State the following week. However, after the loss to Virginia Tech, the Terps fell out of the rankings altogether. Maryland made one final poll appearance after the win over North Carolina, before losing to Florida State.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, Coaching changes
At the end of the regular season, but before the postseason bowl game, Maryland lost two members of its coaching staff. On December 5, 2008, the school announced that defensive coordinator Chris Cosh would return to Kansas State to take over as assistant coach and co-defensive coordinator. He joined the staff of the recently re-hired Bill Snyder, who was Kansas State's head coach from 1996 to 2005. Cosh previously served under Snyder as his linebackers coach from 2004 to 2005. For the bowl game, Maryland appointed outside linebackers coach Al Seamonson as the interim defensive coordinator.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, Coaching changes
Maryland also lost its special teams and tight ends coach, Danny Pearman, who was hired by new Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. Pearman was a Clemson alumnus and played there as a tight end from 1984 to 1987. At Alabama, he coached special teams and the offensive and defensive tackles from 1990 to 1997, during which time Swinney played there as a wide receiver. For Maryland's bowl game, third-year intern Brian White acted as interim tight ends coach, and he assisted head coach Ralph Friedgen in directing the special teams.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, Coaching changes
After the bowl game, in February 2009, the athletic department named offensive coordinator James Franklin the "head coach-in-waiting", meaning that he would be the eventual successor to Ralph Friedgen. Upon the expiration of Friedgen's contract in January 2012, Franklin will be offered the position or paid a US$1 million contractual buyout. In June 2009, Friedgen said he might like to stay an additional two years past his current contract, but athletic director Deborah Yow responded that the school could not afford the buyout. She said that any extension would have to be worked out between Friedgen and Franklin.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, All-star games
Five Maryland players were selected by postseason all-star games. Defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre appeared in the Texas vs. The Nation Game. Offensive linemen Edwin Williams and Jaimie Thomas participated in the East–West Shrine Game. Linebacker Moise Fokou played in the Under Armour Senior Bowl. Kevin Barnes was also selected to participate in the Senior Bowl very early in the season before he suffered a scapular fracture. He attended the game, but did not play due to his injury.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, NFL Draft
Five former Maryland players were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, which tied North Carolina for the most of any Atlantic Coast Conference team. Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine of 4.30 seconds, was selected by the Oakland Raiders as the seventh overall pick, far higher than most analysts had anticipated. Cornerback Kevin Barnes, who had scored the highest grade on the intelligence test at the combine, was selected in the third round by the Washington Redskins. Linebacker Moise Fokou, guard Jaimie Thomas, and tight end Dan Gronkowski were all selected in the seventh round.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Postseason, NFL Draft
Additionally, several former Terrapins were signed by NFL teams as free agents shortly after the draft. These consisted of: linebacker Dave Philistin, center Edwin Williams, wide receiver Isaiah Williams, defensive end Jeremy Navarre, offensive tackle Scott Burley, linebacker Chase Bullock, offensive tackle Dane Randolph, and defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi.


2008 Maryland Terrapins football team, Awards, All-conference honors
All-ACC honorees were selected by a 67-member committee from the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Media Association (ACSMA). Maryland tied with Atlantic Division Co-Champion Boston College for most All-ACC honorees at nine. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech each secured eight All-ACC honors. Three Maryland players were selected to the first team: punter Travis Baltz, running back Da'Rel Scott, and center Edwin Williams. Linebacker Alex Wujciak was named to the second team. Offensive linemen Scott Burley and Jaimie Thomas, tight end Dan Gronkowski, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, and defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre were named as honorable mention All-ACC players.


2008 Maryland Terrapins men's soccer team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins men's soccer team represented the University of Maryland, College Park during the 2008 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The team won its third NCAA College Cup title, and their first since 2005. The team included several future professional players, most notably, Graham Zusi and Omar Gonzalez.


2008 Maryland Terrapins men's soccer team, Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2008 Maryland's 4th congressional district special election
Maryland's 4th congressional district special election of 2008 took place on June 17, 2008 to fill the seat in the United States House of Representatives left vacant by the resignation of Maryland congressman Albert Wynn. Democrat Donna Edwards won the election by a large margin.


