The College football world was rocked when news broke that Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson lost his wife, Wendy Anderson, to cancer.

The Trojans will honor both Wendy and Blake on Saturday when they wear pink ribbons during their game against the Red Wolves at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“This weekend our staff and players are going to wear pink ribbons in honor of Wendy,” Troy head coach Chip Lindsey said. “Blake Anderson is one of the best guys I’ve been around in this profession, and we’ve gotten a chance to know each other over the years as our paths have crossed.”

Blake Anderson took a leave of absence on August 19 and missed the Red Wolves opening game against SMU. Anderson made a surprise return just prior to ASU’s second game against UNLV one week later.

“I think the way he’s handled this whole situation has been extremely impressive,” Lindsey said. “I think his resilience, and the way that the Arkansas State community has comforted him and his family says a lot about what college athletics is all about.”

Two weeks ago Anderson and Red Wolves traveled to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The home crowd honored the Anderson family by wearing pink. On Saturday, the Trojans hope to spread awareness for cancer research.

“We’re going to take some donations this weekend to make a formal pledge to cancer research in honor of the Anderson family.

Trojan fans had been considering wearing pink in honor of Anderson as well, but the Arkansas State Athletic Department has asked for a “conservative and sensitive approach” instead, according to Troy SGA President Morgan Long.

“They asked us to not ‘pink out’ (everyone wear pink) or perform any type of honoring during the time Arkansas State is on the field,” Long said in a Facebook post Thursday to the Troy student body. “We have some organizations preparing pink buttons and pins that have been deemed appropriate that I would encourage everyone to wear if they feel compelled to show support.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 5 p.m.