ATLANTA, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- With his team off to its best start in 23 years, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen returns to his former home to face Georgia Tech Thursday night in a key Atlantic Coast Conference contest.
Friedgen spent nine years as Georgia Tech's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, including the last four under George O'Leary. But friendships will have to be put aside for one night.
The surprising Terrapins (5-0, 3-0 ACC) are off to their best start since going 8-0 under Jerry Claiborne in 1978 and are the conference's only unbeaten team. They have a one-game lead over Florida State, Virginia and North Carolina in the wide-open ACC race.
Oddsmakers, however, favored Tech (4-1, 1-1) by 9 1/2.
Friedgen is the first Maryland coach to open his initial season with five straight wins. H.C. "Curley" Byrd began his career with six straight wins, but his first two came at the end of the 1911 campaign.
Leading the Terp attack is running back Bruce Perry, who rushed for 143 yards on 25 carries in last week's 41-21 victory over Virginia. Perry, the nation's leading rusher at 164.2 yards per game, has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in all five games.
Georgia Tech rebounded from a tough overtime loss to Clemson to rout Duke, 37-10, last week. Quarterback George Godsey completed 24-of-40 passes for 295 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Kerry Watkins.
Godsey ranks eighth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 162.8 rating. He has completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,115 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
Georgia Tech has won four straight against Maryland to take a 10-3 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1988. The Yellow Jackets are 6-0 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, including a 49-31 victory in the last meeting here in 1999.
