TCU senior receiver Skye Dawson will sit out the opener against Grambling State on Saturday for violating institutional policy, coach Gary Patterson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Patteron did not specify what Dawson did to earn the suspension, but he did say that Dawson would return for TCU's Big 12 opener at Kansas on Sept. 15.
Dawson is the Horned Frogs' second-leading returning receiver this season behind Josh Boyce. Dawson caught 45 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns last season, and he and Boyce are the only receivers who have started a game for TCU.
Matt Brown is listed as Boyce's backup. Brown was the backup quarterback for TCU last season.
Oklahoma defensive tackle close to return: The mother of Oklahoma DT Casey Walker told The Oklahoman that her son will return to the team soon. It was reported last week that Walker had left the team to deal with a personal issue and it was unknown when he would return. "He is great," Natalie Pipken, Walker's mother, told The Oklahoman. "He is coming back. He'll be back on the team." Walker, a fifth-year senior, has played in 22 games and made 12 starts in his career. OU is also missing senior DT Stacy McGee, who is suspended indefinitely, so Walker's return would provide some much-needed depth in the middle of Oklahoma's defensive line.
Offensive line key in Iowa State-Iowa rivalry: ISU coach Paul Rhoads credited his team's offensive line play as one of the main reasons the Cyclones were able to knock off the Hawkeyes last year. "Last year in the three years that we've been here we played our best at the line of scrimmage," Rhoads told the Ames Tribune. "[We'll need] similar or better output than that to be able to compete in this one."
K-State's forgotten receiver: Junior WR Tremaine Thompson is K-State's No. 3 receiver behind Chris Harper and Tyler Lockett and the backup to Lockett at punt returner. Essentially, he's the forgotten man in the trio. That's no longer the case after Saturday's performance when Thompson caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in addition to a punt return TD. Thompson was supposed to be finished for the day when coaches sent him in late to return a punt, and he weaved his way to an 89-yard TD return (see video).
Weis gives Crist mixed reviews on his first start: The good from Kansas QB Dayne Crist, according to Charlie Weis, was that Crist didn't play scared, was calm under pressure and kept his composure when things turned sour against South Dakota State. Weis told the Kansas City Star that Crist also earned some low marks. "No one gets graded harder than the quarterback,” Weis said. "So, I think that his parents would not have been happy if he brought that grade home." Weis also said that the problems with the passing game were fixable. One that needs addressed would be Crist's completion percentage, as he was a Big 12-worst 17 of 36 in the opener.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern).