Next up for Coach Ralph Friedgen?s mutating turtles: Smurf Turf? It sounds like a collision of cartoons, but in its 6-6 season, Maryland consistently transformed its team from one that lost to perennial ACC cellar-dweller North Carolina, to the unit which toppled a pair of top-10 opponents.
And Saturday, the Terrapins (6-6 overall, 3-5 ACC) came through in a must-win game, defeating North Carolina State, 37-0, to become bowl eligible for the second straight year.
The Terrapins APPEAR destined for Idaho and the Roady?s Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31 on the blue turf of Boise State’s Bronco Stadium. The Terrapins would play in a team from the Western Athletic Conference.
“Everybody talks about that all the time,” junior defensive end Jeremy Navarre said in the week leading up to the regular season finale. “It would be pretty neat. Boise would be a new experience.”
On Saturday, Maryland and North Carolina State (5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC) met in a game in which only the winner would be bowl-eligible. The Terrapins clearly wanted it more.
“It was definitely big because they needed it, too,” linebacker Dave Philistin told reporters after the win. “It wasn’t like they were playing for nothing. They were playing for a bowl game, too. Just having a win here, finally, a goose egg, definitely, it’s good.”
Philistin posted 10 tackles and also intercepted a pass, which he returned 43 yards to set up Obi Egekeze?s 30-yard field goal to open the scoring.
It was Maryland’s first shutout since a 61-0 romp over The Citadel on Sept. 3, 2004, and the first over an ACC opponent since defeating Wake Forest, 52-0, on Oct. 19, 1996.
Seniors Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball had two rushing touchdowns apiece,and redshirt freshman Da?Rel Scott rushed for a team-high 89 yards. Maryland rushed for 249 yards and held the Wolfpack to just 10.
Maryland is eighth ACC team that is bowl eligible, but has the worst overall and conference record of the conference’s bowl-bound teams. The ACC?s Nos. 5, 6, and 7 teams are slotted to the Emerald, Meineke Car Care and Music City bowls, and the No. 8 is scheduled to play in the Roady?s Humanitarian Bowl.
The Terrapins are bowl eligible for the fifth time in Friedgen?s seven seasons, and have won each of their past three bowl games. Friedgen isn’t sure where his team will play, but will find out later this week.
“I haven’t heard anything more,” Friedgen said. “I think, once the [BCS] Championship game is decided, everything will fall into place after that.”
POTENTIAL BOWLS
» Emerald Bowl
San Francisco, Dec. 28, 8:30 p.m. ACC No. 5/6/7 vs. Pac-10 No. 4, likely Oregon State or UCLA
» Meineke Car Care Bowl
Charlotte, Dec. 29, 1. ACC No. 5/6/7 vs. Big East No. 3, likely Cincinnati or South Florida
» Roady?s Humanitarian Bowl
Boise, Dec. 31, 2. ACC No. 8 vs. WAC at-large, likely Boise State
» Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Nashville, Dec. 31, 4. ACC No. 5/6/7 vs. SEC No. 6, likely Arkansas or Kentucky
The Associated Press contributed to this story
