Florida State

COLLEGE PARK - When Mark Turgeon began addressing the media after his team lost a 12-point second-half lead - and the game - to Florida State, the Maryland coach's voice was hoarse, and his mood was particularly sour. Maryland had won 13 games in a row until the Seminoles ended the streak Wednesday night at Comcast Center with a 65-62 victory. Neither Turgeon nor Maryland's players seemed to quite know how to react to the loss. It had been two months since their last defeat. This one - coming at home, where the Terps were 11-0 -- seemed particularly jarring.

It's interesting how Maryland's ACC schedule is laid out, giving the Terps three out of four games at home to start before they make their first trip to Tobacco Road to play North Carolina on Jan. 19. Given Maryland's 13-1 start, all four games appear winnable, though Wedneday night's game against Florida State (9-5, 1-0 ACC) will certainly be a step up from Saturday's rout of Virginia Tech. In fact, Mark Turgeon called the game against the Seminoles “the toughest opponent since the Kentucky game, referring to Maryland's season-opening three-point loss to the then No. 3 ranked Wildcats at the Barclays Center.

Three players scored in double figures Sunday to help the eighth-ranked Maryland women's basketball team hold off No. 19 Florida State, 71-64, at Comcast Center in College Park. All-American Alyssa Thomas led the way with 20 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Tianna Hawkins, the Atlantic Coast Conference's leading scorer and rebounder, added 17 points and nine rebounds, while freshman Tierney Pfirman scored 12. Maryland (11-3, 2-1 ACC) dominated the glass 48-30 and held the Seminoles to eight offensive rebounds.

MEN'S BASKETBALL ON TV TODAY Stanford@Northwestern (T) BIGTEN8:30 a.m. Murray State@Dayton CBSSNNoon Gotham: Syracuse vs. Temple ESPN2Noon McNeese State@North Carolina ESPNUNoon American@Georgetown MASNNoon Coppin State@Iowa BIGTEN1 Tenn. Tech@Oklahoma State FCS1 Florida State vs. Charlotte CBSSN2 Texas@Michigan State ESPN22 LSU@Marquette ESPNU2 UMBC@DePaul MASN2 Tulsa@Oral Roberts FCS3 Holiday: Geo. Mason vs. Richmond NBCSP3 Kansas@Ohio State 13, 94 The Citadel@Georgia Tech CSN4 Marshall@Kentucky ESPN24 Diamond Head: Ind. State vs. Miss.

Georgia could get stung David Teel Daily Press For a team that fired its defensive coordinator midseason and got whacked by Middle Tennessee State and Brigham Young, Georgia Tech (6-5) is a very dicey opponent for Georgia (10-1). First, the Dawgs might be looking ahead to the SEC title game against Alabama and a chance to reach the BCS title game. Second, Georgia must defend a triple-option offense that has been humming since coach Paul Johnson inserted Vad Lee at quarterback.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland's best moments on Saturday came when its 17 seniors lined up on the Byrd Stadium turf to be honored before their final home game. There were hugs, handshakes and tears as the players and their relatives were presented with framed jerseys and bouquets of flowers. Then, unfortunately for Maryland, the game began. Coach Randy Edsall had said the Terps needed to play “a perfect game” to upset No. 10 Florida State, but - except for a perfectly blue sky - it was another painfully flawed day for a Terps team that quickly did what it could least afford: turn the ball over.

On a November night in 2007, Maryland recruit Joe Vellano sat in the Byrd Stadium stands as a high school senior and watched the Terps upset Matt Ryan-led Boston College to gain its second win of the season over a Top 10 team. Vellano enrolled at Maryland the next year. The defensive lineman - who is listed as questionable heading into his final home game Saturday against No. 10 Florida State - went on to become an All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer and a second-team Walter Camp All-American in 2011.

Colleges Ex-Terp Merriman to hold annual coat drive Saturday Shawne Merriman , a former Maryland standout who now plays linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, will hold his annual coat drive Saturday before the Maryland-Florida State game at noon at Byrd Stadium. Over the past 10 years, Merriman and his Lights On Foundation have collected more than 20,000 coats to benefit numerous communities in the region. This year, Merriman's efforts will be focused on those affected by the storm Sandy in New York and New Jersey.

Stefon Diggs, Maryland's leading receiver and returner, is listed as probable for Saturday's game against No. 10 Florida State. Diggs' ankle injury forced him to miss last week's Clemson game. Maryland coach Randy Edsall said he was "encouraged" by Diggs' progress. But tailback Wes Brown will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and will miss Maryland's last two games. Brown, Maryland's leading rusher, had been playing with a torn labrum suffered -- most likely -- against Wake Forest on Oct. 6. He might have continued to play were it not for an ankle injury, which tells you something about the way Maryland's season is going.

Among the casualties this season for Maryland has been the playbook. Losing four quarterbacks to season-ending injuries means losing ability and depth. But it also means sacrificing complexity. You just can't expect a linebacker who wasn't playing offense during spring ball or August camp to digest too much, too soon. You've got to take a few steps back. “It's so unfair to throw a playbook on a freshman quarterback (Shawn Petty) that has had 2 ½ to 3 weeks to play the position,” offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said today as the Terps prepared for Florida State.