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Gesture will cost Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield his start Saturday

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Baker Mayfield’s on-the-field antics caught up with him this time.

Oklahoma’s senior quarterback will not start his final regular-season game Saturday at home against West Virginia after making a lewd gesture against Kansas. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley also stripped Mayfield of his captain status for the game, the result of which won’t keep the Sooners out of the Big 12 championship.

Riley made the announcements Monday.

“I knew something needed to be done,” Mayfield said. “I put coach Riley in a terrible spot. It’s not a decision any coach wants to have to make, but it was necessary. It was a hard conversation because he wants the best for me. It’s tough. It was difficult and our relationship was the main reason why it was such a hard conversation to have.”

Riley teared up as he explained why Mayfield was so important to him. Mayfield started both years that Riley was offensive coordinator and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 2015 and third last season. In Riley’s first year as head coach, Mayfield has played well enough to be considered by many to be the leader in the Heisman race.

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Kansas team captains did not shake hands with Mayfield before Saturday’s game. After getting slighted, Mayfield jawed with the Jayhawks and some fans seated behind the Oklahoma bench. He also grabbed his crotch and cursed the Kansas sideline from his bench during the third quarter of the Sooners’ 41-3 win. Mayfield apologized afterward.

Mayfield has a track record of doing things to annoy opponents. The past three years, he shaved his mustache into a horseshoe style before playing Oklahoma State, representing a new sheriff in town. This season, he planted an OU flag at the 50-yard line at Ohio State after a 31-16 victory . He told Baylor’s players he was their daddy and he was going to spank them before a 49-41 Oklahoma win.

Etc.

Mayfield, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and Stanford running back Bryce Love are the finalists for the Maxwell Award given to college football’s top player. ... Michigan quarterback Brandon Peters is in the concussion protocol and could be cleared to practice without contact as soon as Wednesday. Peters was carted off the field after taking a hit Saturday in a loss at No. 5 Wisconsin. The Wolverines host No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday. ... Bob Stitt is out as Montana’s coach after three seasons, athletics director Kent Haslam. ... Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey, who has missed the last two games with a leg injury, likely will miss Saturday’s season finale at home against Boston College.

sports@latimes.com

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