Things are relatively quiet in the ACRL as postponements and the delay of the bigger clashes have limited the conference to just seven games.

But there's more to come, as Clemson and Maryland will meet up in a week in a game that will likely decide the conference champ. Before then, Clemson has a game against Life University, and Maryland tries to stay undefeated against a tenacious NC State team. Maryland is coming off a 67-3 dismissal of North Carolina. NC State was postponed against Virginia Tech and has only one conference game on record - a 15-15 tie with Virginia.

Maryland Coach Jeff Soeken said his team's performance against UNC wasn't precise.

"The weather was the main cause but not having many proper matches - two weather postponements and a forfeit so far - was also a killer," said Soeken.

But, said the coach, his Terps have shown some good things.

"I feel like our forwards are turning out to be a great attacking platform," he said. "We've put some work in on set pieces, particularly lineouts." 

Soeken is bringing back some old-school plays (lineout peels among them) as other teams don't see them much.

Wing Mike Messina led the team with three tries while scrumhalf Josh Marotske, No. 8 Nate Nenortas, and Joe Whalen, usually a lock or flanker but playing center, all scored two each.

"The biggest worry is that we've played far too little defense," added Soeaken. "It's been a year since we played NC State and I think their coach has them headed in the right direction. In the past they were pretty predicable. I'm not so sure anymore. I think the desired outcome will be if we can play solid defense and continue to toughen up, and on attack try to get the concentration and details correct. It has been that last pass that has let us down so far."

For NC State, not having played much at all is going to be a problem. The Wolfpack is trying to build on a solid fall of 2014, and a good showing against Maryland would go a long way toward that.