Injuries will deplete the Maryland Terrapins' defense against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this Saturday, Oct. 9. Coach Randy Edsall announced Thursday ankle injuries to linebacker Darin Drakeford and lineman Andre Monroe have forced them out of the lineup. Both players suffered their injuries Sept. 24 against the Temple Owls, though Drakeford initially tweaked his ankle in the Terps' first game of the season.
The team's official depth chart (.PDF), released Oct. 3, indicates Maurice Hampton will take Monroe's slot at tackle, while Lorne Goree replaces Drakeford at middle linebacker, which in turn moves Demetrius Hartsfeld to weak-side linebacker.
Given Georgia Tech's powerful running game, and Maryland's uninspired performance against the lowly Towson Tigers last week, it's fair to say the Terrapins are in a spot of bother without two defensive starters. Yellow Jackets running back Orwin Smith leads the ACC in yards per carry (a whopping 15.3) and touchdowns (eight). The Terps need to stiffen up despite their injuries in order to contain Smith.
Prior to their injuries, Monroe and Drakeford had performed capably: three of Monroe's seven tackles were for a loss, and Drakeford tallied 17 tackles in just over one game's worth of action.
We'll have much more on Maryland vs. Georgia Tech in this StoryStream. For more on the Terps, visit Testudo Times. For more on the Yellow Jackets, visit From the Rumble Seat and SB Nation Atlanta.