Maryland Items

A few notes as we ready the crying child:

-- There are at least a couple options of options for those of us who can't access ESPN360 from home:

Meanwhile, anyone on campus with an e-mail address ending in .edu should be able to get the live streaming. The BrickHouse (formerly Playmakers) on Hillsborough Street across from Meredith College confirms it will show the game, through ESPN360.com, on two eight-foot screens (it's working on more), and The Upper Deck on East Whitaker Mill Road also is planning to have it. Another option might be Woody's @ City Market.

I think I'm going to end up at The Upper Deck.

-- The Terps have lost cornerback Kevin Barnes for the season:

The loss of Barnes is a significant setback for a defense that played its best game of the season Saturday and for a secondary that has been hampered by injuries all season. Maryland already was without cornerback Richard Taylor (knee) for the season, and coaches have been shuffling personnel because of other injuries in recent weeks.

Barnes was part of the defense's backbone. He was tied for third in the ACC in passes defended and was best known for delivering a bone-rattling hit on California's Jahvid Best in the second quarter of Maryland's 35-27 victory on Sept. 13.

"When one player comes back, another goes down," Maryland's secondary coach Kevin Lempa said of the injuries in the secondary. The leadership Barnes provided will be difficult to replace, Lempa said, because "he was calling out plays in games before they happened. He knows opponents and what they do."

Maryland is moving its free safety to cornerback, which says a lot about the condition of the secondary.

Shell Games had this reaction to the injury news:

Excuse me one second.

GODDA**ITFU$%SHI&@$$HO&EMOTHERBI$C*N&RXF#$!AS$SHITCOCK!

Incidentally, I said the exact same thing when I heard about Donald Bowens.

-- There has naturally been a lot of talk this week about Maryland's erraticness, and the Terps are swearing they've learned their lesson (for real this time).

Ralph Friedgen is just trying to keep everyone thinking happy thoughts:

Friedgen said he's taken up a new approach this week. He's only going to talk about the positives with the players. No negatives. He said he's seen a different attitude among the players in recent weeks. Since their team meeting. players are being more encouraging of each other, being more accountable for their actions at practice.

It'll make no difference since the Terrapins are coming off their best performance of the season. They're obviously doomed.

Or maybe not...

They've got a lot of experience. The offensive line, on tape, it looks as good as any we've played... better than South Florida. The quarterback is No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency because nobody touches him.