Since Florida State fell to North Carolina State on Saturday, 34-28, Maryland can take home its first Atlantic Coast Conference title since 1985 if it avoids the same fate this weekend.
The Terrapins (9-1, 6-1 ACC) head into Saturday’s finale with the Wolfpack as the only team in the conference with one loss, giving them control of their own destiny. Maryland hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1990 and now has a crack at a BCS bowl game.
This year’s team has asserted itself as the greatest in school history, especially after the Terrapins’ final home game, a 37-20 win over Clemson on Saturday. The victory gave Maryland a school-record home mark of 7-0. With one game left, the Terrapins already hold another school record with 367 points scored.
Running back Bruce Perry hasn’t run for 100 yards in five weeks, but the sophomore leads the Maryland offense with 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Wolfpack (6-3, 4-3) have gone only 2-2 at home, but they’re looking to protect their bid for a bowl game after becoming eligible with last weekend’s win over the Seminoles, who have won the last nine ACC titles.
RED DELICIOUS: Washington State breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday as doctors cleared quarterback Jason Gesser for Saturday’s Apple Cup against Washington.
The 94th annual intrastate matchup gives the No. 9 Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Pac-10) a shot to share the Pac-10 title, or win outright if Oregon loses next week to Oregon State.
Gesser’s presence allows the Cougars to maintain the offensive edge they’ve held all season. The junior play-caller suffered a mild concussion in last week’s win over Arizona State and sat out for part of the third and all of the fourth quarter.
Gesser leads the Pac-10’s second-best offense, which averages 450.3 yards per game, with 2,502 passing yards and 23 touchdown tosses to his credit. Wide receivers Nakoa McElreth and Mike Bush have been the fifth-most proficient duo in the country with 1,819 receiving yards combined.
The Huskies have won the last three Apple Cups and lead the all-time series, 60-27-6.
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM: Texas coach Mack Brown says quarterback Chris Simms will stay in school for his senior year. This comes after a previous statement in which Simms indicated he would leave open the possibility of entering the NFL draft at the end of this season.
“I know Chris has no interest in going to the NFL,” before his senior season, Brown told the Associated Press. “Chris isn’t going anywhere. He’s going to be here.”
Simms holds the school record for touchdown passes in a season with 22 going into the Longhorns’ final game against Texas A&M on Nov. 23.
The son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms faced speculation that he would leave at the beginning of the season as he was battling for the starting role with Major Applewhite. Simms has held the starter’s role all season, throwing 16 touchdown passes in the Longhorns’ current five- game winning streak.
No. 5 Texas (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) will watch Oklahoma’s game this week at Texas Tech to find out if they can clinch the Big 12 South title with a win over the Aggies.
Split decision: Following a spotty showing in Saturday’s 18-7 win at Boston College, Miami fell out of the top spot in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Nebraska received 30 first-place votes, edging the Hurricanes, who tallied 28. The Cornhuskers topped Kansas State, 31-21, on Saturday. The previous team to hold the No. 1 distinction was Florida, on Sept. 10.
Miami retained the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, earning 44 first-place votes to Nebraska’s 28.
