N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien says Maryland is a dangerous team that the Wolfpack has to play at home in order to become bowl eligible. But he says it’s more about his team.

“Our focus is on ourselves and certainly we understand how important this game is to this football team and our program,” he said. “Certainly being Senior Day, it adds more to the game on Saturday.”

QUESTION: What are the things that make Maryland a dangerous team?

COACH O’BRIEN: They’re in a situation that they have nothing to lose. They can play this game anyway they want. It’s the last game of the year. This is their bowl game. This is their last chance to go out on a winning note. Certainly I would guess it’s been a frustrating season for them, so it’s their chance to go out on a high note.

Q. Looking at it from your standpoint needing that win to become bowl eligible, certainly winning last week’s game with a
back-against-the-wall-type situation, you responded terrifically. Do you expect the same kind of response this week?

COACH O’BRIEN: Well, we’re going to have to have the same kind of response. Anything less will not give us an opportunity to win. You look at the last two games, victory over North Carolina and Clemson. We need the same electric atmosphere in the stadium. It will be a special day for this group of seniors and this football team. Our back’s against the wall. We’re in the playoffs. Winning, you play again. Losing, you go home.

Q. What have you told your players in terms of how you’ve been playing the last two weeks? Just keep it up? What’s been
the key there of late?

COACH O’BRIEN: The key was as soon as the game was over Saturday we talked about we can’t fall into the trap that we did two weeks ago. Two weeks ago we’re in the locker room, we’re all excited, played great against North Carolina, then went to Boston College and didn’t play so great.
We played a great game again last Saturday, so what are we going to do? We have to grow up. We have to mature. We have to understand the task that’s ahead of us. We have to put this one behind us like we have when we’ve lost, to go in, and focus on Maryland and get ready to play a great football game.