Karma has delivered yet another stiff punch into Ralph Friedgen‘s somewhat smaller gut.
In almost any other season, facing formerly-lowly Duke would be the perfect remedy for Maryland (2-5, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) after the program sunk to new lows with last weekend’s turnover-filled homecoming defeat to cross-border rival Virginia, the Terps’ fourth loss in five games.
The Blue Devils were a combined 6-41 the last four seasons — a time in which they would’ve been penciled in as all-but-guaranteed victories. But of course, they never were featured on Maryland’s schedule.
It figures that this year they’d be 3-3 overall, 1-1 in the ACC, and boast arguably the conference’s best quarterback in Thaddeus Lewis, who threw for 459 yards and four touchdown passes in the team’s most recent win, 49-28, over North Carolina State.
Not to mention, the Blue Devils then had a bye week to bolster their preparations for this weekend.
“I don’t know how the scheduling goes, but I knew by the time I ever played Duke they’d be nationally-ranked,” said Friedgen. “Now they’re really a good football team.”
Maryland has won nine of its past 10 football games against Duke, including the last five in a row by an average score of 42-16. On Saturday, oddsmakers are favoring the Blue Devils by 5.
