After losing all their scholarship quarterbacks, Maryland staff forced to get creative

Regardless of the circumstances, it's never a good thing to have to move a linebacker to quarterback.

Utah found themselves in a similar situation last season.

After losing their third straight scholarship quarterback to a season ending injury in a two week span, that is exactly what Maryland is doing. Last weekend, they lost their first and second string signal callers in the same game and yesterday, third string true freshman quarterback Caleb Rowe finished the game against Boston College with a torn ACL. He woke up on Sunday sore enough to have an MRI which revealed the true extent of the injury.

The injury occurred on the second to last play of the game. Maryland ended up losing 20-17 against the Eagles.

The linebacker who has turned quarterback, Shawn Petty, was an option quarterback in high school and got some practice time with the quarterbacks in last week when Randy Edsall and the staff got confirmation that their top two guys would not return this year. Backing him up will be a converted tight end, Brian McMahon, who also played quarterback in high school.

The new quarterbacks will have to cut their teeth against a Georgia Tech defense next weekend, followed by a trip to Clemson, and then a home game against Florida State. Bowl eligibility is still within reach for the Terps (4-4, 2-2), but that stretch against Clemson and Florida State isn't going to be easy.

Each of Maryland's four losses this year have been by less than 10 points, and they have lost their last two games (to North Carolina State and Boston College) by a combined five points.

With close losses and injuries, 2012 has turned out to be a season full of tough breaks for coach Edsall and his staff. How they regroup and finish may define their season.