Maryland Football: 5 Biggest Takeaways from Saturday’s Win

1. The Likely Hero

Sep 5, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back William Likely (4) high fives fans after a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Maryland won the game 50-21. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The smallest player on Maryland’s roster turned out to have the biggest impact against Richmond. Junior Will Likely dominated this game on both defense and special teams. When discussing the latter, Likely was beyond special.

Likely set a new Big Ten record for punt return yardage in a single game with 233 yards. It took him eight returns, but the Preseason All-American finally took one to the house. It’s beyond me why the Spiders insisted on kicking it to him after he had already burned them so many times.

On defense, Likely was tasked with defending one of the best wide receiver tandems in the FCS and he played very well, recording a number of pass breakups on the day.

What Likely lacks in size and stature, he makes up for in confidence and swagger. He truly believes that he is the best at what he does and he backed it up all game long. He is Maryland’s Most Valuable Player. If there was any doubt before this game, it has since, been erased.

Next: Terps Open Season With Impressive Rout of Richmond

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