An already shaky Pac-12 pass defense will be without its star player this week.
According to the Seattle Times, Washington head coach Chris Petersen suspended junior cornerback Marcus Peters for the team's upcoming game against Illinois.
"Discipline will stay in house," Petersen said at his weekly press conference on Monday when asked about Peters' status. "I'm not addressing any of that right now. We'll talk about that down the road."
Peters did not play in the fourth quarter of the team's 59-52 win over FCS power Eastern Washington. Although the Huskies are 2-0 heading into Saturday's game, they are ranked 112th in the country in pass-efficiency defense and 114th in passing yards allowed.
Behind quarterback Wes Lunt, the Illini have the eighth best passing offense in FBS after Week 2.
Peters reportedly head-butted an Eastern Washington player in the third quarter and was benched the rest of the contest. The paper said he was seen tossing his equipment on the ground afterward and throwing a tantrum.
"I'm just not into stupid penalties," Petersen said after the game. "It's not even an issue whether the guy's going to play or not if they don't conduct themselves right. If you don't play like we want you play, you're not playing. It's not even a decision for me; it's easy."
The junior was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2013 and considered to be just behind Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu among the conference's top NFL draft prospects at cornerback.
Alabama transfer Travell Dixon and freshman Sidney Jones are expected to be Washington's two starting cornerbacks on Saturday.
Petersen has brought a no-nonsense approach with him to Seattle from Boise State, as evidenced by a rash of suspensions in recent months. Taking his best player off the field at a position of need should serve as a further warning to others to get in line or get out from Montlake.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
