Boston College

DaJuan Summers (McDonogh) scored 21 points and No. 13 Georgetown (12-3, 3-2 Big East) had its best three-point game of the season in an 88-74 victory over No. 8 Syracuse last night. Eric Devendorf had 20 points and four three-pointers for the Orange (16-2, 4-1). No. 1 Pittsburgh 75, South Florida 62: The host Panthers (16-0, 4-0 Big East) struggled early for the second time in as many games since reaching No. 1. The Bulls fell to 6-10 and 1-3. No. 7 Michigan State 78, Penn State 73: The visiting Spartans (14-2, 4-0 Big Ten)

College Park --The most automatic tasks - walking, sitting and standing - have become a chore for Maryland linebacker Erin Henderson after his gruesome-looking back injury at North Carolina last weekend. "I haven't even thought about trying to run or do anything like that," said Henderson, who missed Monday's walk-through but quietly whispered that "yeah, probably," he will play against Boston College on Saturday. A picture in The Diamondback, Maryland's school newspaper, captured exactly what happened, as Henderson's face collided with a Carolina running back's pads, and the weight of two players forced Henderson's torso backward while his thighs and knees remained flat on the ground.

College Park -- As he has done throughout his coaching career, Maryland running backs coach Phil Zacharias has continued to give his players tests Fridays about the weekly game plan. He has still been giving them notes and breaking down film. Their routines haven't changed. Boston College @Maryland Tonight, 8, chs. 2, 7, 105.7 FM, 1300 AM Line: Boston College by 6 1/2 Tonight's Maryland game Matchup -- No. 8 Boston College (8-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) at Maryland (4-5, 1-4) Time -- 8 p.m. Site -- Byrd Stadium, College Park TV -- Chs. 2, 7 Radio -- 105.7 FM, 1300 AM Line -- Boston College by 6 1/2 Series -- Boston College leads 3-1 Last meeting -- Boston College won, 38-16, on Nov. 18, 2006, in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Jordan Steffy is listed as Maryland's starting quarterback in the first preseason depth chart, followed by Josh Portis and Chris Turner. Whether it stays that way is uncertain, but two of Steffy's teammates yesterday agreed that so far the junior has shown the best combination of knowledge and skill. "That is a great asset to Steffy. That's why he's seen as the heir apparent," senior guard Andrew Crummey said at the Atlantic Coast Conference's Football Kickoff media day. "It doesn't guarantee anything, but it definitely gives him a huge lead in the fact he understands the system probably the best."

The Atlantic Coast Conference has a chance to make a statement on the national level Saturday, as three league teams will face storied nonconference opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. No. 9 Virginia Tech will travel to No. 2-ranked LSU, Miami will visit No. 5 Oklahoma and Wake Forest will be home to play No. 16 Nebraska. Since 2001, the ACC is 2-27 against nonconference opponents ranked among the AP's top 10. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said LSU might be "the most talented team we've ever played."

COLLEGE PARK -- What do Derrick Mercer, Tyrese Rice and Eric Maynor have in common? Maryland fans probably know all too well that each is a speedy guard who scored 18 or more points as his team - American, Boston College and Virginia Commonwealth, respectively - beat the Terrapins this season. Delaware@Maryland Tonight, 6, Comcast SportsNet, 1300 AM

After Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen called a pass play on third-and-one in Saturday night's game against Boston College, players marched to the sideline and grumbled about a call that didn't work. The Terrapins settled for a field goal, and the man in charge got an earful. "I thought it was third-and-two," Friedgen said yesterday during his conference call with reporters. "[The Eagles] were in the defense I wanted. We just didn't do a very good job of executing the play. Then I call time out and the kids are [whining]

RADICAL feminist theologian Mary Daly has been a controversial presence at Boston College for more than 30 years. Now, she's a controversial absence.Earlier this year, Ms. Daly, 70, either resigned or was kicked out (depending on whether you accept the school's version or hers) after the threat of a lawsuit over her refusal to admit male students to her classes. You might think the case against her would be pretty much open-and-shut. The law -- specifically, one of the feminists' favorite laws, Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments -- says that educational institutions that benefit from any federal funds cannot discriminate on the basis of gender, except for single-sex schools.

That Arthur J. Donovan was exposed to an avenue of higher academics at Boston College, under the jurisdiction of a faculty of Jesuits, considered among the most learned teachers in the world, served him with more value than he pretends.Don't ever make the mistake that Art is a one-dimensional buffoon. His knowledge is extensive, but he prefers to obscure it. Kind of a shtick, as used to be said about vaudeville comedians.Yesterday, at Boston College, his alma mater, he was thrilled to be part of an on-field ceremony in which his jersey was retired.

Navy may believe it's looking into a mirror image on Saturday.Its winless opponent, Rice, runs virtually the same offense, depends on guts rather than overpowering size, and plays until the final whistle. That sounds like a perfect description of the Midshipmen."They're probably as good an 0-3 team as there is in the country," said Navy coach Charlie Weatherbie. "They fight you to the very end with very hard-nosed guys who will not quit. It'll be whose will won't give in and can keep it up for four quarters."