2008 Maryland's 4th congressional district special election, Background
Maryland's 4th congressional district seat was vacant after Congressman Albert Wynn resigned on May 31, 2008. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announced that a special election would be held on June 17, 2008 to fill the seat for the remainder of the 110th Congress. In order to save time and money, O'Malley signed legislation to allow the Democratic and Republican parties to choose candidates by committee instead of holding primaries. As expected, both parties chose the November general election nominees (who had already been nominated in primaries for that election) as their respective June special election candidates so that either winner would be positioned to run as the party incumbent in November.


2008 Maryland's 4th congressional district special election, Background
Election officials estimated the cost for holding the special election ranged from $1.05 to $1.25 million, which was borne by the taxpayers of the 4th District.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008, and had a total of 93 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Massachusetts's 10 congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 61. Another 32 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Hillary Clinton. The 93 delegates represented Massachusetts at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Twenty-six other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well. Hillary Clinton won despite Obama receiving endorsements from both senators, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, and the Governor Deval Patrick.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Polls
Polls indicated that Hillary Clinton was leading Barack Obama in the days leading up to the contest in Massachusetts. Clinton won every pre-election poll except one, and of those she won, Clinton won all but one of them by double digits.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Hillary Clinton won a convincing victory in Massachusetts over Barack Obama due to a number of factors. According to exit polls, 85 percent of voters in the Massachusetts Democratic Primary were Caucasians and they opted for Clinton by a margin of 58-40 percent compared to the 6 percent of African American voters who backed Obama by a margin of 66-29. Hispanics/Latinos, which comprised 5 percent of the total voters, backed Clinton by a margin of 56-36 percent.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Clinton narrowly won the youth vote (those ages 18–29) by a margin of 49-48 and tied the vote among voters ages 30–44; she also won all voters over the age of 45 by a margin of 60.5-38. Pertaining to socioeconomic class, Clinton won all levels of family income except highly affluent voters making $200,000 or more a year, as they backed Obama by a narrow margin of 53-47 percent. As for educational attainment levels, Clinton won all categories except those with postgraduate degrees who backed Obama by a margin of 51-47 percent.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Among self-identified Democrats in the primary, which made up 65 percent of the total electorate, they went for Clinton by a 58-41 margin while Independents, which comprised a healthy 33 percent of the electorate, also went for Clinton by a 54-42 margin. She also won all ideological groups. Clinton also won all major religious denominations – Protestants 53-46; Roman Catholics 64-33; other Christians 51-47; and other religions 49-46. Obama won Jews by a margin of 52-48 as well as atheists/agnostics by a margin of 53-45.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Clinton performed extremely well statewide, carrying a majority of counties and sweeping most of the major urban areas and cities. Obama won Boston by fewer than 10,000 votes, while Clinton won other urban and conservative towns such as Springfield and Worcester.


2008 Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, Analysis
Obama had picked up major endorsements from the Massachusetts Democratic establishment prior to Super Tuesday. Both U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry threw their support behind Obama, along with Governor Deval Patrick. Clinton also picked up a number of top-tier endorsements from Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston and Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Salvatore DiMasi along with U.S. Representatives Richard Neal and Barney Frank, one of the three openly gay members of the U.S. Congress.


