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San Diego State football has been exposed to the mumps.
The San Diego State football roster could be extremely thin for a Saturday night matchup with Texas State. The Aztecs have more than 30 players listed on the pre-game injury report. A mumps outbreak is believed to be playing a role.
If players are unable to suit up for the PAC 12 contest, it puts the Aztecs at a serious disadvantage.
A recent bulletin to students noted that the San Diego County Public Health Services had confirmed 14 cases and one probable case of the mumps. The outbreak remained within a single athletic team. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that it is, indeed, the football program.
San Diego State football has the mumps.
Mumps is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as an infection that causes painful swelling around your jaw and neck when it infects your salivary glands. It can make it hard to eat and talk. There might also be flu-like symptoms.
Obviously, those are not ideal conditions for football players gearing up for their conference opener. The Aztecs have already struggled to produce wins. This setback won’t help their cause.
San Diego State is 1-3 this year with three straight double-digit losses to UCLA, James Madison, and Toledo. They’ll next face Texas State, who’s riding a two-game winning streak.
The pregame injury report includes upwards of three dozen players. Fifteen are listed in the two-deep. Their statuses range from “probable” to “out.”
The Aztecs have already been hit hard by the injury bug. Starting running back Lucky Sutton missed last week’s contest and is listed as “out” for the Texas State game. His backup, Javion Kinnard, is now doubtful.
Starting right guard Michael Leville Watkins also won’t play. A starting wideout and two tight ends are questionable.
Below is a list of starters currently on the injury report.
Probable: OL Dennis Jones, WR Donovan Brown, C Isaac Lucas, DB Jalen Thomeson, OLB Kai Wallin, LG Kalan Ellis
Questionable: WR Bert Emanuel Jr, TE Jackson Ford
Doubtful: RB Javion Kinnard
Out: RB Lucky Sutton, OL Michael Leville Watkins
The Aztecs’ roster could be thin.
Of the 32 players listed on the report, 21 are questionable or worse. With 108 players on the team, nearly 20% of the roster is in serious doubt of suiting up. Despite the outbreak, the game is expected to go on as scheduled.
“The football gods have not really favored us with the injury luck,” head coach Sean Lewis said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “Guys have got to be ready to step into the light when the time comes… We’ve been given a nice storm here. But this too shall pass, and we’ve got to be able to see our way through it.”
Lewis has not identified the players exposed to the outbreak. The injury report, however, sheds a bit of light.
Dr. T. Ghosh, medical director of San Diego State Student Health Services, said that “because mumps symptoms can develop 12 to 25 days after exposure, these new cases reflect spread within the team and potential exposure to additional close contacts. The university continues to take a number of daily actions.”
The team is being advised against sharing food and drinks while washing hands frequently in order to stop the spread. The Aztecs’ roster was already injury riddled. It can’t afford for the outbreak to extend further.