Miami will be without at least one player against Louisville on Saturday according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
“A person involved in UM program said at least 1 UM player is not traveling to Louisville because of a COVID-19 issue,” Jackson wrote on Twitter. “I have not confirmed if a 2nd player is also not traveling. Game is still on at this point. UM’s policy is not to comment on how many -if any -players have virus.”
Jackson quickly added that the individual who didn’t travel is a “rotation player.”
Miami’s official Twitter account posted photos of the team leaving Coral Gables at 2:48 p.m. ET on Friday. Players that were identifiable in the post include: quarterback D’Eriq King, defensive lineman Nesta Silvera, safety Amari Carter and cornerback DJ Ivey.
Manny Diaz outlined his plan earlier in the week when it came to preventing an outbreak.
“Just keeping our players around our players,” Diaz said on Tuesday. “No different than we have. We were in a hotel last week. So hotels a hotel. But just making sure we don’t intermix with other people who are in the hotel. The closest thing we can create to an actual bubble is really in the 24 to 36 hours before kickoff. So we have a little bit of experience with that in our home hotel last week.”
Diaz later shared the message he has had for his team since the pandemic started.
“I mention it every single week, we tell our players every week, ‘We are only as good as our next test.’ That’s why we have to continue to be diligent in all of our actions,” Diaz said.
Miami is currently a 2.5-point underdog to Louisville according to William & Hill Sportsbook. The No. 17 ranked Hurricanes (1-0) rolled the No. 18 ranked Cardinals (1-0) last season at Hard Rock Stadium winning 52-27 after then-UM quarterback Jarren Williams tied a single-game school record with six touchdown passes.
Miami and Louisville are set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET under the lights of Cardinal Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC.
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