Despite protest from quarterback Perry Hills, Maryland football coach DJ Durkin decided to keep the redshirt senior out of Saturday’s game against Penn State when he endured a blow to his right shoulder late in the second quarter.

The first-year coach said having Hills push through the injury wasn’t in his signal-caller’s or his team’s best interest while trying to mount a comeback.

Tuesday afternoon, during his press conference in Tyser Tower at Maryland Stadium, Durkin said the Terps will monitor Hills day-to-day while preparing to face Minnesota this weekend.

“I don’t know if there’s a tougher guy out there than Perry,” Durkin said. “He’s just that type of guy. In so many ways he shows it, and especially now with an injury, and Perry was fighting like crazy and almost angry and wanting to get back in that game, and I made a decision.”

Hills also suffered a shoulder injury Sept. 17 on the penultimate play of the Terps’ double-overtime win at Central Florida. The team had a bye week before its next contest, allowing Hills to recover and then start against Purdue.

Maryland doesn’t have that luxury before they play the Golden Gophers, who tout the Big Ten’s fourth-ranked rush defense, in College Park on Saturday afternoon.

Nevertheless, Durkin joked Hills, still listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart, will try to play.

“I’m sure, if we had a game here in an hour, Perry would be ready to go out there and play,” Durkin said. “He really would. Fortunately, we have a couple days until that game, so it gives us time to make the best decision for him, for our team, for everything.”

Minnesota, meanwhile, will open the game without starting quarterback Mitch Leidner.

Coach Tracy Claeys announced Tuesday that Leidner suffered from concussion-like symptoms after a 14-7 loss to Iowa on Saturday and will not play against the Terps. Junior Conor Rhoda, a former walk-on, is listed as the starter on the Golden Gophers’ depth chart.

Durkin said he learned of the news about 15 minutes before his press conference started, but he doesn’t anticipate changing the team’s preparation on defense.

“There’s injuries to every team every year,” Durkin said. “What you have to do is man-down, man-up. I’m sure they have the same approach there.”