Bulldogs’ rivalry game cut by COVID-19, but they won’t sit idle during contact tracing
The Fresno State Bulldogs’ next game is to be determined, subject to COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols.
It could be next Friday against San Diego State, home at Bulldog Stadium, but much more likely Dec. 5 at Nevada.
But the Bulldogs, who had their game on Saturday against San Jose State for the Valley Trophy canceled due to coronavirus contract tracing protocols following a coronavirus positive test in their program, won’t be left sitting idle at 3-1.
“We are still going hard at it with the guys that can do workouts and we’ll be practicing and all that,” coach Kalen DeBoer said. “It’s not like we’re all of a sudden coming to a dead stop. It’s a lot different than it was this summer.
“It goes back to everything we’ve talked about – focus on what you can control. The guys know that this was a bump in the road along the way, but we’re going to respond just like we talk about each and every game. Adversity hit us. We have to respond the right way and stay focused and stay disciplined on the things that we can control.”
Bulldogs will make up ground during contact tracing
Fresno State had to suspend its men’s basketball practices for 14 days after two members of the program tested positive for COVID-19 and contact tracing protocols, given the much smaller roster size.
But football will be able to meet, as usual. The players will practice, as usual. There is ground to be made up still after missing spring practices and then not being allowed to return to campus over the summer by university administrators, even as the Bulldogs’ Mountain West Conference rivals were back for voluntary workouts in June and mandatory workouts in July.
Fresno State did not meet in-person as a team between March 12 after spring practices were canceled due to the coronavirus and Sept. 25 when they came back for the start of fall camp.
The numbers in practices will be down due to the contact tracing and on-field injuries, but whether the Bulldogs play seven or six games in this truncated Mountain West season they are not at this point out of contention for a spot in the title game.
They don’t have as much control over their fate as they would if playing San Jose State, but the final three weeks of the season could be turbulent for the teams still in contention.
Still in contention for Mountain West title game
Nevada, at 4-0 one the three remaining undefeated teams in conference play, plays 3-1 San Diego State on Saturday and still has games on the road at 2-2 Hawaii, against the 3-1 Bulldogs and at 4-0 San Jose State.
The Spartans next week play at 3-0 Boise State, and end the regular season with games against 2-2 Hawaii and 4-0 Nevada.
San Diego State, which is 3-1 and was scheduled to play only seven Mountain West games with a non-conference matchup against BYU at the end of the regular season, plays at Nevada, has the scheduled game against Fresno State and plays 1-2 Colorado State.
Boise State, which is 3-0 and also was scheduled for seven conference games and was blown out 51-17 in a game against BYU, is at Hawaii on Saturday, plays San Jose State next week and ends its season with games at UNLV and at Wyoming.
Fresno State, after playing at Nevada, ends its regular-season at 0-3 New Mexico.
The top two teams by winning percentage at the end of the season will meet in the conference championship game.
“We still have a part of our season left and we still have goals that we feel are attainable and we’re making progress,” DeBoer said. “That progress is for this season, but it’s also for our culture and developing our team for the future. The way we look at it, every single lift and every single conditioning session and every single practice is developing our program.
“We’re hoping that we can have some payoff this year, being in a championship or being in a bowl game, but if it doesn’t happen then we’ve made progress to where we’re much better next season.”