Utah State cancels game, but not because of COVID
Utah State has canceled its football game against Colorado State amid concerns voiced about religious discrimination during the search for a new football coach.
Aggies players issued a statement on Friday, saying they were opting out of today’s game because of alleged comments made by University President Noelle Cockett about the religious and cultural background of interim coach Frank Maile.
Cockett’s comments were reportedly made during a video call Tuesday with athletic director John Hartwell and the Utah State University Leadership Council to discuss Maile’s candidacy for the permanent head coaching job.
Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson resigned to take over Utah State, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday.
“We want our message to be clear that this has nothing to do with the hiring of Coach Blake Anderson, the recently-named head coach of the program,” the players said in their statement. “We are sure he is an excellent coach; we look forward to meeting him and his staff. We are highlighting the ongoing problems of inequality and want to create a better future for the community of Logan and Utah State University.”
Maile is in his second goround as an assistant coach at Utah State, with a stint at Vanderbilt from 2014-15 in between. He has been assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator for the past five seasons and was named interim head coach when Gary Andersen was fired after an 0-3 start this season.
“I am devastated that my comments were interpreted as bias against anyone’s religious background,” Cock
ett said in a statement. “Throughout my professional career and, especially, as president of USU, I have welcomed the opportunity to meet directly and often with students about their experiences.”
MIAMI- GEORGIA TECH GAME CANCELED >> When No. 10
Miami hosts No. 17 North Carolina in an Atlantic Athletic Conference showdown today, it will now be the regular-season finale for both clubs and it could determine who plays in the Orange Bowl.
The Hurricanes’ home game against Georgia Tech, scheduled for Dec. 19, was canceled Friday because the Yellow Jackets informed the league that they would not be able to meet several of the ACC Medical Advisor y Group’s COVID-19 limitations.
This game had already been postponed from Nov. 21.
“This afternoon, we informed Miami and the ACC that based on today’s medical report from chief medical officer Dr. Angelo Galante, it would not be in the best interests of our student-athletes for us to attempt to play a game next Saturday,” Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury said.
PITT WON’T PLAY IN BOWL >> Six months working inside the confines that came with playing college football in the middle of a pandemic was enough for Pittsburgh.
The Panthers removed themselves from bowl consideration, a day after finishing off the regular season at 6- 5 following a 3420 win over Georgia Tech. The school became the second member of the ACC to opt out of the postseason, joining Boston College, which announced its decision Thursday.
ARIZONA STATE 70, ARIZONA 7 >> D. J. Taylor returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and the Sun Devils (1-2) scored twice in the opening 56 seconds to rout the Wildcats (0-5).
Arizona State made a mockery of the annual Territorial Cup game from the opening kick return, capitalizing on a string of Arizona turnovers to lead 35- 0 by early in the second quarter.
DeaMonte Trayanum converted an opening Arizona fumble into a 4-yard TD run 43 seconds after Taylor’s TD return.
Rachaad White ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Jayden Daniels accounted for three scores.