[ad_1]
By STEVE MEGARGEE, AP Sports activities Author
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst isn’t discussing quarterback Graham Mertz’s standing following experiences that the redshirt freshman has examined constructive for COVID-19.
“I cannot, can not and shouldn’t due to this fact remark about something coping with our testing and coronavirus,” Chryst mentioned Monday.
Chryst did say he was assured the ninth-ranked Badgers’ recreation Saturday at Nebraska (0-1) would go on as scheduled.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal each reported that Mertz had examined constructive. The Journal-Sentinel reported Mertz’s constructive check got here Saturday, sooner or later after the Badgers’ 45-7 season-opening house victory over Illinois.
Each papers reported that Mertz could be present process a second check to find out if the primary end result was a false constructive.
Huge Ten protocols say that athletes who check constructive by means of point-of-contact each day testing should take a polymerase chain response check to substantiate the primary end result. If that second check confirms a constructive end result, the athlete can’t play once more for at the very least 21 days.
Chryst mentioned he has no downside with the Huge Ten’s 21-day coverage, which is extra stringent than these of most conferences relating to gamers who check constructive. Wisconsin (1-0) visits Nebraska, hosts Purdue and travels to No. 13 Michigan in its subsequent three video games.
“The No. 1 concern for the league, and I recognize this, was how will we finest hold everybody as protected as doable relating to the virus, after which how do you handle the impacts of it when somebody has it,” Chryst mentioned. “Admittedly, they advised us it was extra conservative, and if that helps one particular person, then that’s a very good factor for us. We’ve identified that there was numerous work that went by means of this. For us to play, if that’s one thing that’s in the most effective curiosity of everybody concerned, then I utterly help it.”
Wisconsin issued an announcement Sunday evening saying that no gamers, coaches or staffers examined constructive or confirmed any signs earlier than Friday’s recreation. College officers mentioned they wouldn’t launch any testing info relating to particular person athletes resulting from privateness issues.
An athlete who checks constructive should bear complete cardiac testing after which obtain clearance from a heart specialist designated by the college earlier than returning to motion.
Mertz made his first profession begin Friday and set a college document for completion proportion and matched a college document for landing passes in a recreation with 5. He went 20 of 21 for 248 yards.
He was taking part in as a result of returning starter Jack Coan underwent surgical procedure on his proper foot Oct. 6, leaving him out indefinitely. Wisconsin’s solely different scholarship quarterbacks are sophomore Chase Wolf and junior Danny Vanden Growth.
Wolf entered the Illinois recreation late within the fourth quarter however didn’t try a go. He performed one recreation final yr and accomplished his solely go for two yards.
“It doesn’t matter what place, so long as I’ve been part of soccer, there’s alternatives that come,” Chryst mentioned. “We noticed it with Jack getting harm, proper? It’s no completely different at some other place. Clearly this yr there’s some issues that will likely be distinctive. Hopefully it’s distinctive simply to this yr.”
For extra AP faculty soccer protection: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link