Cornerback Nolan Carroll understands why the Terrapin football team has faced questions about which team will show up for tomorrow’s game against N.C. State.

The junior knows, given the Terps’ inconsistent play through the season’s first seven games, it will take more than a victory against a team winless in conference play in front of a homecoming crowd to quiet the concerns.

But Carroll has enough confidence in the team’s transformation since a 31-0 loss at Virginia on Oct. 4 to predict big things against the Wolfpack.

“We’ll be the same team that showed up against Cal,” Carroll said. “We’ll be the same team that showed up against Clemson and Wake Forest. I guarantee that.”

On the heels of their third win against a ranked opponent this season last Saturday against Wake Forest, the Terps (5-2, 2-1 ACC) roll into their meeting with N.C. State (2-5, 0-3 ACC) a heavy favorite.

Buoyed by a new, more positive team atmosphere since team meetings following the Virginia loss, the Terps are ready to take the first steps toward proving they can be consistent and contend in the ACC.

“I just told them we’ve got to go out and play like we did last week, but better,” said coach Ralph Friedgen, who calls the new attitude “enjoyable.” “We have to have the same energy.”

The Terps, who must adjust to life without senior cornerback Kevin Barnes, can’t look past N.C. State toward their final four opponents who have a combined six losses. Although the Wolfpack rank last in the conference in total offense and total defense, they have stayed close into the fourth quarter against Boston College and Florida State in their last two games.

It’s similar to the games earlier this season at Middle Tennessee and Virginia in which the Terps looked overmatched against statistically weaker teams.

“We just can’t look into the hype with all the media saying this and that about us and how good we can play sometimes and how bad they’ve been playing,” senior wide receiver Danny Oquendo said. “It’s really overlooking that.”

Oquendo said the meetings held after the Virginia loss helped the entire team “get the point.” Now, it is a matter of translating it to the field for a team that includes 30 seniors.

That starts with the upbeat attitude. Friedgen has raved about the changes he’s seen on the practice field and the lack of negative talk focused around his team. Although the eighth-year coach is still frustrated with the inconsistency of his units during practice drills, he applauded the team’s effort.

“We’re practicing well,” said wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who reasserted his role in the offense with a career-high 11 catches last week. “That’s positive, especially for [Friedgen]. It’s been a lot of the same for me, though. I think guys are excited and ready to go.”

After a roller-coaster start to the season that has left the team in position to make a run at an ACC crown, Heyward-Bey said there’s only one thing the Terps can control, and it’s the most important to him, anyway.

“All we gotta do is win,” Heyward-Bey said. “I feel like every week we’ll get the questions regardless. All we can do is show up and play our best on Saturday.”

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