CFB notebook: Houston DT Oliver questionable for South Florida game

Houston All-American defensive tackle Ed Oliver reportedly is questionable for Saturday's big game against No. 21 South Florida because of a bruised knee. Oliver suffered the injury during Houston's win over Navy on Saturday. The Houston Chronicle reported that Oliver has missed two straight practices and is listed as questionable. According to the report, the Cougars may not decide on Oliver's availability until shortly before kickoff. Oliver was a consensus All-American last season, when he became the first underclassman to win the Outland Trophy. Houston (6-1, 3-0 conference) and USF (7-0, 3-0) are both unbeaten in American Athletic Conference play heading into Saturday's game at Houston. --Felton Davis, Michigan State's leading receiver, has been diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon, which means his season and his college career are over. Davis, who is in his final season of college eligibility, suffered the injury in the second quarter of Saturday's loss to Michigan. He is expected to undergo surgery Friday in North Carolina. Davis leads the Spartans in receptions (31), receiving yards (474) and receiving touchdowns (four). He also scored one rushing touchdown. --Arizona State defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales was reprimanded and fined $5,000 for comments he made about the officiating following last Thursday night's 20-13 loss to Stanford. "I'm probably going to get in trouble or reprimanded or whatever they want to do but that's what it is, that's as unfair a football game as I've ever been a part of," Gonzalez said in his postgame media conference, according to 247Sports. "A couple of those penalties, if they call it both ways, it's fine, they weren't. I don't agree with them." Wednesday night the Pac-12 made its announcement of a fine and reprimand for Gonzales. "The Pac-12 has specific rules that prohibit our coaches from making public comments about officiating, and this prohibition includes comments that create doubts about the credibility of the Conference's officiating program," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement. "We have an obligation to our membership to enforce the conference rules which they have approved." --Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook has entered the concussion protocol, putting his status for Saturday's key Big Ten game against Northwestern in question, multiple media outlets reported. No. 20 Wisconsin is preparing backup Jack Coan to start in case Hornibrook is not medically cleared to play on Saturday. Coan has not played at all this season, but played in six games last season, when he completed all five passes he threw. The Badgers are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference, and Northwestern is 4-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play. They are among four teams atop the Big Ten West with one conference loss apiece. --USC is likely to be without All-Pac-12 linebacker Cameron Smith when it faces Arizona State on Saturday in Los Angeles. Smith did not play in USC's Oct. 13 win over Colorado because of a hamstring injury, and he left last week's loss to Utah after reaggravating the hamstring injury. However, it is a knee injury that might sideline him for the game against the Sun Devils. The Orange County Register reported that Smith had fluid drained from his left knee this week and received platelet-rich plasma and Monovisc injections. "It does not look favorable for this week," USC head coach Clay Helton said Wednesday night when asked about Smith's status for Saturday. Even though he missed one game and most of a second game, Smith leads the Trojans in tackles with 47.