Eastern Michigan

The big mystery about Eastern Michigan is its punters. The Eagles use three. One of them, Patrick Treppa, is listed as wearing two numbers - 39 and 66. "We've got to find out who's who, to be honest with you," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/terpsblog)

Maryland's Greivis Vasquez has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season and for the sixth time in his career. Vasquez averaged 24.5 points, 9.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds as the Terps moved into sole possession of second place with a pair of conference wins. The native of Caracas, Venezuela, led the Terps in points (23), rebounds (seven) and assists (seven) in a 71-67 road win at Florida State on Thursday. Three days later, Vasquez turned in his 11th career double double with 26 points and 11 assists in a 92-71 victory over visiting North Carolina.

INDIANAPOLIS - They kept watching Brian Tolbert and Eastern Michigan hit jump shot after jump shot. They kept seeing their deficit grow until it had reached 13 points.But the top-seeded Connecticut Huskies kept doing something else: They kept their cool."Coach said during the first couple of timeouts, 'They can't keep shooting like this,' " said senior guard Doron Sheffer. "After a while, they got tired and started missing their shots."And Sheffer started hitting his. As did All-America guard Ray Allen.

Kyle Wilson returned a punt 90 yards, wide receiver Tanyon Bissell threw for another touchdown on a smooth reverse pass, and No. 9 Boise State went from endangered to dazzling by scoring 48 points after halftime to beat visiting Fresno State, 61-10, last night. Ian Johnson ran for 128 yards and scored two touchdowns as scouts from three Bowl Championship Series bowls watched from the press box. The senior tied the Western Athletic Conference record of 57 rushing touchdowns set by Marshall Faulk at San Diego State from 1991 to 1993.

COLLEGE PARK - They lie like sand traps on Maryland's schedule, ready to swallow up the team's momentum as if it were a wayward golf ball. The Middle Tennessee game on Sept. 6 was clearly such a trap - a loss to a less-than-formidable opponent that Terps players seemed not to have taken seriously enough. Are other such hazards lurking for a team that righted its young season Saturday with a 35-27 upset of California? "We're not going to fall in that trap again," defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre insisted after Maryland beat No. 23 California in a game in which the Terps rolled to a 28-6 lead before tiring in the 83-degree heat and the humidity.

Its offense staggered early but rolled impressively after that. Its defense pounced from the outset and never stopped punching. And when Navy had finished its 39-7 drubbing of Eastern Michigan yesterday before 27,627 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Midshipmen finally could smile about a streak. For the first time since 1997, its last winning season, Navy is off to a 2-1 start. For the first time since 1997, the Midshipmen have won two straight at home. In the eyes of players such as senior quarterback Craig Candeto, who suffered through a 3-30 record in his previous three seasons, this is no mirage.

DETROIT -- Ever since taking over as Navy's starting quarterback last month, sophomore Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada has kept the nation's top-ranked rushing attack humming. Yesterday at Ford Field, the Hawaii native also served notice that the Midshipmen still can do some damage in the air. The combination was far too much for mistake-prone, overmatched Eastern Michigan to handle, as Navy scored touchdowns on all seven possessions with Kaheaku-Enhada at the controls and blew out the Eagles, 49-21.

Junior guard Jaquan Hart scored 22 points to lead the Eastern Michigan men's basketball team to a 99-52 win over Navy in Ypsilanti, Mich., last night. Sophomore forward John Bowler added 19 points for Eastern (5-5), which dominated from the start. The Eagles shot 58.8 percent and scored 26 points off 16 Navy turnovers to take a 52-28 lead at halftime. It only would get worse for Navy (3-10) as the Eagles led by as many as 51 in the second half. Eastern Michigan finished the game shooting 57.6 percent from the field and made 11 of 25 attempts from the behind the three-point line.

Sun staff writer Don Markus continues the March Madness Tour that will take him to eight conference tournaments in eight days. TOLEDO, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference usually saves its best games and most compelling story lines for the NCAA tournament. Who can forget Ball State's run to the Sweet 16 in 1990 with a then relatively unknown coach named Rick Majerus? Or Eastern Michigan nearly making the Elite Eight the next year before succumbing to North Carolina?It is the best conference few ever notice between November and February, the rivalries just as heated as the ones that exist in the Big Ten or ACC. It is a league that can boast three players chosen among the NBA's best 50 all-time, a league that might have as many as five players drafted later this year.

