Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen had his team practicing without pads Monday to keep players fresh for their homecoming game at Saturday at 12:05 p.m. against Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina State (3-3 overall, 2-1 ACC).
“I did that last week because the Georgia Tech game was a very physical game, and I thought Saturday?s [Virginia] was, too,” Friedgen said.
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Despite not being in full pads, the Terps (4-2, 1-2) did not show any signs of going through the motions, said Friedgen, who said he will let them practice that way as long as they maintain that intensity.
“They seemed to have a little more hop in their step,” Friedgen said.
The Terps are coming off a rousing 28-26 victory at Virginia after trailing 20-0 at halftime.
“It was a good win for us,” Friedgen said. “That one is over with, just like Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Now, we have got to worry about N.C. State. That is what is on my mind.”
The confidence Maryland gained by rallying for an ACC road win should not be forgotten. Friedgen and his players know that the victory came at the perfect time for a team that still has yet to play to its full potential.
“It was a great feeling,” junior linebacker Wesley Jefferson said. “It is something we want to get back to every week. We all have one goal ? we all want to win ? but one win does not doit. You have got to continue to win.”
Saturday?s homecoming marks the start of the second half of the season for Maryland, which needs to do a better job of playing hard for a full game, according to Jefferson.
“You have got to have that killer instinct all four quarters, and not just when things are going good,” Jefferson said.
Tight end Joey Haynos contrasted the current Terps squad with the 2005 team, saying the biggest difference heading into the N.C. State game this year was the situation.
“Last year, it was a win or go home,” Haynos said. “This is not win or go home, but it is a defining moment in our season. I definitely can say we are a lot more confident this year going into this game as a team. We need to win this game.”
LOOSE ENDS
» Running back Keon Lattimore?s career-high 114-yard rushing performance earned him ACC offensive back of the week honors.
» Maryland?s come-from-behind victory at Virginia was the first comeback of at least 20 points for Maryland since 1993.
» The Terps? 4-2 record has put the team just two wins away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2003.
