The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va., Steve DeShazo column

Oct. 19--COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- With its quarterback lying facedown on the turf, Maryland's football season appeared to be on the brink of a nosedive as well.

Sure, the Terrapins had overcome a horrific start and a 14-0 deficit to lead visiting Iowa 17-14 early in Saturday's third quarter. But if C.J. Brown was done for the day--just days after backup Caleb Rowe tore an ACL--Maryland's inaugural Big Ten season might have quickly become a big disappointment.

The Terps already had been shredded by Big Ten kingpin Ohio State at home two weeks ago. And now they seemed vulnerable again without Brown, who was diagnosed with a bruised trapezius muscle in his upper back.

But coach Randy Edsall believed. His faith hasn't always been validated, but the Terps did so Saturday, pulling out a 38-31 victory that keeps a lot of options open.

"We told 'em, 'Guys, just do your job. If you just do your job, we'll be fine,'" Edsall said.

It took a village--or a team--to subdue the Hawkeyes. But it certainly helped to have a couple of playmakers like Stefon Diggs and William Likely who perform their duties at a level above and beyond most players' abilities.

Third-string quarterback Perry Hills looked like a frightened deer on Maryland's first possession after Brown's injury. But on the second, offensive coordinator Mike Locksley dialed up a wide receiver screen pass to Diggs, who can make the simplest of play calls look spectacular. Cutting behind a block from Marcus Leak, he wended his way down the sideline for a 53-yard insurance touchdown.

But Iowa responded to make it 24-21 and got the ball back early in the fourth quarter. That's when Likely struck. The sophomore cornerback jumped Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock's wobbly pass in the left flat and sprinted 45 yards for his third return touchdown (two on interceptions, one on a punt return) in seven games.

The Terps were all doing their jobs, but two were doing it better than most.

"They've been doing it all year," said Brown, who returned in the fourth quarter. "That really gets the crowd into it, and it helps with the defense. Any time you get the ball in their hands, it's good. Some day, the other offenses will learn not to throw the ball [Likely's] way."

Anyone who follows college football is familiar with Diggs, the five-star recruit from nearby Gaithersburg, Md., who helped Edsall establish his program by picking the Terps over schools with far more impressive pedigrees. He hasn't disappointed; on Saturday, he moved into fifth place in school history with 2,015 career receiving yards in essentially two seasons. (He missed half of last year with a broken leg.)

Likely's rise to stardom was, well, a less-likely story. He was a four-star recruit out of Glades Central (Fla.) High School, but at 5-foot-7, he looks like the last guy who'd be picked for a backyard game.

Until you see him with the ball in his hands, that is. He entered the game ranked fifth nationally with a 22-yard punt return average, and he has intercepted four passes this season (returning two for touchdowns).

"That's my mindset," Likely said. "But it's not just me; it's the defense, period. When the quarterback goes down, we've got to be dynamic. Somebody's got to make a play."

To be fair, the Terps are probably better equipped to be losing a quarterback than most teams. Two years ago, they lost four (including Brown and Hills) to season-ending injuries and finished the season with freshman linebacker Shawn Petty behind center. So going a quarter without Brown is a piece of cake.

Brown hopes to play next Saturday at Wisconsin. And the Terps will need his arm and legs against a gauntlet of a schedule that includes the Badgers, Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan.

But if they didn't believe it before, they know they can persevere without him--as long as Diggs and Lively are around.

"We've got a lot of character, integrity and pride," Diggs said. "We keep fighting."

Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443

sdeshazo@freelancestar.com

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