FACTS & STATS: Site: Doak S. Campbell Stadium (82,300) -- Tallahassee, Florida. Television: Local. Home Record: Maryland 3-3, Florida St. 3-1. Away Record: Maryland 2-2, Florida St. 2-3. Neutral Record: Maryland 0-0, Florida St. 1-0. Conference Record: Maryland 2-4, Florida St. 3-4. Series Record: Florida State leads, 15-2.

GAME NOTES: The Florida State Seminoles close out the home portion of their 2007 schedule against the ACC-rival Maryland Terrapins. Maryland wraps up its regular season with two straight road games, as the Terps are in need of one more win to become bowl eligible. After losing three straight, Maryland rolled to a 42-35 win over eighth-ranked Boston College last weekend. However, the Terps have never won in Tallahassee. Florida State, meanwhile, is coming off last week's 40-21 loss to 11th-ranked Virginia Tech. The loss snapped a two- game win streak for the Seminoles, who play at Florida in next weekend's regular-season finale. Florida State has a 15-2 advantage in the all-time series with Maryland, although the Terps have won two of the last three meetings.

The Maryland offense had been sputtering along prior to the BC game, as the Terps were averaging a measly 15.6 ppg during their three-game skid. Part of the problem has been continuity. That stems from injury problems, with only three offensive players having started all 10 games. But the offense ignited against the Eagles, piling up 472 total yards and five touchdowns. The running game faired particularly well, posting 135 yards on the ground against a BC defense that entered the contest as the nation's top-ranked unit at stopping the run. Lance Ball tallied 109 yards and a touchdown, marking the first 100- yard rushing day for any player against the Eagles defense this season. Chris Turner had a solid day in the passing game as well, completing 21-of-27 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He completed passes to nine different receivers. It was Turner's best performance since stepping in for injured starter Jordan Steffy. The backfield tandem of Ball (10 rushing touchdowns) and Keon Lattimore (11 TDs) is among the ACC's best, though Lattimore sat out last week's game with an injury.

Defensively, the Terps excel at forcing turnovers, as Maryland's ranks third in the conference in turnover margin. Through 10 games, the Terps defense has forced 13 fumbles and recovered eight, and they've come away with 11 interceptions. Kevin Barnes leads the team with four picks, while Erin Henderson has recovered a team-high three fumbles, in addition to sharing the team lead with 61 tackles. The area where the Terps have not gotten a whole lot of production is pressuring the quarterback, as they rank last in the ACC in both sacks and tackles for loss. BC quarterback Matt Ryan had ample time to operate, and he took advantage by throwing for 421 yards and picking up 23 first downs through the air.

The Seminoles watched a 21-20 fourth-quarter lead evaporate in a hurry against Virginia Tech. The FSU offense certainly played a role in that, giving up nine points on an interception return and a late safety, while failing to reach the end zone in the final 15 minutes. Quarterback Drew Weatherford was knocked out of the game with a concussion and is listed as questionable for this week's game. His replacement, Christian Ponder, struggled by throwing two interceptions, including the one that got returned for a touchdown. Starting running back Antone Smith finished with 12 yards on eight carries and a dinged up shoulder, though he enters this game listed as probable. Smith has struggled to find running room throughout the season, averaging just 65 yards per game.

Despite their four-loss record, the Seminoles still boast one of the conference's premier run defenses. They are yielding 100 ypg on the ground, and they held the Hokies to 3.5 ypc as a team. The FSU defense is one that is built on speed, as the Seminoles frequently make plays behind the line of scrimmage. They rank sixth in the nation in tackles for loss. Derek Nicholson led the Seminoles with 10 tackles last week, while Geno Hayes had nine, including 2.5 TFL. Those two are the team's top two tacklers on the season, while Hayes is second on the team with four sacks. Everette Brown has a team-high five sacks. Patrick Robinson paces the secondary with five interceptions, while Tony Carter has three.

Maryland has turned the tide in the series with FSU in recent seasons, and the Terps enter this tilt having knocked off two top-10 opponents this year. Lattimore missed the last game with a hamstring injury but the Terps, who have battled injuries all season long, proved they could pick up the slack. Look for Maryland to take the fight to Florida State and get that win needed to become bowl eligible.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Maryland 25, Florida State 17