It isn?t quite the same as Miami?s hatred for its intrastate rival, but the Maryland football team has no love to spare for Florida State.
“Growing up, I was a Florida Gator fan, so we weren?t best friends with Florida State,” said senior corner Josh Wilson, who recalled watching the Gators topple the Seminoles, 50-12, for the national championship in 1996.
Tonight, the Terps (5-2 overall, 2-1 conference) will look to pick up their second win over Florida State (4-3, 2-3) in the 17th matchup between the two Atlantic Coast Conference programs.
“We are excited about the opportunity to play Florida State, and we are excited over our win last week,” Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said, referencing a 26-20 homecoming victory over North Carolina State.
Saturday?s game provides the Terps with a chance to reserve a spot in a bowl game.
“One of our goals is to get to a bowl game,” Friedgen said. “We could become bowl-eligible. If we could get that sixth win, it would be big. Right now, we have our hands full with Florida State. It doesn?t matter who we play in the next four or five games, or next year. We have a lot to worry about right now.”
A look at the all-time series between the two makes Maryland the historical underdog. The Terps have only beaten the Seminoles once in 16 meetings ? a 20-17 win in College Park in 2004.
“I know they are a good football team,” Friedgen said. “I know what I see on tape, and let me tell you, they got my attention. We have our work cut out for us.”
Maryland?s players are hoping to ride the emotional wave of a big game in front of a prime-time audience. They?re also looking to get an extra boost from wearing the popular black jerseys in front of a student section that will be sporting black T-shirts.
“I think that the black uniforms bring a lot to the stadium,” junior running back Lance Ball said. “The student section is pumped. We?ve been talking about it ever since the end of last week. That will be an advantage for us.”
The black jersey tops didn?t provide a distinct advantage last year, when Maryland went 1-1 with the alternate threads. Perhaps a slight change from the black-jersey, white-pants look will help.
“Hopefully we?ll have black pants,” Ball said.
Friedgen was asked Tuesday if he expected the Seminoles to come into Saturday?s game angry, having lost two of their last three, including a 24-19 loss to Boston College last Saturday.
“Oh, I think so,” Friedgen said. “We are going to get them at their best. They have a lot of pride and tremendous tradition. I don?t have any doubt about that.”
That pride has taken a slight hit this season. The Seminoles were at their height in the 1990s, winning at an .890 clip. Since 2000, however, coach Bobby Bowden?s squad has won just 70 percent of its games, and some in Florida are calling for the 76-year-old Bowden to retire.
But the Seminoles are still a dangerous program.
“They?re going to be hungry,” Wilson said. “And they?ll probably put everything on the line to beat us.”
