Terps Working on Their Night Moves

Prisbell has a story in today's paper about Maryland's 0-2 record in night games this season (as opposed to 6-0 in matinees). Players refused to make excuses for their flat performances against Middle Tennessee State and Virginia, but it seemed clear they don't relish having a whole day to kill especially on the road.

Coach Ralph Friedgen is at least concerned enough to have altered the itinerary for this week, with the team arriving in Blacksburg tomorrow night about six hours later than it arrived in Charlottesville the day before the Virginia game. Of course, that doesn't do that much to help with the day on Thursday.

Thursday night games have become a showcase for college football, particularly programs and conferences who can't get past the stranglehold behemoth leagues such as the SEC and Big Ten have on the Saturday TV schedule. Maryland's opponent this week, Virginia Tech, can attribute at least some part of its increased profile over the past 10 years to its regular appearances on Thursdays.

Still, because coaches don't like to play the Saturday before and then usually don't play until the Saturday after, a Thursday night appearance is often a team's only game in a 20-day stretch. When players are nursing injuries, that can be a good thing. When a team has built some genuine momentum to its season, it can feel like a filibuster.