5 months ago
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- This might have been a good year for Maryland to play a cupcake or two before getting into the difficult part of the schedule.
Instead, the young Terrapins will travel all the way across the country to open the 2009 season Saturday night at 10 p.m. EDT against one of the strongest teams in the Pac-10, No. 12 California.
"It looks like a silly idea, going across the country and playing a Top 25 team, but you can't change anything about it," senior quarterback Chris Turner said Tuesday. "You have to go forward."
Maryland lost 30 seniors from last year's team and has 58 players with at least three years of eligibility remaining. This is the type of team that will get better as the season develops, but that won't help against California.
Where's Delaware or Eastern Michigan when you need them?
"In years past we've played Delaware and teams of that sort, and now we're ... getting a test right off the bat," senior cornerback Nolan Carroll said. "That's fine. I'd like to see what we have."
A year ago, the Terrapins surprised California 35-27 at home. The game started at noon, which translated to 9 o'clock on the West Coast, and the Golden Bears evidently forgot to set their alarm clocks.
Maryland led 21-3 early in the second quarter, 21-6 at halftime and 28-6 after three quarters.
"I'm sure the travel had something to do with it, but it's like a lot of things in football -- one team's ready and the other isn't," Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I think they'll be ready this year. We're going to get their best shot."
The oddsmakers agree. California has been installed as a 21 1/2-point favorite, which is just fine with Maryland.
"We don't have much to lose. We're heavy underdogs. We have everything to gain," Turner said. "But the thing about our team is, we don't think of ourselves as underdogs. We think we're a pretty good team. It's motivation having that 21-point spread."
If the Terrapins do pull off an upset, they can bring some momentum into far easier games against James Madison and Middle Tennessee State at home.
"I think it's a great opportunity. If we get this win it will really set up the season very nicely for us," Turner said. "It will give our younger players a lot of confidence. We have four home games in a row after this road trip; it's a very exciting thing."
The Terrapins will head west on Thursday. The coaches have instructed the players against sleeping on the plane to avoid jet lag, and there will be very little free time available.
"We're taking it as a business trip," wide receiver Adrian Cannon said.
Said Turner: "We're not going out there on vacation or to be tourists. We're going out there to win a football game."
Comments 
