Wisconsin Coach Paul Chryst is among the dozen people in the program to test positive for coronavirus, forcing the school to cancel this weekend’s game against Nebraska. AJ Mast/Associated Press
No. 9 Wisconsin has canceled its game at Nebraska on Saturday 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 Wednesday that 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. “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. Additional test results were pending.
Wisconsin becomes the first Big Ten school to postpone a game since the league started its pandemic-delayed season last week. This is the 37th game involving Football Bowl Subdivision teams to be postponed or canceled since Aug. 6.
The 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. Last year’s starting quarterback, Jack Coan, is already out indefinitely following foot surgery. The Badgers’ only other scholarship quarterback is junior Danny Vanden Boom.
COASTAL CAROLINA: Coach Jamey Chadwell is “cautiously optimistic” that injured starting quarterback Grayson McCall could play Saturday when the 20th-ranked Chanticleers face Georgia State.
McCall leads the Sun Belt Conference in passing efficiency with 11 touchdowns against one interception. He was ruled out last week with what the team called an upper-body injury. Chadwell said Wednesday that McCall has not practiced fully yet during his recovery.
Should McCall remain sidelined, backup Fred Payton would make his second straight start. Payton, who started 10 games the previous two seasons before last week, threw three touchdown passes in a 28-14 victory over Georgia Southern.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Coach Mike Leach said receiver Tyrell Shavers and defensive ends Tre Lawson and Jamari Stewart are no longer with the program that he has also heard that senior back Kylin Hill plans to opt out for the rest of the season to prepare for the NFL draft.
Hill’s status has been unclear in recent weeks. He was preseason All-SEC first team selection after rushing for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Hill has caught 23 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown in the coach’s pass-oriented Air Raid scheme but did not play in a 28-14 home loss to then-No. 11 Texas A&M nearly two weeks ago. Leach has repeatedly said that Hill was unavailable because of personal reasons.
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