Iceland12
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Will Likely leaves with an injury: The defensive back had the roughest game of his senior season Saturday.
In the second quarter, he muffed a punt that set up Minnesota’s first touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, he was drilled on the return and limped back to the sideline. While it remains unclear what the extent of Likely’s injury is — Maryland Coach DJ Durkin didn’t provide an update when asked during his postgame news conference — his potential absence could have significant ramifications in the secondary and return game.
Likely has been solid as the team’s nickelback through the first six games, and while he hasn’t been able to break free as a returner after an all-American campaign in 2015, his mere presence has helped dictate field position when teams angle to keep the ball away from him.
“It definitely impacts us. Will is our leader. He’s a really good player, let alone the leader of our team,” Durkin said...
More struggles against the run: For a second consecutive week, Maryland lost the time of possession battle. Minnesota held the ball for nearly nine more minutes than the Terrapins, but junior linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. wasn’t about to use that statistic as an excuse for another porous effort against the run. Maryland’s defense, which entered the day ninth in the Big Ten in rushing defense (169 yards per game) after giving up 372 yards on the ground last week against Penn State, allowed 229 rushing yards against Minnesota on Saturday.
There were admirable stands: The defensive unit allowed just 4 of 14 third downs to be converted, it forced Minnesota to a missed field goal after Pigrome threw an interception at the Terrapins’ 36-yard line on the second possession of the game, and the group held for another field goal after Minnesota engineered a 12-play, 50-yard drive to begin the third quarter. But it lost control of the game after Gophers running back Rodney Smith ran for a 70-yard touchdown on a third-and-one call early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-3...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...aways-from-marylands-31-10-loss-to-minnesota/
In the second quarter, he muffed a punt that set up Minnesota’s first touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, he was drilled on the return and limped back to the sideline. While it remains unclear what the extent of Likely’s injury is — Maryland Coach DJ Durkin didn’t provide an update when asked during his postgame news conference — his potential absence could have significant ramifications in the secondary and return game.
Likely has been solid as the team’s nickelback through the first six games, and while he hasn’t been able to break free as a returner after an all-American campaign in 2015, his mere presence has helped dictate field position when teams angle to keep the ball away from him.
“It definitely impacts us. Will is our leader. He’s a really good player, let alone the leader of our team,” Durkin said...
More struggles against the run: For a second consecutive week, Maryland lost the time of possession battle. Minnesota held the ball for nearly nine more minutes than the Terrapins, but junior linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. wasn’t about to use that statistic as an excuse for another porous effort against the run. Maryland’s defense, which entered the day ninth in the Big Ten in rushing defense (169 yards per game) after giving up 372 yards on the ground last week against Penn State, allowed 229 rushing yards against Minnesota on Saturday.
There were admirable stands: The defensive unit allowed just 4 of 14 third downs to be converted, it forced Minnesota to a missed field goal after Pigrome threw an interception at the Terrapins’ 36-yard line on the second possession of the game, and the group held for another field goal after Minnesota engineered a 12-play, 50-yard drive to begin the third quarter. But it lost control of the game after Gophers running back Rodney Smith ran for a 70-yard touchdown on a third-and-one call early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-3...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...aways-from-marylands-31-10-loss-to-minnesota/