2008 Massachusetts House of Representatives election
The 2008 Massachusetts House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2008, the same date as the 2008 Massachusetts Senate election as well as Federal and Congressional elections. The term of Representatives elected is two years, January 2009 until January 2011.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1
The State Income Tax Repeal, also known as Massachusetts Question 1, was one of the 2008 ballot measures that appeared on the November 4, 2008 ballot in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Voters were asked whether or not they approved of the proposed measure which, if it had passed, would have ended the 5.3% income tax in Massachusetts on wages, interest, dividends and capital gains. Ultimately, Massachusetts voters defeated Question 1 by a wide margin, with approximately 70% opposed versus 30% in favor.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal
The official proponent of the measure was the Committee for Small Government. Michael Cloud and Carla Howell led the committee.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal
Initiative supporter Michael Cloud believed that the measure would lower the budget from about $28 billion to $17 billion, which is approximately the size of the 1995 state budget.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal
Polling showed that 46 percent of those asked supported the measure before hearing any of its details, and 40 percent still supported it after hearing about the measure in depth.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Funding
According to campaign finance reports, as of November 1, 2008 the Committee for Small Government had raised approximately $385,000 since creation and had $14,131.72 cash left. They also had about $80,000 in outstanding liabilities.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Funding
As of August 15, 2008, Ms Howell and Mr Cloud had paid themselves almost $200,000 from committee donations for "consulting fees" over the previous 6 years for services rendered to their own campaigns while soliciting donors for additional contributions because the campaign was out of funds.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Earlier attempt to repeal income tax
The Committee for Small Government advanced a similar initiative, called the Massachusetts End the Income Tax initiative, in 2002. That measure did not pass and received 885,683 votes, or 45.3 percent.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Individual Support
The Republican senatorial candidate, Jeff Beatty, said that he supported Question 1 while challenging incumbent-John Kerry.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Editorial Support
Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal stated: "The forces of the tax-and-spend status quo will descend on this initiative like British troops after the original Boston tea party, but somebody has to make an effort to stop the relentless growth of government."


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Supporters of the income tax repeal, Editorial Support
Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine stated: "This is an attack on political establishments there and throughout the U.S. that routinely put their own interests above those of their constituents: lavish government pensions with payouts that would bankrupt private companies; resistance to genuine reform in Medicaid spending, which has become the biggest item on virtually every state's budget; ever more pork-barrel spending; and ever more obsequiousness to rapacious special interests. Bay State voters – go for Proposition 1."


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Funding
According to campaign finance reports, as of October 15, 2008 the Coalition for Our Communities, the organization opposing this tax cut, had raised over $5 million—99.8% from teachers' and other government sector unions.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Individual opponents
The Selectman in the town of Wayland voted unanimously to oppose the initiative.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Individual opponents
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) publicly opposed it while running for reelection for senate.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Individual opponents
Republican State Senator and future U.S. senator Scott Brown voted against Question 1 despite voting against raising the state's flat tax to 5.95% while in the state senate in 2003.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Organizations against the measure
Coalition for Our Communities, an organization created by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO that reportedly had $1.34 million with which to mount an effort to defeat the measure. The Coalition's funds are derived mainly from unions, including $750,000 from the National Education Association. The group also received $250,000 from American Federation of Teachers Solidarity Fund. Both the NEA and the AFTSF are based in Washington, D.C.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Editorial opposition
The Boston Globe officially asked voters to vote "no" on Question 1.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, Opposition, Funding
According to campaign finance reports, as of November 1, 2008 The Coalition for Our Communities had raised approximately $6,625,000 since creation and had $117,270.95 cash left. They also received about an additional $650,000 in inkind donations from unions such as donated staff, supplies, postage etc.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, History of petition drive and blocking allegations
The proponents submitted about 100,000 signatures to the Massachusetts Secretary of State for the first phase of signature collection. 76,084 of those signatures were determined to be valid, with a requirement that 66,593 must be valid for the initiative to proceed to the next step. The next step was for the Massachusetts State Legislature to take up the measure. They declined to pass it by the first Wednesday in May 2008, meaning that the proponents had to collect an additional 11,099 valid signatures by June 18, 2008. On July 3, it was announced that 15,913 additional certified signatures had been filed, making the measure extremely likely to appear on the ballot.


2008 Massachusetts Question 1, History of petition drive and blocking allegations
The , whose mailing address is the same as the "Committee for our Communities", admitted in December 2007 that it had made phone calls to people who had signed the petition to place the income tax repeal on the ballot, inquiring about whether their signatures were valid. The calls were made from a group identifying itself as the "Committee for our Communities".


