Communication on defense is a priority right now, said Friedgen, who pointed out a play against West Virginia where one side of the Terps? defense ran a blitz and the other side missed the call, creating a hole in the line.

“What I saw were things we could fix,” Friedgen said.

There are some problems, however, that the Terps (2-1) have been struggling to fix since last season. Heading into Saturday?s game, Maryland has coughed up the ball five times for every two turnovers it recovers.

“We have to find a way to fix the turnover ratio,” Friedgen said.

Friedgen was pleased, though, that his players did not back down in Morgantown.

“Have you ever been in a street fight?” Friedgen said. “It?s kill or be killed. They didn?t lie down. I am not going to turn my back on those guys.”

The confidence and perseverance the Terps displayed despite the ultimate outcome renewed Friedgen?s belief in his team.

“I told them it would be a pride check, a real gut check and they did not disappoint me,” Friedgen said.

His players are trying to learn from this game and put it behind them at the same time.

“Playing like that on national TV in front of everybody was pretty rough,” sophomore nose tackle Dre Moore said.

According to Moore, the loss is behind them and the team is focused on beating Florida International to bring momentum into their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.

“[We] just to keep fighting, and not to give in when it gets bad,” Moore said.

According to redshirt freshman wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the offense gained some confidence with some scores later in the game.

“It was good to score some touchdowns against West Virginia,” he said. “On offense, we feel pretty confident now. We feel good with what we are doing.”

A win Saturday, Heyward-Bey said, would be a building block in rebuilding the Terps? confidence as a team.

“Our goal has always been to win the ACC championship,” he said. “We can go on and win the rest of our games still. I am confident in that.”

INJURY REPORT

» Junior offensive guard Garrick Clig played against West Virginia, but his status is unsure as of Tuesday after he injured his hamstring at practice Monday night.

» Junior offensive guard Andrew Crummey started against West Virginia, and despite some concerns over the condition of Crummey?s hamstring, Friedgen is hopeful that he will play against Florida International.

» Senior wide receiver Drew Weatherly will most likely be out another two weeks recovering from foot surgery.

» Senior quarterback Sam Hollenbach bruised his hand against West Virginia, but is OK to play Saturday.