Nov. 15, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Atlantic Coast Conference announced at halftime of today's Florida State/NC State football game that next Saturday's showdown between the Wolfpack and the University of Maryland will be a 3:30 p.m. game that will be televised on ABC. The game will play a major role in this year's ACC bowl picture.

The bad news of the day for the Terps and Wolfpack came in the form of a 50-44 double overtime NC State loss at Florida State, insuring that the Seminoles wrap up sole possession of the conference crown. If NC State had pulled out the win, next week's contest in Raleigh would have served as a game that would determine who would possibly share the league crown with the 'Noles.

Now the game's primary role will be to help determine the bowl fate of Maryland (7-3, 4-2 ACC), NC State (7-4, 4-3 ACC) and a host of other ACC schools. A win at Raleigh and a season-ending win at Wake Forest a week later would put Maryland in position to be considered the favorite for the Toyota Gator Bowl -- the league's highest non-BCS bowl -- while a Wolfpack win would most likely do the same for them as the Nov. 22 game is the regular-season finale for NCSU.

The Terps carry a three-game series win streak into this year's contest.