GAME NOTES: The ACC meets the Pac-10 this weekend, as the Maryland Terrapins make their way across the country to take on the 12th-ranked California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

The Terps rebounded nicely in 2008, although things could have been a whole lot better for Ralph Friedgen's club if not for a late collapse. After posting just a 6-7 record the prior year, Maryland went 8-5 last season and that included a 42-35 win over Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl. It sounds like a nice accomplishment, but the fact is, the Terps had a letdown in late November. With a shot at participating in the ACC title game, Maryland was defeated by Florida State and Boston College in back-to-back weeks and had to settle for a much lesser bowl game. Still, Friedgen has turned out consistent winning teams at his alma mater and Maryland figures to be competitive once again in 2009.

As for the Golden Bears, they head into their 114th season of football with lofty expectations following a Top 15 ranking. Under head coach Jeff Tedford, Cal has notched seven straight winnings campaigns and appeared in six consecutive bowl games. In 2008, the Bears finished 9-4 overall and capped off their season with a 24-17 triumph of Miami-Florida in the Emerald Bowl. It marked the fourth bowl win in a row for Cal, which returns the type of talent that could land the program its first Rose Bowl berth since the 1958 season.

California and Maryland met for the first-ever time on the gridiron last season, with the Terps pulling off a 35-27 upset of the Bears in College Park.

The Terps did a nice job in rushing for 144.0 ypg and passing for 206.7 ypg in 2008 and those numbers should remain steady thanks to the return of signal- caller Chris Turner and tailback Da'Rel Scott. A three-year starter, Turner threw for 2,516 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and he has room for improvement in 2009.

For Scott, he burst onto the scene last year and finished second in the ACC in rushing with 1,133 yards. He also added 21 catches, to go with eight touchdowns, and his 5.4 yard per carry average is evidence of his explosiveness. Scott though, will lose some carries to Davin Meggett, who came on in his own right last season. As just a freshman, Meggett rushed for 457 yards and four scores and he is expected to see a much larger role now in his second year.

With the departure of All-American Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland is left without a proven receiver, but they do have some options to stretch the field and take some of the pressure off the ground game.

The biggest issue for the Terps comes along the line, where only two starters are welcomed back in tackle Bruce Campbell (6-7, 310) and center Phil Costa (6-3, 300). The line will need to come together quickly if Maryland hopes to move the ball successfully.

"I'm very encouraged with how we played in the spring," said Friedgen about the line. "I thought Phil Costa really was exceptional and I think his leadership has really been a very, very positive thing with our young players."

Defensively, Maryland welcomes back only four starters and this unit is now in the hands of new coordinator Don Brown. The former UMass head coach brings with him a more aggressive approach and that is something that Maryland desperately needs after forcing just 17 turnovers a year ago.

"I think he's been a real good hire," Friedgen said about Brown. "I know we haven't played a down yet, but I've been impressed with what he's done to this point so far."

Up front, tackles Travis Ivey (26 tackles) and Dion Armstrong (22 stops) earned starting time as last season winded down and both will be instrumental in stopping the run this year.

The star of this defense is linebacker Alex Wujciak, who led the team in tackles with 133 as a sophomore in 2008. He also added 8.5 TFLs and will be counted on heavily in this new look defense.

The secondary is the most experienced group on this side of the ball and safeties Terrell Skinner and Jamari McCollough are the reasons for that. Last season, Skinner notched 63 tackles, while McCollough led the team with four interceptions.

California produced 186.2 ypg on the ground, with an impressive 5.6 yard per carry average, last season and it could easily top those numbers thanks to the return of Jahvid Best. One of the most explosive and electric players in all of college football, Best is coming off a spectacular year in which he ranked third in the country with 1,580 yards. He averaged a ridiculous 8.1 yards per carry and posted 16 total touchdowns, and if that wasn't enough, he also posted 26.3 yards per kickoff return. A Heisman Trophy candidate, Best can do it all, but he isn't all that big, so expect sophomore Shane Vereen to get his share of the carries after rushing for 715 yards last season.

"We would like to think that we have one of the best running games in the country," said Tedford. "Everyone knows that Jahvid Best is a Heisman Trophy candidate, but we have excellent depth at the position."

With a prolific running game, it is hard to believe that QB Kevin Riley won't be able to find his groove in 2009. Riley had a 7-2 record as a starter last season, throwing for 1,360 yards and 14 scores, but he needs to be more consistent.

Riley's chances of flourishing are made even greater thanks to the return of wideouts Nyan Boateng and Verran Tucker. The duo combined for 50 receptions, 801 yards and eight touchdowns in 2008 and should benefit from having one steady quarterback this time around.

The offensive line returns three starters and that should only make this unit that much stronger.

"We expect the offensive line will be a strength of our team in 2009," stated Tedford.

The Bears made the switch to a 3-4 alignment last season and that paid off immediately, as the defense limited foes to just 19.9 ppg, while forcing 34 turnovers and recording 35 sacks. Eight starters are welcomed back from a unit that allowed just 315.2 total ypg, so this group should once again be stout.

The front line returns intact and ends Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan form one of the top tandems around. Last season, Alualu registered 62 tackles and six sacks, while Jordan finished with 47 stops and four sacks. The duo each had 11 TFLs and opposing offenses can expect them in the backfield a whole bunch in 2009.

"We will be very solid up front with Tyson Alualu, Cameron Jordan and Derrick Hill," stated Tedford. "Those three guys are among the very best in the conference."

The linebacking corps is the biggest area of concern for this defense, as three starters must be replaced. The lone returnee is Michael Mohamed, who racked up 87 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. He is the perfect leader for a new group of starters.

All four starters are welcomed back in the secondary, making this the strength of the defense. Corner Syd'Quan Thompson highlights the group and he is coming off a solid 2008 campaign in which he racked up 70 tackles, four interceptions and 14 PBUs.

The Bears are loaded on both sides of the ball and ready to make a run at the Rose Bowl. California was caught off guard by Maryland last year and is out for payback this weekend. Expect the Bears to dominant the line on both sides of the ball and take this one rather easily.