Oct. 31, 2001

With all hope for an undefeated season dashed, Maryland looks to rebound Saturday when it faces Troy State.

Last week, the 15th-ranked Terrapins (7-1) came crashing back to Earth when Florida State handed them their first loss of the season, 52-31. While the Seminoles dropped the Terps from the ranks of the unbeaten, Maryland's 5-1 ACC record still keeps it in contention for the conference championship.

Maryland, Florida State and North Carolina each have one league loss.

"We're not out of this by any stretch of the imagination," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We have to beat Clemson and we have to beat N.C. State and there could be a two-way or a three-way tie."

Before they resume their ACC title chase, the Terps have a date entertaining Troy State (4-3).

The Trojans are coming off a 20-17 win over Southern Utah. Competing in its first season in Division I-A, Troy State has reeled off three straight wins after losing three of its first four games, including blowout losses to Nebraska and Miami.

While the Trojans may not provide the same level of competition as the Seminoles, the Terps could use this contest to work on avoiding the mistakes that plagued them in the fourth quarter last week.

After jumping out to a 14-0 lead and being tied at 31 after three quarters, Maryland was steamrolled by Florida State over the final fifteen minutes. Seminoles quarterback Chris Rix threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure the victory.

The Terps also hurt themselves with four turnovers.

"You get close to a real good team and you want to win so bad it hurts," Friedgen said. "When you don't get it done, it's really irritating. ... We played hard, we just didn't play smart. That's the story of the game."

While the records may not indicate it, Friedgen expects Troy State to present some of the same problems as Florida State.

"I am very concerned about this team," he said. "They have a lot of team speed just like the last team we played. They have linebackers that can run on defense, a good secondary, and they have a lot of skill on offense."

Troy State coach Larry Blakeney thinks his squad might have caught a break by facing the Terps as they come off a loss.

"I would say that with them looking at Clemson next week, they won't be as much of a pit-viper as they have been," Blakeney said. "I think they will have lost a little confidence since they lost to FSU, but they still have won seven games."

Maryland and Troy State have never faced each other.