Worst Case Scenario: Stefon Diggs and Wes Brown hurt, will miss Clemson game

AMQHG giveth, and AMQHG taketh. You are a cruel and vengeful god, AMQHG.

Via a half-dozen people, but I'll link to Jeff Barker at the Sun.

Freshman receiver-returner Stefon Diggs - who had been a constant during Maryland's injury-plagued season - has been ruled out of Saturday's game at Clemson because of an injured ankle.

Diggs was seen around campus this week wearing a walking boot.

Wes Brown is also out with an ankle injury. Tyrek Cheeseboro joins them with a concussion, which is sad since he's been a monster the past few weeks on special teams. And Joe Vellano is questionable with an ankle injury of his own. (Shawn Petty's probable with a shoulder injury, too, but Edsall seems pretty gung-ho about listing everyone with a slight knock. I'm not that worried.)

First, let's get this out of the way: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO WHY

Okay, with that done: I'm curious to see if this wins anyone over to my side of the "yeah, Maryland's probably doing something wrong somewhere" debate. It's another two injuries to another two critical starters, and both are yet again lower-extremity injuries (that occurred on turf). I get people saying that there's a random element to injuries, but as more and more occur you have to start looking at it and wondering when things stop being completely random and when some controllable factor (that Maryland is failing at) is playing in. For me, that point was about three injuries ago. For others, it'll be now, or even farther in the future. But it is, at the very least, mighty unlikely that no controllable factor is in play here at all.

Now that my petty quabbles with the media are out of the way, two big-picture thoughts. First, just mentally concede the Clemson game and save yourself the pain. The objective: just get out alive. I have no idea where the offense comes from without Diggs, and with Clemson's attack being what it is the defense is in trouble, too. Just hope Friday goes well. Otherwise, this weekend could be quite unpleasant.

Second: do you give thought to shutting down Diggs? Just put him in some bubble wrap and get out of the season with the future intact? Obviously it depends on how bad the injury is, but there are two games left, one against FSU and the other at UNC. The odds Maryland wins either are slim. The odds either one matters to begin with are even slimmer. Given how Maryland's players have dealt with reoccurring injuries this year (note: poorly), do you really want to risk that? If Diggs is anything less than 100%, the gamble - aggravating the injury and making it more serious - is hugely more significant than the payoff, which is a consolation win. I imagine Randy Edsall has the same thought process, but he's working with more info.

Thank Juan tomorrow is Friday.