David Mackall is one of the real bright spots of Maryland football, at least in terms of talent: the sophomore defensive end, who has been likened to Shawne Merriman for his pass-rushing prowess, was key in stopping Georgia Tech against the run and was second on the team in sacks for the season with three.
Now, he's also suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules. According to the release on Maryland's official site, there's no timetable for his return.
Mackall's absence will be a heavy blow to a defense already missing Kenny Tate, Matt Robinson, and fellow defensive end Justin Anderson, who is unlikely to return this year. His fill-in will likely be Marcus Whitfield, who's started to see playing time in recent weeks but has balanced the good with the silly. Maryland won't be able to afford that as they strive to salvage what's left of their season.
Of course, several will interpret this as Randy Edsall being Randy Edsall and make a snide joke about rules being too tough (*insert doo-rag gag here*). Are they entirely off? Probably not. But rules are rules, and even if they're unnecessary or over the top, I've no problem with them being enforced. (Set? With some, that's another issue.) In that same vein, it's also unwise to criticize or speculate on suspensions when no details are known.
Either way, I'm pretty sure Maryland's worn-down fanbase didn't need a suspension of an important player right now, and it's not exactly going to endear anyone to Edsall. Only winning will do that at this point.
Whatever: basketball!