After Maryland Air Jordan 20s had taken a 22 17 lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Russell took the conversion snap from center, handed off to Buddy Rodgers, and headed to the left corner of the end zone. Rodgers’ toss back to Russell was intercepted and returned 100 yards by the Blue Devils’ Lamar Grant.

And how many times had it been practiced with Russell?Russell made his major college football debut yesterday. He was charting plays when Ken Mastrole was decked after an incomplete pass, his season ended by a fractured right clavicle.

“I handed it [the clipboard] over, and went and got my helmet,” Russell said. “It Air Jordan 17s shocked me, but I wasn’t really nervous.”

He should have been. Russell, 5 feet 11 and 187 pounds, hadn’t played in a college game in nearly two years.

Russell, a sophomore, Air Jordan 4s outplayed Mastrole in spring practice, but Air Jordan 2010 dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart in August. He’ll be back to No. 2 this week, as Brian Cummings is expected to play at Clemson, but he made the most of yesterday’s stint.

Both teams blocked a punt. On the play after Mastrole was knocked out of the game, Maryland punter Russell Edwards turned a bad snap into an 18 yard run and a first down.

Duke beat a safety blitz with a draw play that went for a 52 yard touchdown by Letavious Wilks.

Weirdest of all, of course, was the conversion pass from Rodgers, who slipped after taking a handoff, ignored a huge hole up the middle and forced a pass to Russell.

“I had tunnel vision,” Rodgers said. “All I saw was Keon. I didn’t see the two guys guarding him.”

Simon out, too

The Terps went most of the way without Geroy Simon, the standout receiver Air Jordan 18s who suffered a hip pointer midway through the second quarter and never returned. Rodgers’ 176 yard effort was his second straight over 100 yards, and the best rushing total by a Maryland back since 1985, when Alvin Blount had 186 against Virginia. Left linebacker Ratcliff Thomas became the fourth Terp with 400 career tackles.