I don’t think Stefon Diggs meant to hit a referee in the face Saturday afternoon.

The Terrapins football wide receiver was in the middle of a skirmish with Penn State players before the 20-19 win and the official was trying to break up the shoving match when Diggs inadvertently pushed him near the mouth.

The Terps junior didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I believe he’s sincerely sorry for how the incident unfolded. And I’m sure he comprehends the seriousness of the situation.

But even so, the Big Ten did the appropriate thing yesterday when it suspended Diggs for one game and fined this university $10,000. In fact, coach Randy Edsall should have kicked his star player out of Saturday’s game before it started.

Making contact with an official, for a variety of reasons, is one of football’s greatest sins. Officials are unbiased moderators, and they are often the only people on the field not wearing pads. They’re also the only ones who aren’t sensational athletes.

It was unacceptable for Diggs to hit the referee, even if it was a result of reflex, and the conference needed to prove there are significant repercussions for such an action. They did that yesterday.

Yes, it’s unfortunate Diggs won’t be on the field Nov. 15 when No. 8 Michigan State visits Byrd Stadium for a prime-time matchup. But it’s more important to ensure players are held accountable ­— particularly high-profile players.

And honestly, I’m sorry it took this long for Diggs to be punished.

Edsall, who received a public reprimand for failing to control his team before the contest against the Nittany Lions, needed to pull Diggs from Saturday’s game, or at least keep him out for the first few drives. Or perhaps Kevin Anderson, this university’s athletic director, should have stepped in afterward and suspended the wide receiver.

Taking care of the situation itself would have been a good look for an athletic department that’s been riddled with behavior issues the past few months.

And this has nothing to do with the Terps captains’ refusal to shake hands with Penn State players before Saturday’s coin toss. That decision was one of buffoonery and made the school and team look bad, sure, but it’s nothing like hitting an official.

The Terps’ decision to confront Penn State players after the Nittany Lions ran out of the tunnel was ill-advised. The handshake debacle was stupid. And the response from leaders in the athletic department was disheartening.

Anderson released a statement apologizing for the team’s actions Saturday. Edsall took a similar recourse during his postgame news conference. Both were weak, considering they didn’t take meaningful action.

That’s kind of like bumping a parked car and leaving an apology note for the dent but excluding your contact information so you don’t have to pay for the damages.

Both Diggs and Edsall apologized through different news releases Monday. But again, who cares? Write-ups from the Terps’ public relations staff don’t carry much weight.

Look, Diggs isn’t a horrible guy, and the incident Saturday wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Edsall and Anderson are good people, too, and they’re probably embarrassed by the situation.

But I’m glad the Big Ten suspended Diggs. I just wish someone at this school would have had enough pride to do it themselves.