Terps’ learning process

In their first opportunity for a major breakthrough at West Virginia, they were overwhelmed. In their second at Clemson, they outgained the Tigers but committed ill-timed mistakes. In their third at Miami, they led most of the way but surrendered a heartbreaking drive in the final two minutes. In their fourth against Florida State, the Terps were the better team at the line of scrimmage in a game with ACC title implications, but four turnovers were too much to overcome.

“Every game has been a step in a positive direction, even when we didn’t win,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. “It builds your confidence each and every week that happens.”

When Maryland (7-4, 4-3) hosts N.C. State (8-3, 5-2) on Saturday, the Terps will try to leave the disappointment of last week’s loss to FSU behind them and take another incremental step. A victory would end the regular season on a high note, knock the Wolfpack out of the ACC Championship game and send the Terps to high-profile bowl game in their unlikely turnaround season.

Friedgen laid out what’s at stake in a team meeting Monday.

“I said 8-4 will be a lot more attractive than 7-5,” Friedgen said. “I said, ‘You don’t deserve to be 7-5. You’ve worked too hard for that. If there’s any justice in this world, you will go out and win this game.”

A win could vault Maryland to an attractive game such as the Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, Fla.), the Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas), or the Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.). A loss could banish the Terps to the Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tenn.), Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.) or even a dreadful Metro trip to the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium.

“There’s still a lot at stake for our team,” Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak said. “We have a chance to improve our bowl position. There’s just a lot of stuff on the line.”

Wujciak and the rest of the Terps’ defense have a difficult job Saturday, dealing with an explosive offense that ranks No. 1 in the ACC in passing (279.0 yards a game) behind senior dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson, who leads the conference in total offense (301.7 ypg).

The game means more for N.C. State (8-3, 5-2). A win would send the Wolfpack to the title game for the first time. But Maryland freshman quarterback Danny O’Brien says it’s a game in which the Terps need to demonstrate their upward progression.

“Even in my short time here, I see the culture changing,” O’Brien said. “We feel like we can play with anybody in this conference. We still got more steps to take. I like the way we’re going.”

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