Jamari McCollough hauls in an interception against Clemson last weekend. Adam Fried/The Diamondback

Safety Jamari McCollough hadn’t been on the field for significant in-game action since last season. But the senior starter was back in his starting role Saturday against Clemson, and he played a major role in the Terps’ win.

McCollough, who was responsible for the game’s only interception, said he’s at about 90 percent right now. Last week at this time, he said he was limping and only about 65 percent.

And while he wasn’t thrilled about his performance in Saturday’s game, he said he improved throughout and is eager to show his full abilities off at Wake Forest this weekend.

“I was telling my teammates in the first quarter, ‘I got to shake a couple cobwebs out,’” McCollough said. “I hadn’t played a whole quarter yet. There was one play I lined the defense up wrong, and then one of the plays I didn’t blitz, that I messed up on. But as the game kept going, I started getting into my game mode. And by the second quarter, I felt good.”

One of the Terps’ smartest players, McCollough was being counted on this year to keep the defense positioned and play the traditional safety role while Terrell Skinner, the starting free safety, acts more as a heat-seaking missile.

McCollough’s injury, which came in the first quarter of the season opener at California, put defensive coordinator Don Brown in a position where he had to use sophomore reserve Kenny Tate as a full-time strong safety rather than a blitzing, covering wildcard as originally intended.

“You saw us use Tate the way we wanted to last week for the first time,” Brown said. “To some degree, I think we asked too much of him. And now, I think he’s settled back into his role where we can do a lot of things with him, plus play him at safety. And we control the amount of reps he gets, whereas without Jamari, we didn’t have that luxury.”

Of course, that also meant those demands bogging down Tate were thrust onto McCollough. But he said even he was surprised about how well he held up.

“I thought I’d get tired because I hadn’t played in a game in so long,” McCollough said. “But I ain’t really get tired until the last drive – that two minute drive where they had the ball for so long. I was exhausted.”

For several more updates on injuries, check back later today.

ajoseph@umdbk.com

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