Talk about a gut punch. San Diego State football just dropped an injury report listing a staggering 33 players, and get this: at least 14 of those guys, with a 15th probable, are battling the mumps. Yeah, the mumps. This isn’t just about a few banged-up knees, this is a full-blown health crisis hitting the Aztecs right before their first conference game.
The Injury Report Is a Bloodbath, Mumps and All
It’s not just the mumps wiping out players, though that’s obviously the biggest head-scratcher here. Out of those 33 players on the report, a shocking 21 are either questionable, doubtful, or outright out for Saturday’s game against Texas State. We’re talking running backs Lucky Sutton (out) and Javion Kinnard (doubtful) sidelined with football injuries they picked up against Toledo. Guard Michael Levelle Watkins is out, too. And here’s another kicker: the *entire tight end room* is on that injury report. Head coach Sean Lewis couldn’t even name the mumps-affected players, citing privacy laws, but you can feel his frustration. “The football gods have not really favored us with the injury luck,” Lewis told reporters Wednesday. No kidding, coach. This isn’t bad luck, it’s a disaster.
The Mumps Outbreak Is Spreading, and It Might Get Worse
This isn’t a new problem, either. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported way back on Sept. 18 that there were already three confirmed and two probable mumps cases. Then, Monday, another four players got infected. We’re seeing this thing snowball. Dr. T. Ghosh, medical director for SDSU Student Health Services, sent an email Wednesday confirming that mumps symptoms can pop up anywhere from 12 to 25 days after exposure. Think about that: the number of affected players could *still grow* before the final injury report drops for the Texas State game. We’re talking puffy cheeks, swollen jaws, fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite. It’s rough, and it spreads fast through simple respiratory droplets, just from talking, coughing, or sharing utensils. Even with two doses of the MMR vaccine being 84% effective against mumps, people can still catch it, especially with prolonged exposure. This team is literally a ticking time bomb of potential new infections.
Texas State is rolling into San Diego for their first Pac-12 conference matchup, and they’re walking into an absolute mess. Saturday’s game is going to be a wild one, if San Diego State can even field a healthy team. Who knows how many more players will be added to that injury list by kickoff? This is a season-defining moment, and not in a good way.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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