Stanford’s game against Washington State canceled

Stanford's home football game against Washington State tonight has been canceled because of a coronavirus issue within the Cougars program, the Pac-12 announced Friday.

In a statement, the conference said, “This decision was made under the Pac12's football game cancellation policy due to Washington State not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of a number of positive football student-athlete COVID-19 cases and resulting isolation of additional football student-athletes under contact tracing protocols. Under Conference policy, the game will be declared a no contest.”

It doesn't appear Stanford will try to find a lastminute opponent even though San Jose State, which used to play its Pac12 neighbor annually, had its game against Fresno State called off Thursday because of a coronavirus issue in the Bulldogs program.

“Stanford Athletics has explored alternative options to replace Washington State and at this time does not expect to be able to fill the opening,” Stanford said in a statement.

Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, and the Cougars were expected to start a new quarterback against Stanford, which has dealt with its own coronavirus issues.

A false-positive test kept quarterback Davis Mills, receiver Connor Wedington and two others from playing in the opener against Oregon, a 35-14 Stanford loss, and from practicing before the Cardinal played at home last week against Colorado. Stanford lost that game, too, 35-32.

“None of the guys that were held out of the game had the virus,” Stanford coach David Shaw said, adding that before the Oregon game he was “surprised and anxious and pissed off and then come Sunday, less surprised and less anxious and a little bit more angry.

“But there's nothing we can do about it. It happened. It cost those four guys the game and it cost them a week of practice.”

Now, a virus issue in another program will cost Stanford a game in an already truncated season.