Multiple Maryland players were injured in the Terrapins’ 34-27 loss at No. 4 Michigan on Saturday. Wide receiver Rakim Jarrett was knocked out of the contest, and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was sidelined too.
Not even Testudo, the beloved Terps’ mascot, could escape pain at the Big House.
Wolverines cornerback DJ Turner was pushed out of bounds in the fourth quarter and knocked over our friend with the big shell.
It’s unclear what kind of injury Testudo may have suffered. Bruised shell? Dislocated tail?
We hope Testudo — and, you know, the person inside of the mascot costume — is OK, but it’s unclear.
No one's safe on the sidelines.
Hope @Testudo_UMD's OK. pic.twitter.com/nxgCKUJ2Hi
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 24, 2022
There is a Twitter account for it, but Testudo hasn’t been active on it in a few months. Testudo’s uh, parody alter ego, had a message though.
— Testudo (@Drunk_Testudo) September 24, 2022
Michigan did not apologize, and instead, the Wolverines celebrated the unexpected tackle.
Turtle takedown pic.twitter.com/UdrE1fZGQj
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 24, 2022
Of course, this isn’t the first time this year that a mascot from the state of Maryland has been injured. Poe, of the Baltimore Ravens, was carted off the field during a preseason game last month with what the team called “a serious injury to his drumstick.”
If there is a silver lining for Maryland fans — or at least, betting ones — it’s that the Terps covered the spread. Michigan was a 17.5-point favorite.
The game started in a disastrous way for the Terps when they fumbled the opening kickoff. Still, the Terps kept the game tight most of the way. Maryland didn’t trail by multiple possessions until the beginning of the fourth quarter. Backup Terps’ quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. closed the gap at the end, finding CJ Dippre for a touchdown with 45 seconds to play.
Testudo’s status for the Terps’ next game – at home on October 1 against Michigan State – is not known at this time.