2008 Massachusetts Question 2
The Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, also known as Massachusetts Ballot Question 2, was an initiated state statute that replaced prior criminal penalties with new civil penalties on adults possessing an ounce or less of marijuana. The initiative appeared on the November 4, 2008, ballot in Massachusetts.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2
The measure was passed on Nov 4. and became public law on January 2, 2009


2008 Massachusetts Question 2
The law represents a break with prior law in Massachusetts, where people charged with marijuana possession faced criminal penalties of up to six months in jail and a US$500 fine, as well as a CORI report being filed.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2
On Tuesday, September 10, 2008, a city councillor in Worcester called for a vote on a measure to express the opposition by the city of Worcester to theinitiative. The city council rejected and voted down the measure by a 10-1 vote, with the only vote for the measure coming from the councillor that requested the vote.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy is the leading proponent of the initiative.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, Polls
A Suffolk University / WHDH Channel 7 poll has shown that 72 percent of Greater Boston residents are in favor of replacing criminal penalties with civil fines for carrying an ounce or less of marijuana. "The public may be signaling that pursuing small-time marijuana users is a waste of taxpayer resources," said David Paleologos, director of the Political Research Bureau at Suffolk University. "This issue suggests there is a libertarian streak in the thinking of the Massachusetts voter." The poll was conducted with 400 residents between July 31 and August 3, 2008.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, Polls
A FastTrack poll by WBZ TV /Survey USA on September 17 showed that 69% of all Massachusetts voters would favor either decriminalization or legalization. It was broken down to 30% want it remain a crime, 31% want it changed to a civil fine and 38% would like it to be legalized completely. The poll had a margin of error of 4.5%.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, History
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse (also known as the Shafer Commission) was created by Public Law 91-513 in 1972 to study marijuana abuse in the United States. It published its findings in a report called Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding and recommended that the president should decriminalize possession of marijuana in amounts that constituted "simple possession".


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, History
So far 30 non-binding public policy questions calling for civil fines for possession of marijuana rather than criminal penalties have passed in legislative districts throughout Massachusetts since 2000. These questions were passed with an average of 62% of the vote in favor. No Public policy question related to replacing criminal penalties with civil fines has ever failed in the state of Massachusetts.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, History
The Joint Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee of the Massachusetts General Court voted 6-1 in favor of a bill that would have made possession of less than an ounce of marijuana punishable by a civil fine.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Supporters, Funding
Billionaire George Soros made an initial contribution of $400,000. The committee has also received $750,000 cash as well as about $320,000 in donated time and services from the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization created to reform marijuana laws in the United States. According to campaign finance reports, as of November 1, 2008, the committee has raised approximately $1,250,000 to help pass the measure with $40,060.90 remaining.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Opposition
The Coalition for Safe Streets, a committee organized to oppose Question 2, launched a statewide campaign Sept. 5 to defeat the measure. Jonathan W. Blodgett, the Essex County District Attorney serves as the Coalition's treasurer and chairman.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Opposition
Michael O'Keefe, the president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, is opposed to the initiative. He believes that the measure will lead to an increase in minors using the drug by sending the wrong message to them.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Opposition
The O'Keefe Committee is one of ten committees representing district attorneys in Massachusetts that have contributed to the Coalition.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Opposition
William Breault, chairman of the Main South Alliance for Public Safety in Worcester, also plans to oppose this initiative.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Opposition, Funding
According to Campaign Finance reports, as of November 1, 2008, the ten committees representing district attorneys in Massachusetts have contributed approximately $2,275 each to the Coalition along with a donation of $2,500 from the Worcester County Deputy Sheriffs Association as well as a few other donors for a total of approx $60,000, after expenditures they have $0 to fight the initiative and $2,601.92 in outstanding liabilities.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Controversies
On September 17, 2008, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy filed complaints with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the Attorney General's office against the Massachusetts District Attorney Association, the 11 state district attorneys and O'Neill and Associates, a Boston public relations firm. Violations of the campaign finance law could result in up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Controversies
Also, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone has stated that in the event the majority of voters in the State of Massachusetts were to pass the initiative,  he will attempt to override the vote and defeat it in an appellate process.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Petition drive to qualify
The support group collected over 105,000 signatures, far exceeding the requirement of 66,593 valid signatures. Since Massachusetts is an indirect initiative state, this meant that the Massachusetts State Legislature had to take up the proposed measure. Since the legislature declined to act on it by early May, the supporters then had until June 18, 2008, to collect another 11,099 signatures to ensure that the initiative is placed on the November 2008 statewide ballot, a goal at which they succeeded.


