COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland football team held a 90-minute practice Thursday in preparation for Saturday's matchup with North Carolina State.

The Terps (2-6, 1-3 ACC) travel to Raleigh, N.C., to take on the Wolfpack (3-5, 0-4 ACC) at Carter-Finley Stadium, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.

Maryland has won the last three vs. NC State and holds a 6-2 advantage in the series under head coach Ralph Friedgen, with the two teams playing in a number of close games over the past eight seasons. Four of the past eight contests have been decided by four points or less, including Maryland's 27-24 win last season in College Park.

Following a bye week that allowed the Terps some much needed rest after eight games in eight weeks, Friedgen has seen positives throughout practice this week.

"We had a good week of practice," Friedgen said after Thursday's workout. "Tuesday we had a very good practice. Wednesday we were better earlier than late, and today I thought we had a good day. I think we're getting better."

Maryland's defense has been solid for most of the past five games, allowing an average of 326.8 total yards per game over that span, including just 210 to Virginia. They've been especially good against the run, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference by giving up just 80.8 yards per game in league play.

LB Alex Wujciak leads the ACC with 11.0 tackles per game and is tied for third on the team with 4.5 tackles-for-loss on the year. Sophomore LB Ben Pooler has been solid while filling in for the injured Demetrius Hartsfield, recording a sack in each of the last three games. Against Duke, he led the team with a career-high 13 tackles while also forcing a fumble. The Terps tied a season-high against the Blue Devils with three takeaways.

On the offensive side of the ball, Maryland has a number of playmakers, including QB Chris Turner and WR Adrian Cannon. Against Duke, Turner passed Boomer Esiason for second all-time on Maryland's career passing yards chart, and now has a total of 6,307 in his career. Cannon, meanwhile, is second on the team with 32 receptions this season, and set a career-high with six receptions against the Blue Devils.

The Terps have had to work through several injuries at tailback, with All-ACC RB Da'Rel Scott suffering a broken wrist against Clemson on Oct. 3, and redshirt freshman Gary Douglas missing the Duke game with a shoulder injury.

True freshman Caleb Porzel and sophomore Davin Meggett have handled the bulk of the workload since then, and Meggett scored on a 67-yard screen pass against Duke, the longest passing play to a running back since Oct. 30, 2004. Friedgen said was encouraged by the performance of both Porzel and Meggett.

"Porzel has looked very good this week," Friedgen said. "He and Meggett have looked good this week. Porzel looks like he's back to his original speed. It's supposed to be a nice day, so maybe that's a good sign."

Reserve RB Morgan Green will not make the trip to NC State after injuring his groin this week, so true freshman D.J. Adams was added to the travel squad. Adams has not played this season, but has practiced with the varsity in recent weeks.

North Carolina State enters the game ranked second in the conference with an average of 33.1 points per game, and is led offensively by QB Russell Wilson and RB Toney Baker. Wilson has thrown a league-high 21 TD passes this season, including five in a 45-42 loss to Florida State on Oct. 31. Baker gained 112 yards on 19 carries against Florida State, and has rushed for 513 yards and six touchdowns on the season, as well as recording 20 receptions for 259 yards and three other scores.

"Wilson is a dual-threat," said DT Travis Ivey. "Not only can he run, but he can actually throw the ball a lot faster. There are a lot of quarterbacks who are pretty nifty on their feet, but they're not as accurate (as Wilson is)."

Following Thursday's practice, Friedgen announced that offensive lineman Bennett Fulper is scheduled to have season-ending shoulder surgery Friday. The true freshman missed the Duke game (Oct. 24) and saw action in just three plays the week before vs. Virginia. He played in the first seven games at guard, starting four. Recovery time is expected to be 4-6 months.

Friedgen also said that Torrey Smith will serve as special-teams captain against North Carolina State. Smith is averaging 192.3 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks third in the nation. He is also fourth in the ACC with 70.8 receiving yards per game.

Friedgen also named DB Travis Hawkins defensive scout team player of the week, and QB C.J. Brown offensive scout team player of the week.

TE Devonte Campbell will carry the Maryland state flag onto the field and Pooler will bring the American flag.

Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network and streamed on ESPN360. Comcast SportsNet will show a replay of the webcast in the Washington D.C./Baltimore market at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.