Dec. 5, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Two days after receiving an invitation to play Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl, the Maryland football team hits the field for its first practice since the end of the regular season.

The bowl game is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST) Friday, Dec. 29 from the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium and will be telecast nationally on ESPN.

The Terrapins (8-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who will be making their 21st bowl game appearance, and third in the state of Florida over the last six seasons, visited with the media this afternoon and take to the practice field this evening.

"We're very excited to be going to the Champs Sports Bowl," sixth-year head coach Ralph Friedgen said. "Our kids have been off for a week, getting caught up academically. It's always a tough time of year because everything comes to a head; all the papers are due, exams are coming up, so I wanted to give them some time to get caught up and to get ready for the last big push."

The team is not only getting ready for Purdue (8-5, 5-3 Big Ten), but must also prepare for final exams, which begin on Dec. 14.

"We will not practice during exams," Friedgen said. "I'm going to give them off starting with the study day, which is next Wednesday, and then we'll come back and practice two times before we leave."

The Terrapins are scheduled to leave for Florida on Dec. 22. They will meet the Boilermakers for the first time in school history.

Purdue has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, ranking 10th in total yards gained (425.8 per game) and sixth in passing offense (293.7 ypg).

The Boilermakers, under the direction of 10th-year head coach Joe Tiller, will be making their 14th bowl game appearance, including its ninth in the last 10 years.

Maryland will be seeking its third-straight bowl game victory, having defeated the Mountaineers, 41-7 in the 2004 Gator Bowl and Tennessee, 30-3, in the 2002 Peach Bowl.

The Terrapins have played twice previously in bowl games held in Orlando, Fla. Maryland lost to Florida, 35-20, in the 1980 Tangerine Bowl and dropped a 30-23 decision to Tennessee in the 1983 Citrus Bowl.

The Terps had eight teams on its schedule this season which are headed to bowl games, while Purdue faced six bowl teams.

Tickets for the Champs Sports Bowl are available through the Terrapins Ticket Office at 1-800-IM-A-TERP or by visiting the Champs Sports Bowl page.