COLLEGE PARK -- After four years, the conditions are finally right for Maryland's Scooter Monroe to become a big-time receiver.

Maryland's offensive system is more receiver-friendly than the one in place when the senior flanker arrived from John Carroll High in Bel Air in 1999, and in Scott McBrien, he has a quarterback who looks to him deep.

Both factors have coincided with Monroe's steady improvement, and the results have shown. Three weeks ago against Georgia Tech, he became the first Terp in five years to have more than 100 receiving yards, and he repeated it Saturday against North Carolina. He has become the team's leading receiver, which might have been hard for him to imagine when he was a freshman.

"When we [receivers] first got here, we might as well have gotten in a three-point stance, and put on some armpads," Monroe recalled, "because all we were doing was blocking."

Last week at North Carolina, Monroe caught three passes for 167 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown that got the Terps started during a 59-7 win.

"It's unusual that our flanker is our leading receiver," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, "but he's been doing a good job."

As go-to guys go, there's nothing eye-popping about Monroe's overall numbers: 25 catches, 484 yards and two touchdowns. But his 19.4-yard per catch average is second in the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind North Carolina State's Jerricho Cotchery, who is at 22.1.

In the past three weeks, the speedy Monroe is averaging nearly 30 yards a catch, including the 80-yarder against Carolina, and a pair of catches over 30 yards against Georgia Tech. With the big-play passing game emerging as the Terps (7-2, 3-1 ACC) prepare to play host to No. 14 N.C. State (9-1, 4-1) tomorrow, he said he thinks there's more to come.

"We're making them now, so they're going to keep throwing them," Monroe said. "It's the same thing as having guys who are making plays for you, we keep going to them."

At 6 feet 2, Monroe was supposed to have the height and the speed to make life difficult for defenders when he came to Maryland. But with tailback LaMont Jordan on his way to setting records on the ground, the previous coaching staff had little use for plays through the air.

It made him a better blocker, with downfield blocks being vital to the long runs of Jordan, Bruce Perry and now Chris Downs and Josh Allen. But despite playing in 10 games as a freshman, and starting as a sophomore, Monroe made only 17 total catches in his first two years in an offense that had only 10 passing touchdowns.

The emphasis on running didn't change when Maryland replaced Ron Vanderlinden with Friedgen, but Monroe knew the new coaching staff would pass more. Shaun Hill's 197 attempts in 2001 nearly matched the 198 made in 1999-2000 by the leading passer of those two years, Calvin McCall.

But while Hill's superior game management led the team to a 10-2 record last year, throwing deep wasn't a strength. That's where McBrien has begun to excel -- his 9.5 yards per attempt figure is second in the ACC -- and Monroe has benefited as the Terps aimed to get more from the passing game.

"Last year, we nickeled and dimed people to death," Monroe said. "We ran the ball well, but we didn't go downfield really well. That's one thing Scott's done well. He's always looking for the home run."

In addition, where Monroe shared repetitions with Jafar Williams last year, he now plays 90 percent of the time when the game is still in doubt.

Entering this season, he also pledged to become a more sure-handed receiver, crediting confidence for his transformation from a player who catches passes against his pads to one who grabs balls from the air.

"He's always had a great attitude and had great ability," Maryland receivers coach James Franklin said. "Scooter has really improved from the year before, but more than anything, it's just a matter of him being in the right place to make plays for us."

NOTES: Friedgen indicated that Perry (shoulder) and right tackle Matt Crawford (knee) would play tomorrow. ... Place-kicker Nick Novak was recently named one of the semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation's top kicker.

Next for Terps

Opponent:No. 14 N.C. State (9-1)

Site:Byrd Stadium, College Park

When:Tomorrow, noon

TV/Radio:Chs. 2, 7/WBAL (1090 AM)

Line:Maryland by 6 1/2