Preview: Maryland at N.C. State

TUDOR'S TAKE

The stakes couldn't be much lower, but the Terps (2-6, 1-3 ACC) may be the last underdog State (3-5, 0-4) will face this season.

Although Ralph Friedgen and his staff had an open date last week to do some fixing, Maryland's offense just has not looked sharp yet, as demonstrated by its 249-yard total at Duke on Oct. 25. Then again, it has been a while since the Wolfpack defense has stopped anyone.

The difference should be the potent State passing attack. Pack, 31-21.

OBSERVATIONS

Injuries hamper Terps

Maryland is one of the few teams in the ACC that has been crippled by injuries to the same extent as N.C. State. Key players missing from this game for the Terrapins include starting running back Da'Rel Scott and linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Scott rushed for 163 yards against N.C. State last season. Hartsfield, a redshirt freshman from Southeast Raleigh High, ranks third on the team with 47 tackles but broke his wrist on Oct. 10 against Wake Forest.

Pack finds pressure point

N.C. State has totaled just one sack over the last two games, in part because its opponents have run the ball effectively and because the Wolfpack defense isn't covering receivers long enough to force quarterbacks to hang onto the ball. The left side of the Wolfpack defensive line should have opportunities to pressure quarterback Chris Turner, though. Maryland right guard Justin Lewis and right tackle R.J. Dill both are redshirt freshmen.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Torrey Smith

Maryland

SO, WR/KR, 6-1, 200

Smith is one of only two Football Bowl Subdivision players (along with Western Michigan's Brandon West) to post at least 225 all-purpose yards in five games this season. He has 36 catches for 566 yards and 909 total kickoff return yards. Smith ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (192.3) and is ahead of the ACC record pace of 186.9 yards per game set by Virginia's Frank Quayle in 1968.

BY THE NUMBERS

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