FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas will be down two veterans in its secondary for the Texas Bowl after Coach Bret Bielema suspended starting safety Rohan Gaines and reserve cornerback Carroll Washington.
"I have removed them from the program," Bielema said before Saturday's practice. "Carroll obviously is a senior, so his last game is behind us. Rohan, if he adheres to all the things we ask him to do, he'll be back with us in January."
Bielema was asked what the players did to be disciplined.
"That will stay within me," he said. "They violated some team policy, and I made the decision to remove them."
Bielema said true freshman Josh Liddell of Pine Bluff Dollarway would move into the starting free safety spot beside senior strong safety Alan Turner.
Liddell played well at points this season, filling in when Gaines was ejected for a targeting foul against LSU and starting the next week against Ole Miss. Liddell also started the second half against the Rebels, although Gaines came in and had a 100-yard interception return touchdown in the Hogs' 30-0 victory.
Junior Davyon McKinney and redshirt freshman De'Andre Coley also could pick up snaps in the defensive backfield against Texas and will benefit from increased practice reps leading up to the Dec. 29 bowl game.
"The way I look at it, it's an opportunity for those guys to kind of get a jump into what spring ball is going to look like," Bielema said. "Obviously, Josh played six quarters of unscored-upon defense in the SEC, so I think he's more than ready."
Bielema gave a succinct answer when asked how losing Gaines and Washington would impact Arkansas in the bowl game.
"Not at all," Bielema said.
Gaines, a junior from Bainbridge, Ga., ranks fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He also has 5 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
Washington, who is from Baltimore, came to Arkansas as a junior-college signee before last year, and began the season with four consecutive starts at cornerback before dropping down in the rotation. He is tied for 14th on the team with 17 tackles and has a pass breakup. He had an interception against Texas A&M.
Sports on 12/14/2014