Et cetera Indoor tailgate party set for Sports Legends Museum Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards will host an indoor tailgate party Nov. 29 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. before the Ravens' Sunday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Unlimited food and beverages are included in the $35 ticket, and attendees will be able to watch the 4 p.m. NFL games in the museum's theater. Hall of Famers Gino Marchetti and Raymond Berry will sign autographs for an additional fee. For tickets, call Whitney Edmonds at 410-727-1539, ext. 3033, or e-mail WhitneyE@BabeRuthMuseum.

Once Jacory Harris settled down and Miami's defense got rolling, the Hurricanes found the right combination for their biggest win in years. And for Sam Bradford-less Oklahoma, it was just another frustrating trip to South Florida. Harris survived a shaky start to throw three touchdown passes, Javarris James ran for a career-high 150 yards against the nation's top rush defense, and No. 17 Miami knocked off No. 8 Oklahoma 21-20 on Saturday night - in what will join some games from the 1980s as another Hurricanes-Sooners classic.

College field hockey No. 1 Terps roll in ACC opener at No. 9 Boston College No. 1 Maryland won its Atlantic Coast Conference opener Saturday against host No. 9 Boston College, 6-2. The Terrapins moved to 8-0 this season and 1-0 in the conference. Senior Nicole Muracco, the reigning ACC Player of the Week, and junior Katie O'Donnell each scored two goals in the game. Senior Emma Thomas and freshman Janessa Pope added one goal apiece. "BC is a very, very strong team," Terps coach Missy Meharg said.

College soccer Maryland men top Boston College, 2-0, on Friday night The No. 7 Maryland men's soccer team got a pair of goals from its captains Friday night as Jason Herrick and Kevin Tangney scored to lead the Terps to a 2-0 conference win over Boston College at Ludwig Field in College Park. Maryland (2-1) got on the board early when Matt Kassel lofted a pass into the box in the game's seventh minute. The pass tangled up Terps forward Casey Townsend and Boston College keeper Justin Luthy and deflected to Herrick, who one-timed it into the back of the net for his third goal in the past two games.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Nolan Carroll didn't get up for a few moments after the play ended. The Maryland wide receiver remained stretched out on the Boston College turf staring at his hands, which had betrayed him. It was 2006, and Carroll, then a redshirt freshman, had just dropped a potential touchdown pass. He had two end zone drops in the 38-16 loss. Those were the most trying moments of Carroll's career, and he still lowers his head when he recalls them. "It was heartbreaking," he said Sunday during an interview at the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff, a two-day conference of coaches, top players and media.

A stingy Maryland defense allowed just 12 shots yesterday as the second-ranked Terps women's lacrosse team upended Boston College (6-3, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) in a 10-5 victory at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Maryland (8-0, 3-0) took a 3-0 lead on Brandi Jones' free-position shot. NO. 20 LOYOLA 10, NO. 16 JAMES MADISON 9:: Cara Fillippelli's final goal gave the Greyhounds (6-1) a one-goal lead, and the defense made two big stops in the final two minutes to preserve the victory over the visiting Dukes (4-3)

Gerald Henderson scored the go-ahead basket with 34.8 seconds remaining and No. 9 Duke held on for a 66-65 Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinals victory over Boston College last night in Atlanta. Rakim Sanders missed a last-second three-pointer for Boston College (22-11). Duke (26-6) will play Maryland today. No. 1 North Carolina 79, Virginia Tech 76: : Tyler Hansbrough scored 28 and made a disputed defensive stop in the final seconds as the Tar Heels (28-3) avoided an upset against the Hokies (18-14)

College Park -Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver stood side by side on the Comcast Center court in the aftermath of fifth-ranked Maryland's 86-74 victory over Boston College last night and stared up at the large video screen that displayed the highlights and illustrated the individual accomplishments of the Terrapins' two senior stars. "Honestly, it was blalalalala," Toliver said when asked what she was thinking when she watched the video. "We're not concerned about what individual things we've accomplished.

Maryland fans euphorically stormed the court at Comcast Center, Hoyas supporters left early in disappointment at Georgetown, and Wildcats backers looked stunned at Davidson. It's the season of mood swings in college basketball, in which the last few games of the regular season are critical for teams frantically trying to squeeze into the NCAA tournament. Four weeks before the March Madness bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday, here are four teams - in no particular order - that improved their chances with key victories yesterday and four that, after being defeated yesterday, have unfinished business.

Maryland will open its 2009 regular season on the road against a California team led by projected Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best and close against the same two teams, Florida State and Boston College, against which it ended its 2008 regular season. The Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, announced yesterday, is highlighted by six nationally televised Thursday night games - none featuring Maryland. Maryland's nonconference schedule appears tougher than last season's. The Terps will face Cal, winner of last season's Emerald Bowl, on Sept.