COLLEGE PARK - It took two months of winning football games for Maryland to regain the respect it lost in two blowout losses early in the season.

The 25th-ranked Terps hope last week's 48-13 loss to Virginia didn't erase all of the progress gained during the eight-game winning streak, but their stature needs repair, beginning today against Wake Forest in the regular-season finale.

"Our pride is on the line," said punter Brooks Barnard, one of 11 Terps who will be at Byrd Stadium for their final game. "We want to show that we can play, that we aren't that team that played last week. That's not us."

The stakes include not only pride, but also a Peach Bowl berth, which the Terps probably would get by beating Wake Forest. They would likely get the bid over the Cavaliers, the team ahead of them in second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia (8-4, 6-2 ACC), with a win over Virginia Tech today, would finish with three straight wins, including victories over North Carolina State and Maryland. The Cavs have drawn strong fan support in previous trips to the Peach Bowl, to be played Dec. 31 in Atlanta.

But the Terps (9-3, 5-2 ACC) spent more of this season in the national rankings, and the school's 23,000-person contingent at last year's Orange Bowl is fresher in the minds of bowl representatives. Coach Ralph Friedgen acknowledged that his Atlanta ties don't hurt, either. He lived in the area for nine years while coaching at Georgia Tech.

"I hope so," he said, when asked if that might be a factor. "I know a lot of the people on the committee ... so I know a lot of the people. They're closely connected with Georgia Tech."

The Peach Bowl would prefer Tennessee as the Southeastern Conference opponent for Maryland or Virginia, though Auburn is the top alternative, and the SEC picture might not clear up until the middle of next week.

Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan is expected to be at Byrd Stadium today, but said he'd be pleased with either the Terps or Cavaliers, though a loss by either would make it easier for him to choose.

"I lose a little more of my hair in making a decision," Stokan said of the possibility of both Maryland and Virginia winning today. "We'll try to do something after Saturday's games, so other bowls can make decisions, and so we can move along on tickets."

If the Terps were to get sent to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 23, the opponent from the Big 12 would range from No. 8 Kansas State to a swooning Iowa State squad that just got beaten at home by Connecticut.

First, Maryland has to shake off a 35-point loss to Virginia on national television, one that ruined the team's hopes of a co-league championship and a possible Bowl Championship Series berth. With the loss, the Terps also handed a New Year's Day bowl berth to N.C. State, the Gator Bowl's choice.

After the loss, some blamed the poor showing on fatigue. Today will be the 13th game of the Terps' regular season, in contrast to the 12 games of the entire 2001 season, including the Orange Bowl. Friedgen may have seen his team running out of gas, from his days in the NFL watching rookies adjusting to the increased schedule, and hearing Maryland players asking to lighten the load heading into the Virginia game.

Maryland players practiced without pads for the first two days in preparing for Wake Forest, and apparently had a more productive week.

"It's been spirited all week - I've been pleased with that," Friedgen said. "I thought it might be tough getting them up, but we had them in shells [only helmets and shoulder pads] the first few days and we had very good practices in those, and that's normally tough to do."

If the Terps are wearing down, the Deacons' problem is rustiness, if their narrow victory over Navy is any indication.

Coming off two weeks without a game, Wake Forest (6-5, 3-4) gave up 317 rushing yards and needed a 5-yard touchdown run by Fabian Davis in the final minute to beat the Midshipmen, 30-27, and become bowl-eligible.

Wake, however, was bowl-eligible with six other ACC teams last year and stayed home in December. Unless the team can go .500 in the league by pulling off an upset against Maryland, it will probably sit again.

"It's obvious to our kids - they've figured out that it would be nice for us to play well on Saturday," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "There are different scenarios that could put us in a bowl. Seven wins would look a lot better."

Terps today

Matchup:Wake Forest (6-5, 3-4) vs. No. 25 Maryland (9-3, 5-2)

Site:Byrd Stadium, College Park

Time:Noon

TV/Radio:ESPN/WBAL (1090 AM)

Line:Maryland by 13 1/2