Midway through the second quarter Saturday, Maryland football quarterback Kasim Hill scrambled to his left, was spun to the ground by an Indiana defender and twisted his left knee. Immediately, Hill appeared to be in pain and after a few moments on the ground, he walked off under his own power.
Hill made his way to the locker room and looked frustrated. He later returned to the sideline in street clothes. Tyrrell Pigrome replaced him under center.
“We’re gonna have to get him checked,” interim head coach Matt Canada said postgame. “We’ll just have to see where he is. I wouldn’t want to speculate.”
Hill had struggled against the Hoosiers, completing 4-of-12 passes for 43 yards and an interception. Last season, Hill tore his right ACL on a scramble against UCF and still wears a brace on that knee. He hasn’t seemed to be as comfortable running the ball since that injury, but Saturday’s was to his other leg.
Hill has started each game this year. He’s thrown nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
Pirgrome and Hill began the year listed as co-starters on interim head coach Matt Canada’s depth chart, but Hill has received the bulk of the playing time. Pigrome, a redshirt sophomore, also tore his ACL last season. He poses more of a running threat than Hill and had only completed seven passes in 2018 entering Saturday.
Hill isn’t the only Terp playmaker to leave the game against Indiana with an injury. Running back Ty Johnson exited Maryland’s win over Illinois two weeks ago with a calf strain that kept also kept him out of last week’s game. Johnson was listed as a game-time decision Saturday and ended up earning the start, but after his fifth rush of the first quarter he walked gingerly off the field and did not appear again for the rest of the contest.
Canada said Johnson did not reinjure his calf, instead suffering a new injury.
The Terps also lost running back Javon Leake after a third-quarter touchdown, which opened the chance for McFarland to compile 210 yards on 29 carries.
“Next man up’s gotta go play,” Canada said. “Kids played hard. All that matters is winning, but really, really proud of our kids.”
This article has been updated.