Razorbacks report

Jojo out for half of opener

Arkansas receiver JoJo Robinson catches a pass during practice Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas receiver JoJo Robinson catches a pass during practice Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema announced Monday that redshirt freshman receiver Jojo Robinson would be suspended for the first half of Saturday's season opener against Texas-El Paso based on an incident from the summer.

Bielema wasn't specific about what led to the suspension, but it appeared to be related to class attendance or performance or showing up on time, issues that Bielema has previously addressed with Robinson.

"He had a really good summer GPA [grade-point average], but one of the issues I put in front of him he wasn't able to uphold, so that suspension stayed true," Bielema said. "He'll go in the second half."

Robinson is expected to be among a group of newcomers at skill positions, along with receiver Dominique Reed and tailback Rawleigh Williams III, who have earned significant playing time. Robinson had been running with the starters at slot receiver, but junior Drew Morgan is listed in that spot this week, followed by walk-on Luke Rossi.

"Hopefully he'll be very hungry," offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. "Your college career is very limited as it is and to lose some opportunities based off of poor decisions from yourself, I mean you really have no one but yourself to blame for that.

"Really, if I was him, I would be chomping at the bit to get out there."

Linebacker re-shuffle

Arkansas' coaching staff elected to return junior Josh Williams to the middle linebacker spot, where he started spring drills, and to move sophomore Khalia Hackett back to the strong-side linebacker spot, at least for the opener.

"I think the biggest thing was that Josh Williams has had a great camp and with what UTEP is going to do or what we perceive them to be doing with two backs and two tight ends, he's a great fit for us in the middle," defensive coordinator Robb Smith said.

Coach Bret Bielema said Hackett was ultimately more comfortable on the strong side.

"Khalia looks like a different player when he's playing outside," Bielema said.

Bielema and Smith pointed out a play in Arkansas' second scrimmage, Williams' tackle for a 3-yard loss against Denzel Evans on a third-and-goal toss play from the 2, that played into the move. Williams was lined up at middle linebacker on the play, Smith said.

"The ball broke out to the perimeter, and he looked like he was shot out of a cannon," Smith said. "He played fast. He was confident. He ran downhill and made a big play for us."

Smith said he expected to see Josh Harris and Hackett at middle linebacker during the opener.

Healthy Hogs

Bret Bielema said the Razorbacks are physically in a good place heading into the season.

"On Sunday there was really only one player who was restricted from practice on our two-deep, and that's Jonathan Williams, and that had nothing to do with soft tissue," Bielema said. "That was a guy who landed on a leg. ... I look back at almost a year ago, and it's just not even comparable."

Bielema said the Razorbacks had 17 players on their injury list two weeks out from the season opener in 2014.

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith gave credit to Ben Herbert's strength and conditioning staff.

"Just a little feather in the cap of Coach Herbert overall," Smith said. "This is as healthy as I have ever seen a football team coming out of a training camp, whether it's been with soft tissue, recovery, hydration, and I think that's really been the big thing."

Boneheads

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema had a bad Saturday.

On what was supposed to be a slow off day, he was feeling a little sick on the heels of his wife, Jen, being under the weather. Then he got news of a second freshman arrest in two days for an alcohol-related offense.

"It really wasn't an enjoyable day for me at all," he said. "I think the part that was disappointing more than anything is it just gave everybody reasons to fire a shot -- your enemies or people you're competing with on a daily basis."

Tight end C.J. O'Grady was arrested overnight Friday and charged with DWI, and punter Blake Johnson was arrested for disorderly conduct and minor in possession of alcohol overnight Saturday.

Bielema called the arrests "pretty bonehead mistakes," and said both players have been removed from the program until the university and the football staff set some parameters for their returns.

"We had a long stretch out there without any big issues, and obviously those are two things we can correct in a short fashion and hopefully everyone will take notice of that," he said.

Wild Miner

Bret Bielema said he expected 5-10 sophomore Mack Leftwich to start Saturday's game at quarterback for Texas-El Paso, which means more quarterback runs than if 6-7 Garrett Simpson was under center.

UTEP also installed a "Wild Miner" formation during camp as a way to get athletic true freshman Kavika Johnson on the field taking direct snaps.

"We've got to get prepared for that and do some detailed alignments with that," Bielema said.

The original quarterback in the formation was going to be tailback Aaron Jones, who ranked fourth in Conference USA with 1,321 rushing yards last season. However, Jones struggled to pass and Johnson emerged in camp.

"We're preparing for their Wild Miner set," defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "I'm sure they'll have some version of a running back or an athlete back there that can run the ball."

Toledo suspensions

Toledo star tailback Kareem Hunt and defensive end Allen Covington have been suspended for the first two games for an unspecified violation of team rules, according to ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy. The suspensions will keep them out of the Rockets' season opener against Stony Brook and a game the next week against Arkansas at Little Rock.

Hunt led the Mid-American Conference with 1,631 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns last year, despite missing three games with a foot injury. Hunt had a season-high 271 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the Rockets' 63-44 victory against Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl.

Hunt rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-24 loss to Missouri.

Rah-rah ride

Injured running back Jonathan Williams has had his self-propelled scooter decked out in a festive fashion. Williams, who was on the scooter before Monday's news conferences at the Fred Smith Football Center, had pom-pons sticking out of the handlebars and a horn on one handle.

Heat wave

A return to summer-like temperatures is expected to continue in Northwest Arkansas up through game time Saturday, with highs all week projected to hit 90 degrees or more.

Wait for it

Bret Bielema said there was not a built-in plan to play redshirt sophomore quarterback Austin Allen for an early series against Texas-El Paso in the opener. Allen got his most significant playing time behind his brother, Brandon, in the second half of Arkansas' 30-0 shutout of Ole Miss in the 11th game last year.

Jackson move

Freshman linebacker signee Kendrick Jackson, who was targeted for a certain redshirt on defense, asked the coaches if he could take a shot at earning playing time this season at fullback. Jackson, 6-1, 249 pounds, made the move Sunday, so the coaches have had little time to evaluate whether he could factor into the position this year.

SEC Nation

The SEC Network's pregame show SEC Nation will make its second-season debut in Fayetteville on Saturday at Victory Village, north of the Broyles Center parking lot.

The show will feature interviews with Coach Bret Bielema and Freddie Jackson, the former Razorback who recently won the most recent season of Food Network Star. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy will make his debut on the show with holdovers Joe Tessitore and Marcus Spears, a former LSU defensive end.

Sports on 09/01/2015

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