Duke prepares to tussle with Terps

The Duke football team will play its first televised game of the season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Maryland, the first-place team in the ACC.

Duke (0-6, 0-4 in the ACC) comes off a disappointing 42-35 loss to Wake Forest, a game in which the Blue Devils made up a 28-0 deficit at halftime to tie the game at 35 in the fourth quarter. Duke still remains optimistic about its chances against Maryland (6-0, 4-0), which is ranked No. 12 in the country.

"If we can play four quarters like we played last week's third quarter, we'll have a very good chance to win," Duke running back Chris Douglas said.

Playing well for an entire game has been a major concern all season, as the team has shown flashes of brilliance, but for only moments at a time.

"Once again, we're going to try to put a full game together," Douglas said. "That seems like the thing that's holding us back."

Contrary to Duke's situation, Maryland is coming off a three-point overtime win against nationally ranked Georgia Tech, a game that was televised on ESPN.

The Duke game will serve as Maryland's Homecoming, and Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen is not taking Duke lightly.

"I reminded the team that two years ago, they got beat by Duke on Homecoming day," Friedgen said. "It's a new week, a new day, and we have to go back to work. I'll be disappointed if they are not ready to play on Saturday."