'Right Where We Wanted'

Today's Maryland-Wake Forest game, which will determine the ACC Atlantic Division champion, pits two unspectacular but opportunistic offenses. The key likely will be which one takes better care of the ball.

The last time they were in Jacksonville, Fla., Josh Wilson and Sam Hollenbach walked off together after sitting at a table for hours. They were ready to answer questions from reporters, but after dealing with the Washington area media, Wilson and Hollenbach sat in interview room undisturbed and alone, all while watching a mob descend on players from Miami and Florida State.

For Wilson, the point had been made: Nobody expected anything from this bunch of Terrapins.

"We're looking at Florida State, we're looking at Miami and Clemson and everybody's talking to them," Wilson said. "We're like, 'Man, we've got to change this. This is ridiculous.' "

The seniors wanted to show that their team could be special.

Four months later -- after squeaking out one tight victory after another, making what Wilson called "the impossible, possible" -- the Terrapins stand on the brink of achieving that goal.

Maryland plays No. 20 Wake Forest at Byrd Stadium tonight for a trip to Jacksonville to face Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game.

After weeks of untangling complicated tiebreaking scenarios, tonight's game has been stripped down to its most simplest form: If the Terrapins win, they're in.

"Well, we're right where we wanted to be," Coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I hope our players are prepared because when the opportunity comes you need to be ready. Earlier in the week, I told them you don't want to count on this because the game is important for a lot of other reasons."

No team in the country should have been more grateful as it sat down for dinner on Thanksgiving day. Despite some early struggles, the Terrapins held an outside shot of advancing to the title game.

But after they were done eating, the Terrapins received yet another unlikely blessing: Boston College, needing a victory to eliminate Maryland from the division race, lost at Miami.

"For everybody that wasn't in this facility, we far exceeded expectations," Wilson said. "They didn't even think we were going to win six games. When we won the sixth game, they were like, 'Ah.' They were happy over that. I'm glad to see we've got some fans back on our boat."

Now, the Terrapins (8-3, 5-2 ACC) want much more.

With a victory, Maryland has a chance to finish undefeated at Byrd Stadium for the first time since 2003. A victory also would give Maryland a shot at a 10-win season, something the program has achieved just seven times in its 114 seasons.

For the team's seniors, which as a class enjoyed early success before enduring two losing seasons, a victory would allow them to leave their home field for the final time knowing that they helped put an end to that period of mediocrity.

"It's a great way for them to go out, especially if we end up doing what we're capable of doing," Maryland junior guard Donnie Woods said. "They've really led this team through the tough times."

After back-to-back losing seasons, excitement surrounds the Terrapins again.

During the Maryland men's basketball game yesterday, the Comcast Center crowd let out one of its loudest cheers after an announcement regarding the football team's game against Wake Forest. The football team came up again during basketball Coach Gary Williams's postgame news conference.

"This is from the players," Williams said. "We'd like to wish the football team good luck tomorrow night against Wake Forest in a big game for them. The guys wanted me to say that."

From the start of the season, Friedgen refused to let go of his team objective. Even as boos rained down in Byrd Stadium as the Terrapins struggled to beat a hapless Florida International team, Friedgen spoke of contending for an ACC title.

"My goal from the beginning was to win the conference championship," he said. "That wasn't just words. Here we are. We've got a chance."

But again, Maryland faces a tough challenge.

Wake Forest has proved its mettle throughout the season as well, stringing together a 9-2 mark that is just as unexpected as Maryland's success. The Demon Deacons, just like the Terrapins, have shown a knack for winning tough games.

"I think they're a little worn down right now, not only physically but mentally," Friedgen said of his team. "It's been a long season, but you know, to reach those goals, to reach that pinnacle, you've got to be able to deal with that, fight through that. That's what makes special teams special, and ordinary teams ordinary."