Shane Illingworth's heroics almost didn't happen because of COVID-19.
The OSU freshman quarterback got the win in relief against Tulsa on Saturday, but if the Cowboys and Golden Hurricane played on Sept. 12 as originally scheduled, he wouldn’t have even been available for the game.
Illingworth spent two weeks in quarantine as the result of contact tracing after his roommate tested positive, his mother said. Tiffany McDonald said her son didn’t clear quarantine until last Thursday, only two days before the game.
Because OSU and Tulsa postponed a week after the Golden Hurricane missed numerous practices due to COVID-19, Illingworth was available Saturday.