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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland football team will make its seventh bowl appearance in the last 10 years on Wednesday, Dec. 29 when the Terps take on East Carolina in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman in Washington, D.C.

Steve Beck, executive director of the bowl, extended the invitation to the Terps on Sunday.

Kickoff for the game is set for 2:30 p.m. EST from RFK Stadium and it will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The Terps (8-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) have posted one of the best turnarounds in the nation this season.

Maryland's six-win increase from 2009 ranks second in the FBS enabling the Terps to come within a game of qualifying for the ACC title game.

The Terps will now attempt to win nine games for the 14th time in school history when they play ECU. Four of those nine-win seasons have come during head coach Ralph Friedgen's previous nine years.

"We are looking forward to playing in another bowl game," said Friedgen, the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year. "Our kids have worked really hard this season and it's a tribute to them that we've reached the postseason again. We hope to represent the ACC well in the Military Bowl."

The Terps will be looking to secure their fifth bowl win under Friedgen.

"Participating in the Military Bowl will give the University of Maryland, our student-athletes, coaches and fans a chance to participate in something larger than just football, while still celebrating the success of our team with a bowl experience against a quality opponent in the Nation's Capital," Maryland director of athletics Kevin Anderson said. "We ask fans to understand that attending the 2010 Military Bowl will support the USO, our military, and Maryland football. I expect our fans will help our deserving student-athletes celebrate the end of a comeback season with a stadium full of Maryland fans."

East Carolina (6-6, 5-3), which finished in a two-way tie for fourth in the Conference USA, will be making its fifth-straight bowl appearance and seventh since 2000. The Pirates lost to Arkansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl following last season and are 8-8 all-time in bowl games.

Maryland will be making its 24th bowl game appearance and first in Washington, D.C. The Terps have won four of their last five bowl games and hold a 10-11-2 record all-time.

East Carolina has a potent offensive attack, ranking seventh nationally in passing offense (319.3 ypg) and 12th in scoring (38.2 ppg).

Quarterback Dominique Davis passed for 3,699 yards, the fourth most in the nation, while completing nearly 65 percent of his passes and throwing for 36 touchdowns.

The Pirates have two of the top pass catchers in the nation as well, as wide receivers Dwayne Harris and Lance Lewis rank in the top-30 nationally in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game. Harris posted 1,055 yards on 93 receptions, while Lewis had 979 yards on 78 catches.

ECU has played three opponents from the ACC already this season, having lost at Virginia Tech and North Carolina early in the season, before knocking off NC State 33-27 in overtime on Oct. 16.

It will be the first ever meeting between the Terrapins and the Pirates.

Tickets for the game are available through the Terrapins Ticket Office at 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here.

Maryland Bowl Facts:

• Maryland is bowl eligible for the seventh time in 10 years under coach Ralph Friedgen. The Terps have won four of their last five bowl games. Friedgen's four bowl wins are the most of any Maryland coach. He is 4-2 in bowl games, including a school-record three straight victories from 2003-06. Prior to Friedgen's arrival, Maryland made only one postseason appearance in the previous 15 years.

• The Terps have an all-time record of 10-11-2 in bowl games.

• Maryland has out-scored its last four bowl opponents 151-73.