EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Late in the third quarter of the Terrapins football team’s 32-21 victory over Connecticut on Saturday, cornerback Dexter McDougle celebrated in the Rentschler Field end zone after his 49-yard interception return gave the Terps a two-touchdown lead.

Minutes later, he writhed on the ground at the UConn 37-yard line in pain with trainers working on his right shoulder after making a tackle.

Coach Randy Edsall announced Sunday that McDougle, a senior and three-year starter, will need season-ending surgery on that shoulder. McDougle is not eligible for a medical redshirt, meaning his playing career at this university is over.

The Falmouth, Va., native already intercepted three passes this season — including two Saturday — and was one of six returning starters on the Terps defense.

“Dexter was playing as good as he’s played since I’ve been here,” Edsall said on a conference call Sunday. “He’s been playing very, very well and it’s just sad that this happened. He may have had his best game on Saturday and the interceptions were huge for us.”

McDougle tackled UConn tight end Sean McQuillan in the right flat, leading with his right shoulder and taking McQuillan’s legs out from under him. He stayed down on the ground for an excruciating two minutes while trainers worked on his shoulder before walking off gingerly and heading for the locker room.

McDougle’s loss thins the depth of a secondary already missing the Terps’ other starting cornerback, Jeremiah Johnson, who’s out for another six to seven weeks with a fracture in a toe on his left foot. Isaac Goins has started in that spot.

“It’s part of the game,” Edsall said. “I sympathize with the injuries that do happen, but we have got to have the next guy step up and get in there and play. That’s all we can do. In this game, you’re going to have injuries. You just hope you don’t have too many of them.”

Freshman Will Likely filled in for McDougle the rest of Saturday night’s contest and will start opposite Goins moving forward. When the Terps are forced to use multiple defensive backs on the field at the same time, like they will be this week against West Virginia’s spread offense, reserve cornerbacks Alvin Hill and Jarrett Ross will see increased roles.

“It’s kind of tough,” Likely said Saturday night. “I don’t know the results yet, but we’re still going to fight, we’re still going to practice. Next guy’s just got to step up.”

Edsall declined to say whether he would play second-string safety A.J. Hendy at cornerback, mentioning that the team has just begun game planning to face the Mountaineers on Saturday. Either way, the “next man up” philosophy that’s been significant during Edsall’s tenure in College Park will come into play yet again.

“We all feel comfortable about each other, no matter who comes in, no matter who steps in, we know they’re going to get the job done and that’s what we do,” Likely said.

Though McDougle will not return to the field for the Terps, he will still be an active member of the team for the remainder of the season.

“We’ll support him any way that we can through this process,” Edsall said. “He’ll sit in on the meetings and continue to keep his mind sharp and learn more football. And the good thing is he only needs one more class to graduate and he’ll continue his classwork, and he’ll help us from a coaching standpoint and work with some of those younger guys.”

TERPS NOTE: Wide receiver Nigel King exited Saturday’s game during the Terps’ first drive with what Edsall called a left leg injury. King was on the sideline with crutches, but he will not need surgery and Edsall did not update his status further in a conference call Sunday.