Wisconsin cancels Nebraska game

No. 9 Wisconsin has canceled its game at Nebraska on Oct. 31 and paused all team activities for at least seven days after a dozen people within the program including coach Paul Chryst tested positive for COVID-19.

School officials said athletic director Barry Alvarez and chancellor Rebecca Blank made the decision in consultation with Big Ten officials. The game with Nebraska won’t be rescheduled.

“This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday,” Chryst said in a statement. “I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning.”

Wisconsin said six players and six staff members had tested positive over the last five days.

The announcement followed reports that starting quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice – which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols – and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once.

Wisconsin already had lost 2019 starting quarterback Jack Coan to foot surgery that has left him out indefinitely. The Badgers’ only other scholarship quarterback is junior Danny Vanden Boom.

“I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week,” Chryst said. “But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities.”

NFL

GARRETT SITS OUT PRACTICE » Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s sacks leader, is not practicing Wednesday because of an ankle injury.

Coach Kevin Stefanski gave few details about Garrett’s condition, but said the team is being cautious as it prepares for this week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Garrett had two sacks in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Garrett has nine sacks this season and has been a disruptive force in helping the Browns (5-2) to their best start since they opened 1994 at 6-1. He has a sack in six straight games and has four strip-sacks, three of which have been games winging plays.

Stefanski said he expects Garrett to practice later this week, but stressed the team will “gather more information” on his injury.

NBA

ROCKETS FIND A COACH » The Houston Rockets and Stephen Silas have an agreement for the Dallas assistant to replace Mike D’Antoni as coach, multiple people with knowledge of the deal said Wednesday.

The hiring of the son of former NBA player and coach Paul Silas completes a significant change in the leadership of the team with the league’s longest active playoff streak after Daryl Morey decided not to return as general manager following D’Antoni’s departure.

The new combination of coach and general manager comes after eight straight trips to the playoffs for the Rockets, all since acquiring James Harden in 2012.