COLLEGE PARK - Quarterback Scott McBrien produced the kind of performance he needed, his defense tore into a feast it craved, and the Maryland Terrapins enjoyed the cakewalk they expected. A week after suffering a turnover-filled blowout defeat at home against a top-flight opponent in Florida State, the Terps had their way early and often last night by running overmatched Eastern Michigan out of Byrd Stadium, 45-3, before 46,098. The doormats from the Mid-American Conference never had a chance against Maryland (2-2)

COLLEGE PARK - Before the season began, the Atlantic Coast Conference implemented new injury-reporting guidelines under which the 12 schools are to list ailing players' status the Thursday before games. It seems there are still a few kinks in the system. One issue is that the guidelines don't apply to nonconference games - an exception that can create confusion. Consider Maryland's Sept. 20 game against Eastern Michigan. The Terps voluntarily issued an injury report the preceding Thursday night even though it wasn't a league contest.

COLLEGE PARK - After Maryland defeated Eastern Michigan, 51-24, on Saturday, Darrius Heyward-Bey took a short victory lap. The wide receiver jogged around the Byrd Stadium field's perimeter, high-fiving students in the first row. But just as quickly as he began his celebration, Heyward-Bey cut it off. With Clemson looming at the beginning of the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on Saturday, it was time for Heyward-Bey and his teammates to look ahead...

COLLEGE PARK - You want close? Replay Michael Phelps winning the Olympic 100-meter butterfly. Or watch the presidential election. Squeakers can be riveting, but the Terrapins and their fans desperately wanted an altogether predictable rout yesterday. They wanted a game to expel any remaining demons from their ghastly upset loss to Middle Tennessee State two weeks earlier. What Maryland got was a 51-24 victory over Eastern Michigan that soothed much - but not all - of what had been ailing the team.

1 Name that team: Here's the thing about Eastern Michigan (left), which plays Maryland at 1 p.m. at Byrd Stadium: Don't go with Eagles. Come on, how about something like Wombats? 2 Another name: Down in Salisbury at 1 p.m., the Sea Gulls football team is facing Christopher Newport, which sounds like the name of a mail-order catalog offering wrinkle-free slacks your mother-in-law wears. 3 That other SEC: Continuing the theme ... No. 10 Auburn is at No. 6 LSU (7:45 p.m., ESPN). Perhaps Auburn can confuse LSU by sometimes being the War Eagles and sometimes being the Tigers.

The big mystery about Eastern Michigan is its punters. The Eagles use three. One of them, Patrick Treppa, is listed as wearing two numbers - 39 and 66. "We've got to find out who's who, to be honest with you," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/terpsblog)

COLLEGE PARK - They lie like sand traps on Maryland's schedule, ready to swallow up the team's momentum as if it were a wayward golf ball. The Middle Tennessee game on Sept. 6 was clearly such a trap - a loss to a less-than-formidable opponent that Terps players seemed not to have taken seriously enough. Are other such hazards lurking for a team that righted its young season Saturday with a 35-27 upset of California? "We're not going to fall in that trap again," defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre insisted after Maryland beat No. 23 California in a game in which the Terps rolled to a 28-6 lead before tiring in the 83-degree heat and the humidity.

WHAT WENT RIGHT After throwing three interceptions last week, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner was efficient, if unspectacular, and was backed by 141 rushing yards. WHAT WENT WRONG Maryland got tired and surrendered too many late passing yards. DEFINING MOMENT Cal running back Jahvid Best was slammed by Kevin Barnes in the second quarter and escorted from the field. WHAT IT MEANS Maryland changed the course of its early season and - assuming it beats Eastern Michigan - set up a big trip to Clemson in two weeks.

Lional DaltonPosition: Defensive tackleHeight: 6-1Weight: 320Age: 23College: Eastern MichiganYear: RookieHighlights: Dalton, a two-year starter at Eastern Michigan, was signed as a free agent and may make an impact on the defensive line and on special teams. Earned first-team all-Mid-American Conference twice and was selected co-defensive MVP for the Eagles last year as a senior. Recorded 46 tackles as a senior and two fumble recoveries despite triple-teaming at times. Also competed for the indoor track team as a sophomore and broke the school record in the shot put at 56 feet, 2 inches.

WHAT WENT RIGHT After throwing three interceptions last week, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner was efficient, if unspectacular, and was backed by 141 rushing yards. WHAT WENT WRONG Maryland got tired and surrendered too many late passing yards. DEFINING MOMENT Cal running back Jahvid Best was slammed by Kevin Barnes in the second quarter and escorted from the field. WHAT IT MEANS Maryland changed the course of its early season and - assuming it beats Eastern Michigan - set up a big trip to Clemson in two weeks.

COLLEGE PARK - Last week, Middle Tennessee State students raced onto the field to rejoice in a 24-14 victory over Maryland, one of the biggest football victories in the Sun Belt school's history. To Terps fans watching on television, the celebration might have raised a question: How did the Blue Raiders get on Maryland's schedule? Why, for that matter, are the Terps playing California today for the first time and Eastern Michigan next week? Not that there's anything wrong with playing these teams.