Virus alters Owls’ schedule again
After short delay of kickoff, UTEP winds up being third game canceled due to Miners’ tests, tracing
It’s the sign of the times. At least in 2020. Rice had its fourth football game of the season canceled Saturday, adding to a list of three postponements as well as a delay to the start of its season.
Saturday’s scheduled noon kickoff against UTEP at Rice Stadium was first delayed shortly pending a second round of COVID-19 testing. Minutes after noon, the Conference USA contest was officially called off due to positive tests and contact tracing within the UTEP program.
“Obviously disappointing and disappointing for many reasons,” Owls coach Mike Bloomgren said. “Some of the things we pointed to this week, we won’t get to do.
“It’s incredibly tough for both teams. You wake up ready to play and everything’s going. It shows you that none of us are immune and it can impact any large group at any time. We have to remain vigilant and continue to do the right things. We’re going to worry about what we can control.
“At this time, we have nobody in quarantine and we have nobody in isolation. Our kids have made the most selfless decisions and they continue to do so.”
UTEP recently had a positive COVID-19 test in its basketball program.
Like many other teams, Rice has had difficulty maintaining a consistent football schedule in 2020. Rice’s Sept. 3 game at Houston was postponed. Games against Army (Sept. 12), LSU (Sept. 19) and Lamar (Sept. 26) were canceled.
Other postponed games for the Owls were against UTSA (Nov. 7) and at Louisiana Tech (Nov. 14).
Rice (1-2, 1-2) is scheduled to play at unbeaten Marshall on Dec. 5. The two teams were originally scheduled to play Oct. 3 but that gamewas pushed back when Rice delayed the start of its season. The Owls are also scheduled to face UAB at Rice Stadium on Dec. 12.
Game preparation started like a normal Saturday for a noon start. For the Owls, pregame meal at 8 a.m., special teams walk-through at 8:40, followed by the offense and defense walk-through.
At first, Bloomgren got the call that the game was being delayed, resulting in another planned pregame
meal at 11:40 a.m. and team meeting at 12:10 p.m. But at 12:03 p.m. Bloomgren received a call that the game was canceled.
Bloomgren said it was somber telling the team the news that the game with the Miners would not be played.
“I told them that I’m going to find a silver lining, and the silver lining is that the testing protocol worked,” Bloomgren said. “And wewere able to keep them safe today. Because of the testing, we’re going to get a chance tomake good decisions today and come back to work on Monday and get a chance to practice and prepare to play another game. Who knows what would have happened if we had taken the field?”