Baylor’s outbreak spreads to 28 players
WACO — Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades disclosed on Monday the depth of the Bears’ COVID-19 outbreak, announcing 28 football players and 14 football staff members had active cases and another 17 players are in quarantine after contact tracing.
The situation forced the Bears to suspend all football-related activities last week and to postpone Saturday’s home game against Oklahoma State.
“They’re disappointed, I think they understand that it’s needed, this break that we’re on,” coach Dave Aranda said of his players. “They also understand the team that we’ve got and the importance of kind of staying together and staying focused.
”My conversations with them just individually and then in our team meetings that we’ve had have kind of illustrated that to me. For as disappointed and frustrated as we all feel, I am encouraged by just the determination that I’m seeing. We’re taking it day by day.”
Rescheduling the Oklahoma State contest is the latest hiccup in Baylor’s season. Potential season openers against Louisiana Tech and Houston were called off due to COVID-19 issues.
The Bears’ three-week hiatus is supposed to conclude Oct. 24 when they visit Texas.
A&M’s Chapman likely out for season
Texas A&M junior receiver Caleb Chapman’s career day ended in a bad way. Chapman hurt his knee on Saturday and likely is out for the season, Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed.
Chapman suffered the injury on a 51-yard touchdown catch in the end zone late in the Aggies’ 41-38 upset of then-No. 4 Florida at Kyle Field.
Chapman, a junior, collected nine catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns in A&M’s comeback victory against the Gators.
Herman to continue to sing ‘Eyes of Texas’
Texas coach Tom Herman said he’ll encourage players and staff to sing “The Eyes of Texas” after games but will respect those who don’t want to join the longstanding school tradition that has become a flashpoint for fans.
The song has become an issue for the program since the summer, when a group of football players and other athletes made a series of demands to address racial injustice that included ditching the song, which has been criticized in recent years because of its connection to minstrel shows with characters in blackface decades ago.
Herman addressed the postgame song after fan outrage bubbled on internet message boards following Texas’ loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Most of the team left the field but quarterback Sam Ehlinger was conspicuous by staying for the song with Herman and several coaches.
“I’ve encouraged our staff and team to join me in participating after games if they are comfortable doing that,” Herman said. “I do believe it’s important that we acknowledge and thank our fans after a hard-fought game. Sam
Ehlinger and some of our team did join me in standing with our fans who had cheered so hard and helped us greatly in our comeback against Oklahoma. I applaud them and respect that.
“That said, some members of our program have concerns and aren’t comfortable participating at this time. I respect that as well.”
Odds and ends
Vanderbilt’s game at Missouri on Saturday has been postponed because COVID-19 issues have left the Commodores without the SEC’s mandated minimum of 53 scholarship players. The game has been tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. Vanderbilt (0-3) played with only 56 scholarship players last week in a loss to South Carolina. … Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his throwing shoulder, leaving freshman Will Howard to lead the Wildcats the rest of the way. Thompson was hurt two weeks ago against Texas Tech.