Terps football beat reporter

A.J. Francis has never been shy.

The Terrapins football defensive end performed in plays starting in elementary school. He created the “Fear the Turtle” remix the women’s lacrosse team uses during warm ups. And the loquacious tweeter even earned the distinction of being the only amateur athlete featured on Sports Illustrated’s Twitter 100 list this year.

So when the topic turned to tomorrow’s conference opener against Wake Forest earlier this week, the senior wasted little time explaining the game’s significance.

“At the end of the day,” Francis said Tuesday, “our goal is to win the ACC championship.”

Forget the Terps narrowly escaped William & Mary in their season opener. Forget they allowed 16 sacks through their first four contests, a mark that is second nationally. And forget they rank 113th out of 120 FBS programs in rushing yardage.

For Francis and others, the past is the past. The start of ACC play represents a fresh start, a chance to take four games worth of growth and learning into a slate filled with familiar foes.

“It’s a big one,” Francis said of tomorrow’s matchup. “You could lose all your other games and win the ACC. I hate to say it doesn’t matter what you do before ACC play, but it really doesn’t matter.”

Francis’ logic is sound. The nonconference schedule was simply an appetizer for an entree containing the likes of No. 3 Florida State and No. 15 Clemson.

Of course, the Terps will get a bit of a respite from top-20 competition. After testing No. 8 West Virginia two weeks ago, they should have a manageable October. Edsall’s squad will face Wake Forest (3-2), Virginia (2-3), N.C. State (3-2) and Boston College (1-3) — four teams either at or near the bottom of the ACC standings — this month.

After losing to each of those programs by at least 11 points last season, all four games suddenly seem winnable. The Terps, who were picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division in August, have a legitimate chance of finishing above .500 in the ACC this year.

It’s simply a byproduct of circumstance. Terps freshmen have thrived in key roles, helping the team surprise prognosticators early on. The rest of the ACC, meanwhile, has been largely disappointing. Outside of the Seminoles and Tigers, no conference opponent seems too daunting. Even contests against Georgia Tech and North Carolina — the Terps’ other ACC competition in November — could easily be victories.

So as the Terps prepare for Saturday’s conference opener, few can blame them for dreaming big. After all, this is hardly the same group that lost six of their seven conference games last year by double digits.

This Terps team features the nation’s No. 8-ranked defense. Gone are the defeatist attitudes. This team believes it can win on any given Saturday.

“If we do what we need to do on a day-to-day basis,” Edsall said earlier this year, “we know we can compete with any team in the country.”

So snicker at Francis’ goal of winning an ACC championship all you want. But who really knows? An upset or two and the Terps could be in the picture come late November. At this point in the season, anything is possible.

letourneau@umdbk.com