Maryland is one of the surprise squads of the Atlantic Coast Conference, unbeaten and ready to prove it belongs atop the league.
On Saturday, the Terrapins are at home against Connecticut. The Huskies aren’t a power, but their former coach, Randy Edsall, is now at Maryland, and there are hard feelings.
The game has added intrigue because only this week did Edsall apologize for leaving UConn immediately after coaching the Huskies in a bowl game two seasons ago and never going back to address his team before taking the Maryland job. Most players found out via text message from someone else.
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Maryland finished 2-10 last season, and prospects looked grim after more than two dozen players transferred. Edsall sees growth by the 2-0 Terrapins, but also notes their vulnerability.
‘‘I think that we've turned the corner a little bit from the standpoint that we are out there competing for 60 minutes,’’ he said. ‘‘We've won two games in the fourth quarter, basically. We still have a long way to go, but the energy and attitude has been good.”
Rutgers rises late
Jawan Jamison ran for 151 yards and a touchdown to help Rutgers begin Big East play with a 23-13 victory over South Florida Thursday night in Tampa. The Scarlet Knights (3-0) snapped a 13-13 tie on Kyle Federico’s 22-yard field goal with 2:48 left, and Jamison scored on a 41-yard run after USF (2-1, 0-1) turned the ball over on downs. Bulls quarterback B.J. Daniels was intercepted three times. It was the fourth consecutive 100-yard game for Jamison dating to last season, the longest string by a Rutgers back since Ray Rice had seven straight in 2007 . . . Trey Bateaste’s 3-yard scoring run in the second quarter gave Mississippi Valley State a 6-0 win over Southern in Baton Rouge, La.
Lottery teams
Two schools are getting $1 million payouts this weekend for playing on the road. Nebraska is paying Arkansas State the seven-figure amount, the largest total guaranteed to an opponent for a game in Lincoln. Florida Atlantic is getting $1 million for its game at Georgia Saturday — and will get another $1 million next weekend at Alabama. Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said the price is the ‘‘going rate’’ for many teams to play an away game with no return engagement . . . Hawaii coach Norm Chow reinstated two players who were suspended after pleading no contest to drunken driving charges from the offseason. Quarterback Cayman Shutter and punter Alex Dunnachie are expected to play in Hawaii’s fourth game, at Brigham Young Sept. 28.
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