COLLEGE PARK - For all his talents, Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen is not a mind reader. So when asked repeatedly this week to assess the mood of his team after last week's 20-13 loss to Northern Illinois, he answered both honestly and defiantly.
"I don't know. You'd have to ask them," Friedgen said. "I'm angry. I'm not really into their mood too much. They need to be into mine."
That's especially true tonight as the Terps look to rebound against No. 11 Florida State, a team with which Maryland has never had much success. Since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1992, Maryland has faced Florida State 11 times and lost all 11, allowing the Seminoles to score 40 points or more in nine of those games.
Still, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden says he holds Friedgen in high regard.
"I have tremendous respect for Ralph," Bowden said. "He's always been known as one of the best offensive minds in football. Not just college now, all of football, both pros and college. When he was at Georgia Tech, they had great offenses. We've certainly had some shootouts with them."
Friedgen, however, hasn't been able to win any of those shootouts, either at Maryland or Georgia Tech. He spent the week, though, trying to convince his team that it can be the first.
"We've never beaten them, obviously, so it would mean a lot to this program," said Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien. "Maybe last week was a blessing in disguise for us. ... I'm not happy, I know that. I'm going down there expecting to win."
McBrien will have some added help this week. Running back Bruce Perry and wide receiver/kick returner Steve Suter will both play tonight for the Terps, though how much is up in the air.
Suter, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is close to being 100 percent healthy and should provide some added speed for Maryland on offense and special teams, but Perry is still working his way back from a high ankle sprain suffered three week ago. He and Josh Allen, who rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown last week, should share carries.
"He says he's playing," McBrien says. "I don't think he'd miss this game for the world."
Regardless of who is playing, Maryland has to avoid turning the ball over if it wants to pull off the upset. In two games against Florida State under Friedgen, the Terps committed 10 turnovers, leading to 42 points for the Seminoles. Last season, the Terps committed six turnovers (three in the second quarter alone) before losing 37-10.
"Defensively, they just have exceptional talent and speed," said Maryland offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe. "We've got to avoid getting in those long yardage situations, because when that happens, they're like sharks in a feeding frenzy. ... We have to keep them off balance, but we have to take some shots, too, when we get a chance."
Defensively, Maryland has wrinkles to iron out as well. Though the Terps' defense played well last week for the most part - giving up only 13 points in regulation to Northern Illinois - it also got burned a couple of times on screen passes, which led to a Huskies' touchdown.
"We were definitely disappointed, both as a [secondary] and a defense," said Domonique Foxworth, who caused Northern Illinois' only turnover, but also got beat for a touchdown in overtime. "We made mistakes and we're hoping to correct that."
Somehow, Maryland has to find a way to slow down quarterback Chris Rix, who has tormented the Terps' secondary the past two seasons. In 2001, Rix threw for 350 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-31 win. In 2002, he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.
"The thing about Rix is, he can throw the ball just as well as he can run it," Friedgen said. "That's what scares me about him. I think he's an exceptional talent at quarterback. His decision-making looks improved over what it was a year ago, and he really did a nice job against North Carolina [last week]."
The Seminoles also have two impressive running backs in senior Greg Jones and freshman Lorenzo Booker. Jones' 1,976 career rushing yards are ninth all-time at Florida State, and Booker was the top high school running back recruit in the country two years ago.
Booker, in fact, best illustrates the disadvantage the Terps encounter trying to recruit against established programs like the Seminoles. As a high school senior in California, Booker reportedly called up Florida State unsolicited and told Bowden he'd always wanted to play for the Seminoles.
"They're in the selection business," Taaffe said. "The rest of us seem to be in the solicitation business."
Regardless of tonight's outcome, Friedgen says he still feels Maryland will have a good season. But that hasn't stopped him from cryptically mentioning twice this week to the media that he was upset with "certain players" on his team - prominent ones, he added - who weren't giving enough effort in practice.
"I would hope they'd be ready to play this week," Friedgen said. "I don't know. I don't know if I'm reaching these guys. ... I think regardless of what happens we can be a good football team, but how good do they want to be? How hard do they want to work? We'll have to see."
Terps tonight
Matchup:Maryland (0-1) vs. No. 11 Florida State (1-0)
Site:Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.
Time:7:15
TV/Radio:ESPN2/WIYY (97.9 FM)
Line:Florida State by 15
