Coming out of its game against Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, the Wolfpack was 3-1 and spirits were high. The team received eight votes a weekly USA Today poll. But a loss against Wake Forest on Oct. 3 started a four-game losing streak, which extended into this weekend.
With their backs against the wall, the Pack players (3-5) look to keep their bowl eligibility alive and earn their first ACC win of the season as Maryland (2-6) comes to town. The Terrapins are also on a losing streak of their own, and according to senior defensive end Shea McKeen, Saturday’s game is huge for both teams.
“The winner is going to stay with a possibility of going to a bowl,” McKeen said. “It’s a big, big game for our pride, especially for our seniors; this is our legacy. We are going to make this year count. We’ve lost some games, but we still feel like we can salvage the year.”
If the team has any thoughts about being at the bottom of the ACC, head coach Tom O’Brien said its not focusing on them.
“I think they understand you have to win one game before you can win two,” O’Brien said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Sophomore tide end George Bryan said he never expected the team to be in the same situation as it was a year before.
“We didn’t expect it, but we are,” Bryan said. “We are just focused on getting this first [conference] win and winning out the rest of the season.”
The team suffered another blow as it was announced Thursday night that T.J. Graham is out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture. With no conference wins and injuries piling up once again, O’Brien said the team is still fighting.
“There is no quit in these kids,” O’Brien said. “They are excited about playing the game. They understand they have been dealt a very bad hand with 12 guys out for the year, but the good thing is the young kids that are getting an opportunity to play are excited about their opportunity and trying to make the most of it.”
The Pack defense will once again face a veteran quarterback in Terrapins senior Chris Turner. O’Brien looks to go into the game with the same starting lineup on defense and hopes to contain the Maryland offense.
“It’s always frightening when coach [Ralph] Friedgen has an off-week to prepare,” O’Brien said. “[Chris] Turner is a three-year starter and has done a great job for them. They seem to have been getting a little better each and every week. Certainly their defense has as they have become more comfortable with the blitz scheme they are employing. We’re going to have to play a great game Saturday to give ourselves a chance to win.”
State cannot afford another loss the rest of the season, and with a slim chance for a postseason game, O’Brien said the team will have to put everything together for a win Saturday.
“Certainly it is and that’s one thing they hang on to,” O’Brien said. “They know there is still hope, and they are still working to get to that point.”