2008 Massachusetts Question 2, Enactment
As per Massachusetts law, the initiative became public law on January 2, 2009, 30 days from the date it was presented to the Governor's Council and certified.


2008 Massachusetts Republican presidential primary
The 2008 Massachusetts Republican presidential primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 40 national delegates. Polls indicated that former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney was leading rival John McCain; Romney ended up defeating McCain by roughly 10% of the vote.


2008 Massachusetts Republican presidential primary, Results
* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary


2008 Massachusetts Senate election
Elections to the 187th Massachusetts State Senate was held on November 4, 2008, the same date as the 2008 Massachusetts House election as well as Federal and Congressional elections. Massachusetts Senators serve two-year terms.


2008 Massachusetts elections
The Massachusetts general election, 2008 were held on November 4, 2008 throughout Massachusetts. Among the elections which took place were those for the office of President of the United States, John Kerry's seat in the Senate, all ten seats in the Massachusetts delegation to the House of Representatives, all eight seats in the Massachusetts Governor's Council, and all of the seats of the Massachusetts Senate and Massachusetts House of Representatives. There were also three ballot questions: to eliminate the commonwealth's income tax; to decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana; and to prohibit greyhound racing. Numerous local elections also took place throughout the state.


2008 Massachusetts elections, United States Senate
U.S. Senator John Kerry (D) defeated Democratic challenger Edward O'Reilly in the primary on September 16, 2008. He defeated Republican Jeff Beatty and Libertarian Robert Underwood in the general election. The seat was considered safe for John Kerry.


2008 Massachusetts elections, United States House of Representatives
All 10 members of the delegation to the United States House of Representatives in Massachusetts were up for re-election in 2008. All 10 seats were under Democratic control. Republican candidates contested four of the races. In District 1, Republican Nathan Bech opposed Democratic incumbent John Olver. (John Olver defeated a Democratic challenger, Robert Feuer, in the primary on September 16, 2008.) In District 4, Republican Earl Sholley and Unenrolled candidate Susan Allen opposed Democratic incumbent Barney Frank. In District 6, Republican Richard Baker opposed Democratic incumbent John Tierney. In District 7, Republican John Cunningham opposed Democratic incumbent Ed Markey. Despite these challenges, all ten seats were considered safe for their incumbents.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Governor's Council
All 8 current members of the Massachusetts Governor's Council were up for re-election in 2008. The Governor's Council's most important role is to approve the governor's judicial nominees, serving as an important check on the power of the Governor. Because Governor's Council districts are so large, and because the office of Governor's Councillor has very little awareness in the state, it is notoriously difficult to unseat an incumbent.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Governor's Council
In 2008, six of the eight incumbent Governor's Councillors defeated a Democratic challenger in the primary on September 16, 2008. One of the eight incumbents, Thomas Merrigan, faced a Republican challenger, Michael Franco, in the general election. One of the seats was uncontested.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Massachusetts Senate
All 40 seats in the Massachusetts Senate were up for election in 2008. The Massachusetts Democratic Party maintained a supermajority of 35 seats, with the remaining 5 seats under the control of the Massachusetts Republican Party.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Massachusetts House of Representatives
All 160 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives were up for election in 2008. The Massachusetts Democratic Party maintained a supermajority of 144, with the remaining 16 seats under the control of the Massachusetts Republican Party.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Local Races, Register of Probate
Each of Massachusetts' fourteen counties elected a Register of Probate, who will administer the county's family and probate court. Races in Barnstable County, Bristol County, Hampden County, and Nantucket County are expected to feature more than one candidate in the general election.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Local Races, County Treasurer
Bristol County, Duke's County, Norfolk County and Plymouth County each elected a County Treasurer in the 2008 Massachusetts general election. Only the race in Plymouth County featured more than one candidate for the position.


