Every season in college football is full of challenges and over the past week Auburn overcame perhaps its toughest to date.
After nine players tested positive for COVID-19 and another seven were sidelined due to contract tracing, Auburn was forced to cancel two practices last week. Since then the team underwent two rounds of testing and had no new positives, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn reported Saturday.
The news came just after the Tigers scrimmage, something they may have not taken place had they been able to limit the spread.
“It was really great news,” Malzahn said. “I know our players were excited about it.”
Prior to the return of the student body Auburn was able to limit expose in a semi-bubble, but with the start of the semester on Aug. 17 there have been more positives.
“It’s kind of about adjusting,” Malzahn said. “The first two weeks we didn’t adjust to the students being back. The third week we did. Hopefully that will be the routine, knowing how we need to handle that situation and be accountable to each other. That’s been our message. Hopefully, this week will be the same.”
The Tigers are just three weeks away from their season opener with Kentucky on Sept. 26.
“Very relieved,” Malzahn added. “You are talking about we had two tough weeks as far as positives go. The urgency is the closer you get to the season. A lot of them are starters. We just need to get our guys on the practice field as a unit. It was great news.”