Wisconsin cancels second game because of virus
Wisconsin has canceled Saturday’s home game against Purdue, the second straight game the 10thranked Badgers have called off as COVID-19 cases within their team continue to rise.
School of f icials announced Tuesday that three more players and two additional staffers have tested positive since Saturday, bringing the program’s total number of active cases to 27. That includes 15 players and 12 staffers.
Neither game will be rescheduled, and all teamrelated activities remain paused indefinitely.
“I share in the disappointment of our studentathletes and staff,” athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement. “We have seen a level of improvement in our testing numbers, but not enough to give us confidence to resume normal activities and play our game on Saturday. We will continue to test regularly, take the proper health-related precautions and look forward to getting our team back on the field as soon as possible.”
The 27 active cases all have arisen since Oct. 24, the day after Wisconsin’s season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois. Ten players and 11 staffers have tested positive over the last seven days.
This marks the second straight week that Wisconsin has canceled a football game due to the outbreak. The Badgers had been scheduled to visit Nebraska on Oct. 31. They called that game off on Oct. 28, the same day they announced that coach Paul Chryst had tested positive.
That announcement followed reports that 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.
The Big Ten’s schedule doesn’t give teams any off weeks, making it extremely difficult to reschedule canceled games. The Big Ten requires teams to play at least six games to be eligible for the league championship game. If the average number of conference games played by all Big Ten teams is below six, programs must play no less than two fewer league games than that average to be considered.
Wisconsin (1- 0) has five games remaining on its schedule before the league holds its champions week on Dec. 19. The Badgers’ next scheduled game is Nov. 14 at No. 23 Michigan (1-1). CLEMSON’S LAWRENCE TO BE ON SIDELINE FOR NOTRE DAME CLASH >> Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be on the sideline when the No. 1 Tigers play No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday at South Bend, Indiana.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney reiterated Tuesday that though Lawrence will have cleared his isolation protocol after testing positive for COVID-19, he won’t have completed his mandated cardiovascular tests in time to play against the Irish.
But Lawrence has been an active participant and guiding force this week in support of freshman quarterback D. J. Uiagalelei, Swinney said.
“He’s doing great. He really is,” Swinney told reporters. “He’s in the meetings. He’s Zooming in and all that stuff. So he’s doing well. He’s just anxious to get out. He’s back with us Thursday or Friday, so he’ll be with us. He’ll travel with us. He just can’t play because of the cardiac back-to-play protocol that’s in place.
“I think he’ll be able to bring a good presence to D. J. He’s got a great mind. He’s got great eyes. So he’s gonna be Coach Lawrence,” Swinney said.
NO. 5 DOGS TO BE WITHOUT LECOUNTE AGAINST GATORS >> Defensive back Richard LeCounte has been moved out of intensive care in an Athens, Georgia, hospital as he recovers from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident that will keep him out of No. 5 Georgia’s game against No. 8 Florida on Saturday.