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AUBURN, Alabama – Gus MalzahnThe SEC program is the latest in the SEC to be affected by a COVID-19 spike. After nine new positive cases among players and three among staff, Auburn has suspended all team activities indefinitely, Malzahn told reporters on Tuesday morning.
In addition to the nine players, a “handful of close contacts” are also in quarantine. These players must sit 14 days after their positive results, according to the SEC protocol, and cannot test outside of their quarantines.
Malzahn did not say whether Auburn traced his outbreak to a specific event, noting that all the positives happened “some time” during the team’s week off last week, after players and the staff were “out of their routines”.
“I have great confidence in our players,” said Malzahn. “They’ve sacrificed a lot to get even to this point. Like I said, seven consecutive weeks (without a positive COVID-19 result), then we have an outbreak. When we have an outbreak, it’s not just ‘one guy. You know, it affects a lot of people. But our guys are determined. … I expect us to get this under control pretty quickly and get back to our routine. “
Auburn will test players and coaches daily “until we got a handle on this thing. “
Yesterday, the SEC postponed the Auburn game on Saturday in Mississippi state (tentatively postponed to December 12) following an outbreak in Mike leach‘s program, which was already one player away from hitting the minimum in his victory over Vanderbilt this weekend.
“Based on positive tests and those considered close contact, as well as non-COVID injuries, we do not have the minimum number of scholarship student-athletes available for Saturday’s game against Auburn,” said yesterday Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen. .
Malzahn said Auburn was already having internal conversations about whether he would have enough fellows to play Miss State before the SEC made its decision.
The carry serves as the SEC’s fourth this season, after Florida against LSU, Florida against Missouri and Missouri against Vanderbilt.
Auburn previously had one of the SEC’s best COVID-19 history up to this point in the season. The Tigers’ last reported positive result dates back to mid-September, a few weeks before their season opener.
“We just have to adjust and adapt,” said Malzahn. “That was my message to the team long before the start of the season. It will be a year of adjustment. Teams that adjust and adapt will have an advantage.”
At the start of preseason camp, Auburn canceled nearly a full week of practice due to a string of positive results. Malzahn’s side returned to the pitch the following week with “16-18” players in quarantine – including a handful of starters. Malzahn and the players have hinted repeatedly this season that Auburn’s offensive line has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19 absences during fall camp. Auburn hopes to learn from the lessons he learned a few months ago now as he faces another outbreak.
“We had a time at fall camp where we ran out of time so that experience really helped us,” said Malzahn. “And I think, not just at the planning level, but it probably helps you from a player’s point of view, you’ve experienced it once before.”
Auburn athletic director Allen Greene last month said the athletic department has spent more than $ 700,000 on COVID-19 testing since the student-athletes returned to campus for training sessions in June. As of October 28, Auburn had administered more than 6,200 tests in the school’s athletic programs, with an overall positivity rate of 1.39%.
“We realize that uncompromising diligence towards protocols is required to minimize the chances of contracting a highly contagious virus that never takes a day off,” Greene said. “We will not let our guard down.”
Malzahn said Auburn is doing pretty much everything right now and is reviewing the film as if it is playing in Tennessee on schedule in less than two weeks.
LSU and Texas A&M are also among the SEC’s programs to deal with COVID-19 issues this week. After a few positive cases and subsequent contact tracing, LSU would only have one quarterback in scholarship for its weekend game against Alabama. Texas A&M, meanwhile, has more than a dozen players currently unavailable after contact tracing, Aggies sporting director Ross Bjork said yesterday.
In addition, the Arkansas coach Sam pittman tested positive for the virus twice earlier this week, so he won’t be on the sidelines for the Razorbacks game against Florida No.6 on Saturday.
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