Maryland’s real season begins Saturday at Georgia Tech, but the anticipated feel-good stretch of the ACC schedule looks quite unfriendly.
The Terrapins were expected to be 3-1 after three non-conference patsies and a loss at West Virginia. Maryland’s bowl prospects may now depend on winning two of its first three ACC games before a coming storm of five top teams.
Eighteenth-ranked Georgia Tech (4-1) comes off a 38-29 dismantling of Virginia Tech that was one impressive road win. While traveling to Virginia (2-3) on Oct. 14 looks like a win for Maryland, its homecoming game against N.C. State (3-2) suddenly looks tougher after the Wolfpack’s 24-20 upset of No. 17 Florida State on Thursday.
Maryland needs to win twice before facing Florida State, No. 15 Clemson on the road, Miami, No. 25 Boston College on the road and surprising Wake Forest (5-0). If the Terps have to take three of five, they’re staying home for the holidays. Even two won’t be easy.
The Terps have been disappointing so far despite three wins. They should have roundly beaten smaller schools rather than a couple close wins, a bad loss to West Virginia and an offense still sputtering despite a senior quarterback and running back plus a veteran offensive line.
“I’m looking for a game to break through,” Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said. “I’m hoping it’s this week. I don’t think we’ve played to our potential yet.”
That’s perplexing. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach should be further along as a senior, but he has yet to trust inexperienced receivers to run routes correctly. That breakdown makes all the difference.
“We need to have confidence in ourselves,” Hollenbach said. “We have been pretty tentative on offense.”
Maryland is the last ACC team to play a conference game. Some have already played three. Friedgen sees the delayed start as beneficial.
“I like it this way — right now we’re undefeated in the ACC,” said Friedgen with a smile. “You get to see where everyone else is. The kids are anxious to see where we fit in.”
The Maryland-Georgia Tech meetings were classics when Friedgen first arrived in 2001. Kicker Nick Novak’s game-tying and winning field goals in 2001 on national TV launched the three-year streak of 31 wins, two bowl triumphs and an ACC championship. But the Terps’ 7-3 loss in Atlanta in 2003 was one of the team’s worst outings under Friedgen and Georgia Tech won, 20-7, in 2004. The teams didn’t meet last year.
Friedgen’s former Yellow Jacket players from nine years spent at Georgia Tech before coming to Maryland are gone now. The games are no longer personal. However, they’re still important.
“Georgia Tech will always be a special game for me,” Friedgen said, “and I’m sure it’s a special game to them.”
If the Terps can pull the upset, it certainly will be special for them. Otherwise, Maryland will be forced to beat Virginia and N.C. State to have any chance of going bowling come season’s end.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
