NFL GAME ODDS

Miami Hurricans vs. Maryland Terrapins

In a week that has placed the relevance of football in perspective, the Miami Hurricanes (5-4, 2-3 ACC) will need to rebound from the shocking news that senior lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed this past Tuesday. It is another in a series of unfortunate events that have amounted to a very troubling season for Miami. The 'Canes will visit #23 Maryland (7-2, 4-1) at Byrd Stadium this Saturday at 3:30 PM. They will try to regroup both emotionally and physically from an event that has left everyone at Miami stunned. Miami is well aware that they need just one victory to become eligible for a bowl game. They are also trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since Sept. 18-Oct. 9, 1999. Meanwhile, Maryland finds itself tied with No. 18 Wake Forest for first place in the ACC's Atlantic division. The Terrapins are seeking a fifth straight victory after winning their last four games by an incredibly low total of 12 points. This is the first ACC meeting between the two schools since Miami joined the conference last season. It's been nearly 20 years since the teams last met. The Hurricanes defeated the Terrapins 46-16 in 1987 in their last matchup.

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The 22-year-old Pata practiced Tuesday afternoon with his team, and then was shot two hours later at his apartment complex. He was pronounced dead in the parking lot outside his apartment. A Miami-Dade police spokesman ruled his death a homicide. Pata, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman, was excelling in his fourth year with the Hurricanes. It was widely believed that he would be selected in next spring's NFL draft. The promising young man primarily played defensive tackle this season, totaling 13 tackles and two sacks. The shooting is the latest in a long line of troubling recent events for Miami. In July, safety Willie Cooper was shot in the buttocks when he confronted an intruder in his yard before a team workout. Cooper was not seriously injured. Miami also received negative national attention when it was involved in an ugly brawl during an Oct. 14 game against Florida International. The fight led to 13 Hurricanes eventually being disciplined.

Maryland is coming off a decidedly less controversial couple of months. They were proud to hear that linebacker Erin Henderson was named ACC defensive player of the week last week. He received the honor for making a career-high 18 tackles in his last game. This total was easily the most in the conference this season. More importantly, it helped Maryland defeat #19 Clemson, 13-12, last week at Clemson. Also highlighting the Terrapins' victory was quarterback Sam Hollenbach, who threw for an impressive 247 yards and constructed a drive that set up Dan Ennis' 31-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. The Terrapins closed out non-conference play by nearly losing to winless Florida International. They now have notions of taking aim at a BCS game. Their matchup this Saturday against Miami will be intriguing, as much of the football world will be looking to Maryland to see how the Hurricanes will respond to Pata's untimely death.

Game Pick Maryland -3