The Husky Haul
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Washington football’s matchup with Oregon in jeopardy

By Roman Tomashoff

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates following an interception against the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates following an interception against the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington football had to shut down their facilities on Wednesday due to positive tests for COVID-19

Washington football has done a great job so far avoiding the COVID-19 virus, but it has made its way into the locker room. While it hasn’t been reported who exactly has tested positive for the virus, the Huskies’ sideline was noticeably smaller during their 31-26 loss to Stanford on Saturday. Notable absences from the last game who weren’t seen on the sideline included wide receiver Puka Nacua, quarterback Ethan Garbers, and outside linebacker Ryan Bowman.

It’s possible that some players that didn’t appear on the sideline were due to contact tracing, as the University of Washington reported that there are currently 11 active cases this week. The CDC recently lowered its recommended quarantine guidelines from 14 days to 7-10 days, so it’s possible that most players that were held out due to contact tracing would be eligible to play against the Ducks if they continue to test negative.

Head coach Jimmy Lake addressed the subject during his weekly radio show, and said, “We’re hoping things get better in these next 24-48 hours. And went on to say, “We’re hoping this is minimal, the infections we do have.”

What makes this even more curious is that if this game had to get canceled, the Huskies, due to their win percentage in the division would be crowned Pac-12 North champions. While obviously, none of the players and coaches would want to win the division that way, it would also put the Pac-12 Championship game against USC or Colorado in jeopardy. If the majority of the team’s scholarship players would have to quarantine for 7-10 days, the Pac-12 would have to jump through some hoops to reschedule the game.

Now comes the fun part, the waiting game. Hopefully, players continue to test negative, and the game can continue as scheduled. This is obviously the matchup Lake has been looking forward to for the entire season, and being at as close to full strength as possible is all he can ask for right now.

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