2008 Massachusetts elections, Local Races, County Commissioner
Barnstable County, Bristol County, Duke's County, Norfolk County and Plymouth County will each elect one or two County Commissioners in the 2008 Massachusetts general election. Every race will feature more than one candidate for the position.


2008 Massachusetts train collision
On May 28, 2008, shortly before 6pm, two westbound MBTA trains collided on the Green Line D branch between Woodland and Waban stations, behind 56 Dorset Road in Newton, Massachusetts.


2008 Massachusetts train collision
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) originally found the cause of the accident to be due to the operator texting while driving, but the NTSB later found that the operator of the rear train, Terrese Edmonds, had not been using her cell phone at the time of the crash, but rather went into an episode of micro-sleep, causing her to lose awareness of her surroundings and miss potential hazards up ahead. The collision killed Edmonds, and numerous others were injured. Fourteen passengers were taken to area hospitals; one was airlifted. This crash, along with another similar accident a year later, led the NTSB to set higher standards and regulations regarding the use of cell phones while operating a train.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Background
The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest subway line in the United States. The Green Line splits into multiple branches; the D branch is a grade-separated, dual track line operating from a terminal station at Riverside to Kenmore station, where the D branch merges with the other Green Line branches and operates on shared tracks into downtown Boston.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Background
The D branch" uses block signaling between Waban and Woodland stations; operating rules require that Green Line trains encountering a single red signal to hold for 1 minute, then proceed at no more than 10 miles per hour past the red signal while being prepared to stop short of any train or other obstruction.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Accident
The 2008 Massachusetts train collision occurred on the westbound track between Waban and Woodland stations. Trains 3667 and 3681 were both Green Line trains operating in the westbound direction on the D branch at the time of the accident. At approximately 5:50PM, Train 3681 departed Waban station, and passed signal H-64. Signal H-64 changed to display a single red aspect, to indicate that Train 3681 was directly ahead of it. Train 3681 then encountered a single red signal at H-66, and came to a stop. Per operating rules, Train 3681 held at signal H-66 for 1 minute, then began to operate past H-66 at a restricted speed, reaching a speed of 3.4 mph at the time of the accident.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Accident
Train 3667 departed Waban station westbound behind Train 3681. Although the red signal at H-64 required Train 3667 to stop and hold for 1 minute, an MBTA employee on the rear of Train 3667 told the NTSB that the train never slowed down after departing Waban, and instead accelerated to the maximum authorized speed of 40 mph. Travelling at a speed of 38 mph, Train 3667 crashed into the rear of Train 3681. The front of the lead car of Train 3681 suffered extensive damage, crushing the operating cab. The operator of Train 3667, Terrese Edmonds, suffered blunt force trauma during the collision and was killed; 8 passengers were injured.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Investigation
Initially, operator error was blamed for the crash. As the investigation began, the crash was suspected to be caused by distraction of Edmonds, who allegedly was using a cell phone while operating the train. However, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled out distraction after it obtained Edmonds' cell phone records and determined that her cell phone was not in use at the time of the crash. Investigators also found that the brakes had not been applied, and the tracks were not faulty.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Investigation
The NTSB determined that an episode of micro-sleep caused by sleep apnea was likely the reason for the operator losing awareness of her environment. Edmonds was a relatively inexperienced operator who had tried for several years to get the job and was happy to have received it. The qualifications for the job included a high school diploma, a valid driver's license, a background check, and seven weeks of training.


2008 Massachusetts train collision, Aftermath
In 2009, the NTSB released its final report on the crash. About a year later, another crash on the same route was blamed on an operator texting while driving.


2008 Masters (snooker)
The 2008 SAGA Insurance Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place between 13 and 20 January 2008 at the Wembley Arena in London, England.