Shafer Weekly Press Conference: Maryland

The 2-0 Syracuse football team welcomes Maryland (2-1) to the Carrier Dome on Saturday looking to get off to its first 3-0 start since 1991.

To do so, the Orange will have to get past a Terrapins squad that is coming off a last-second 40-37 loss to West Virginia.

"The kids have been preparing hard for the talented, fast Maryland football team," said head coach Scott Shafer. "They definitely present some great challenges for us and we're looking forward to tackling those challenges head on."

The game will be SU's first with just one week to prepare, following a bye after the season opener. However, Shafer views that as a positive.

"I've slept better at night because there's not as much time to worry," Shafer said. "It's nice to be in that daily grind of football which is probably the biggest thing. It's nice to be back in that in-season rhythm."

Something SU will have to control to get its third win of the season will be the dynamic return duo of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and cornerback William Likely, who both have broken off big plays on special teams thus far.

"They're very talented. They have great speed with great playmakers on offense but also in the kicking game, obviously with two guys who have returned the ball extremely well. They're averaging almost 38 points per game, they know how to be productive that's for sure. We've got our game plan and now we need to go out and play that game plan to its highest ability. Great challenges in front of us."

Kickoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Children 12-years-old and younger will get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket. The first 10,000 fans will also receive Orange Nation pom-poms.