Jeremiah Johnson To Miss 7-8 Weeks
By Chris Bengel
October 6, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back Jeremiah Johnson (14) leads the team onto the field before the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Byrd Stadium. Maryland beat Wake Forest 19-14. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
During coach Randy Edsall’s weekly conference call, he confirmed the bad news that many Maryland fans had been fearing.
Starting cornerback Jeremiah Johnson, who missed Saturday’s win over Old Dominion, will miss seven to eight weeks with a fractured toe.
Johnson suffered the injury during the season opener against Florida International and was spotted on the sidelines on Saturday with crutches and a walking boot. Johnson saw a specialist on Thursday and won’t require surgery for the injury. The timetable puts Johnson in line to return in early November for the final four games of Maryland’s ACC schedule. The Terps close out the season with games against Syracuse (home), Virginia Tech (away), Boston College (home), and North Carolina State (away).
In 2012, the junior cornerback racked up 17 tackles (15 solo) and 1.5 sacks in seven games. He turned into a shutdown corner, while playing alongside fellow cornerback Dexter McDougle.
In Saturday’s one-sided victory against Old Dominion, senior Issac Goins got the started and also nabbed his first career interception. He also recorded five tackles (all solo) and played extremely well against the Monarchs. This also means more playing time for freshman cornerback Will Likely. Much like Goins, Likely impressed in the win as he recorded 11 tackles (nine solo) and broke up a pass. Likely was all over the field and wrapped up pass catchers very well.
The trio of McDougle, Goins, and Likely is a mostly veteran group that can step up big-time and they showed that yesterday. McDougle and Goins are both upperclassmen that possess strong leadership skills and can help Likely when he struggles (remember he is a freshman). Obviously, losing Johnson is not good news by any stretch, but Maryland has the depth to overcome such an injury.