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STEVE DeSHAZO: Date published: 11/16/2008 By Steve DeShazo COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- The rainbow that appeared over Byrd Stadium yesterday just after an aborted fourth-down play wasn't exactly an omen for Maryland's football team.More likely, it was a reminder of a lesson the Terrapins have been learning all year: Beauty can appear, even on an ugly day. And you don't have to be perfect to be successful in the mediocre Atlantic Coast Conference. "The ACC right now is the best thing to watch," junior receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said after the Terps' unlikely 17-15 win over North Carolina. "Other conferences, you already know who's in the championship game. In the ACC, you always have a chance. You want to know: Who's going to win this week?" Despite their penchant for winning at home (6-0 this year) and against ranked teams (six straight), few might have given the Terps much of a chance yesterday. They were coming off a 23-13 drubbing at Virginia Tech, and they gave the Tar Heels They also were penalized for silly infractions that made coach Ralph Friedgen want to tear out what little hair he has left, including a 12-men-in-the-huddle flag on first and goal from the UNC 5 late in the game. But like many college tests, this year's ACC race is graded on a curve. And Maryland's sine curve of a season is back on the upswing. The clear lesson is that one mistake--or even two or three--isn't necessarily fatal. "It seems like we say this every week," junior quarterback Chris Turner said with a grin. "We made a lot of mental errors tonight, but we showed a lot of character. And sometimes, that's the most important thing." In the forgiving ACC, where every team has at least two conference losses, there are plenty of chances for redemption. You can squander a few of them, but to win a title that's begging to be claimed, eventually you have to grab one of them.
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