Positive report on Western Kentucky football player carted off against Indiana

A delay of around 10 minutes in Indiana football‘s win over Western Kentucky created a somber mood of what was left of the crowd at Memorial Stadium with the Hoosiers en route to a 38-0 win.

Karsten Upchurch, WKU’s starting right tackle, was on the ground for 10 minutes before being moved to a stretcher and carted off Merchants Bank Field. Upchurch laid flailing his legs while flat on his stomach after blocking outside, then turning back inside on a run play and getting hit hard with 6:34 left.

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Hilltoppers coach Tyson Helton gave an update after a day of tests, though the availability of Upchurch for Western Kentucky’s home opener sounds in doubt.

“He’s doing good. Most of the tests have come back great. He’s moving around, he’s normal – still gonna keep doing some tests there,” Helton said in his weekly news conference. “Like anything, when you have a neck and back injury, you got to be very careful. (The) medical staff is making sure they go through everything and checking every box. But he’s good, he’s doing well. He needs more time to recover and we need more time to make sure he’s doing good.”

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Upchurch, listed at 6 foot 5, 295 pounds, had his helmet, shoulder pads and shirt removed before being carted off.

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“He was conscious talking, was moving, he was in a lot of pain. He was in a lot of pain,” Helton said Saturday.

Helton spent a few minutes talking to Upchurch on the cart. The Hilltoppers staff also huddled around Upchurch as he was being attended to by the medical staff. The Hilltoppers and Hoosiers took a knee.

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