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sports Diahuebs 24 september 2020

Houston still waiting to play after 3rd virus cancellation

(AP)- The Houston Cougars Mid-American Conference
are again without an oppo- university presidents are
nent and still waiting to play scheduled to meet Friday
their season opener as CO- with playing in the fall on
VID-19 issues wiped out two the agenda, a person familiar
more major college football with the meeting told The
games Wednesday. Associated Press on condi-
The latest team forced to bail tion of anonymity because
on Houston was North Tex- the conference was not mak-
as, which said it would not be ing its return to play discus-
able to field a team for Sat- sion public.
urday's road game after four The MAC was the first FBS
positive tests this week. conference to postpone fall
football in early August be-
The school didn’t specify an cause of concerns about play-
affected position group or ing through the pandemic.
how many additional people
needed to self isolate because On Thursday, presidents'
of contact tracing. Tulsa's meetings will be held in
scheduled game at Arkan- both the Pac-12 and Moun-
sas State this week was also tain West, with both confer-
postponed. Arkansas State ences eyeing late October
said only that it was unable starts to the football season
to assemble a two-deep depth after initially postponing all
chart at an unspecified posi- fall sports. All this comes as
tion. Earlier in the day, the the Southeastern Confer-
Atlantic Coast Conference ence prepares to kick off its
rescheduled Notre Dame's season with seven games on
game at Wake Forest for Saturday. “I don’t know that I
Dec. 12. The seventh-ranked would call this a normal feel cancel that game only a day Houston athletic director 12 game at Washington State
Fighting Irish could not play to Week 1, but it does feel like before kickoff because of Chris Pezman said Wednes- was canceled when the Pac-
Saturday in Winston-Salem, Week 1," SEC Commissioner multiple positive tests. day that he understood the 12 originally decided not to
North Carolina, because of Greg Sankey said. “I appreci- That cancellation drew the “COVID-related decision play this fall.
13 players in isolation with ate that we’re here.” ire of Cougars coach Dana North Texas has made to
COVID-19 and 10 more in SEC teams might play twice Holgorsen this week. not play” and appreciated North Texas (1-1) was com-
quarantine due to contact before Houston gets in its “I don't know how it gets to the consistent dialogue with ing of a 65-35 home loss
tracing. first game. The Cougars' next 22 hours before the game. UNT officals. “I am disap- to SMU last Saturday. The
scheduled game is Oct. 8 at We've had four games can- pointed for our student-ath- Mean Green’s next sched-
Wake Forest has moved its home against Tulane. celed, so we're kind of used to letes who have continued to uled game is their Confer-
nonconference game against that,” Holgorsen said Mon- focus on competing this sea- ence USA opener at home
Campbell to Oct. 3, a previ- Houston was scheduled to day before the bad news from son and were ready to play Oct. 3 against Southern Miss.
ously open date. Notre Dame play last Friday at Memphis, North Texas. “How it gets to this Saturday," Pezman said. "We knew that there would be
also has an open date on Oct. but the American Athletic 22 hours before the game, I "We will continue to work to challenges with COVID-19
3, giving the Irish more time Conference put off that game don't know. There's a rea- adjust our schedule with the this season and we were tak-
to get their players back. As a week in advance because of son why our conference and hopes of playing as soon as ing precautions to hopefully
the number of games involv- a virus outbreak among the the Big 12 tests three times a we can.” avoid this situation,” North
ing FBS teams postponed Tigers. It was replaced by a week. So I would think that The Cougars were originally Texas AD Wren Baker said.
or canceled since Aug. 26 hastily arranged reunion with our opponent kind of knows supposed to open the season “We are hopeful we can re-
reached 20, another confer- former Southwest Confer- where they're at, just like Sept. 3 against Rice, but that sume safe activities soon.”
ence is taking steps toward ence rival Baylor last Sat- we kind of knew where we game was postponed in Au-
trying to play fall football. urday, but the Bears had to were." gust. That was after a Sept.

Jags without PK Lambo, C Linder vs Dolphins, maybe WR Chark

(AP) — The Jacksonville Jag- past four years. He has made
uars will be without place- 74 of 78 field-goal attempts
kicker Josh Lambo for at least since signing with the Jag-
the next three games. uars in 2017, including 11 of
12 from beyond 50 yards. He
The team placed Lambo on also has made 66 of 71 extra
injured reserve Wednesday points.
with a hip injury and called
up rookie Brandon Wright Watson joined the Jaguars
from the practice squad. as an undrafted rookie from
Wright will make his NFL Georgia State. Jacksonville
debut Thursday night against placed him on the practice
Miami. squad after final cuts because
of COVID-19 uncertainty,
Jacksonville also will be with- knowing he can punt and
out center Brandon Linder kick.
(knee) and could be without
receiver DJ Chark (chest/ Veteran backup Tyler Shat-
back). Chark is listed as ques- ley will replace Linder in the
tionable. starting lineup. Shatley start-
Lambo has been as reliable as ed 15 games over the previ-
anyone in the league over the ous four seasons.