Terps' Turnaround Lifts Ranking and Bowl Aspirations
11/13/2002 7:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 13, 2002
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Strangely enough, Maryland's worst loss of the season provided coach Ralph Friedgen with evidence that he had a special football team on his hands.
After falling behind 30-0 at halftime against Florida State on Sept. 14, the Terrapins outscored the Seminoles 10-7 the rest of the way. It seemed like an empty feat at the time, but Friedgen was impressed by the determination his players displayed.
"I knew when they didn't give up in that game, we had a chance to build on something," Friedgen said Tuesday. "They have been doing that ever since."
The defending Atlantic Coast Conference champs are unbeaten since that night. Back in the Top 25 for the first time since early September, No. 19 Maryland (8-2, 4-1) will bring a seven-game winning streak and lofty bowl aspirations into Saturday's matchup against Clemson.
It's a scenario that didn't seem likely after Maryland opened with a 22-0 loss to Notre Dame and fell to 1-2 after the Florida State defeat.
"We're not the same team that played Florida State or Notre Dame," Friedgen said. "We've got a quarterback who's playing pretty darn good; he's making plays and not making mistakes. He's running the show."
But the difference is more than just the improvement of Scott McBrien, who threw two interceptions against both Notre Dame and FSU and has thrown only one since.
Since that defeat against Florida State, the whole team grew up. And now the Terrapins own the fourth-longest winning streak in Division-I football.
"It's a credit to our players that they continued working and didn't give up on themselves," Friedgen said. "I really like this team. They work hard every game. I'd love for them win the next three because they're deserving of a great season."
Maryland will finish no worse than second place in the ACC if it concludes the regular season by beating Clemson, Virginia and Wake Forest. If the 15th-ranked Seminoles - who play No. 22 N.C. State this week - stumble, the Terrapins could end up playing in a second straight BCS bowl game.
"Our motto all year was to show that we were not just one-hit wonders," Maryland receiver Scooter Monroe said. "We see this thing shaping up just like last year. Hopefully, N.C. State can knock off Florida State and we'll be sitting pretty again."
Having rallied from 14 points down in the second half against N.C. State last week, the Terrapins next travel to Clemson, where they haven't won since 1985.
But this isn't the same old Maryland team that always seemed to crumble before 81,000 orange-clad fans in Death Valley. Heck, this isn't even the same squad that started the season.
"It's a totally different team, just like night and day," Monroe said. "The offense has come around, and the defense has been playing much better. Early in the season there were some worries, but the coach told us that we would do nothing but get better, and he was exactly right."
