Keys to tonight's game

1. Maryland passing game: Tenneessee will likely sit on the run, making it vital for Terps quarterback Scott McBrien and receivers Scooter Monroe, Latrez Harrison, Jafar Williams and Steve Suter to take advantage of any opportunities that arise downfield.

2. Run, run, run: Except for the Notre Dame game, it was easy to pinpoint pass defense as a Maryland weakness in their losses this year and last year. But the Terps allowed 4.5 yards per carry in those games and the Volunteers will have to keep Maryland honest on the ground before airing it out.

3. Care with the football: In high-pressure situations, both teams have been turnover-happy. Maryland committed six against Florida State, and Tennessee lost three fumbles in just one 4:55 stretch against Florida. Avoiding similar miscues is a must by the victor in this game.

When Maryland had the ball

Maryland rushes for 202 yards per game, led by Chris Downs' 1,113 yards and recently buttressed by co-starter Bruce Perry, who has averaged 5.1 yards per carry since returning for good in the Nov. 9 North Carolina State game.

The bad news for the Terps is that 16, 57, and 138 have been the yardage totals on the ground in losses to Notre Dame, Florida State and Virginia. It's equally difficult to know what to make of Tennessee's run defense, despite the years Keyon Whiteside and Eddie Moore have enjoyed.

Combining the first four and final three games of the season, the Volunteers went 6-1 and held each opponent to 125 rushing yards or less. Unfortunately, they allowed 170 yards or more yards in all but one of the five games in the grueling middle section that sunk their season.

In contrast, the credentials of the pass defense have a firmer basis. Ranked seventh nationally in pass defense, Tennessee allowed only Florida to throw for more than 300 yards this season and it's been six games since an opponent completed more than 50 percent of its passes.

That information does not bode well for Maryland. The team's rushing numbers affect the work of quarterback Scott McBrien. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 2:6 in those defeats, as opposed to the 9:4 ratio in the 10 wins wherein Maryland averaged 242 rushing yards.

Coaches

Of course, there's a ton to be discerned between one coach, Fulmer, with a .811 winning percentage over 11 years and one, Friedgen, who has won 10 games in each of his first two seasons as a head coach.

Fulmer has gone 3-8 against Southeastern Conference rival Florida, but Maryland has gone 0-1 against Florida, too, in Friedgen's tenure there.

The Terps' one game against the Gators - in last year's Orange Bowl - leaves Friedgen with a downward trend in bowl games, while in a decisive factor, Fulmer is 6-4 in his 10 bowl trips.

When Tennessee has the ball

If nose tackle William Shime hadn't been suspended for his final game, Maryland would have had an edge in this category. The Terps had been fairly decent against the run (3.5 yards per carry) and it's unclear whether Tennesee's passing game had enough receivers to take advantage of quarterback Casey Clausen's recovery from injuries that had him sit out some of the season.

Jason Witten is a weapon Maryland seldom sees at the tight end position. The Volunteers have their traditional speed at wide receivers - led by Tony Brown's 402 yards on 34 catches - but will the Terps see the use of it as seen in a 37-10 loss to Florida State (9.8 yards per pass attempt) or in a 30-12 win over Clemson (five yard average)? When Maryland is not confronting the blinding-speed issue, the defense has shown itself equal to most passing game, with opponents' 17 thrown interceptions outnumbering their 12 touchdowns.

On the ground, Tennessee is encouraged by the last five games of the regular season, wherein Cedric Houston averaged 110 yards. The main question is whether the Terps defense suffers with questions on the defensive line.

Special teams

Among those who score points, Maryalnd's Nick Novak has a decided advantage over Tennessee's Alex Walls, who hasn't attempted a field goal beyond 50 yards whereas Novak has hit three out of four from that distance, and six of eight from beyond 40 yards.

Brooks Barnard and Dustin Colquitt's punt averages are within a half-yard from each other's. Barnard is better punting his team out of bad position, while Colquitt's is better than putting the opponent in a whole, with 22 of his punts downed inside the 20.

Steve Suter has returned four punts for touchdowns this season, and his 24.0 yard average on kickoff returns is comparable to that of Tennessee's Corey Larkins, who averages 24.4.

Prediction

The Terps get a solid performance from the passing game and dodge the bullet of a thin defensive line against a healthy Tennessee team seeking to capitalize on its rushing attack.

However, look for both teams to struggle in taking care of the ball in a close Maryland victory.

Maryland 17, Tennessee 16.