MEMPHIS — Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino suspended two key defensive starters - middle linebacker Wendel Davis and safety Matt Harris - and reserve receiver Marques Wade on Thursday, two days before the Razorbacks take on East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.
Davis and Harris are seniors. Wade is a junior.
The university announced the suspensions through its Twitter account early Thursday afternoon, saying the players had violated unspecified team rules.
“It’s one of the hardest things you have to do as a football coach,” Petrino said. “I feel bad for the players’ parents, and I feel bad for the players’ teammates.
“I always feel that when something like that happens, one lose, we all lose. We all took a hit, but our players are going to step up.”
Two sources close to the team said Davis, Harris and Wade made the team’s curfew, then left The Peabody hotel in downtown Memphis. Petrino had imposed a midnight curfew on his team during its first couple of nights in Memphis, then moved it up to 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
Petrino said the entire team would be kept in the hotel on New Year’s Eve on Thursday night because of all the activity going on at The Peabody and downtown.
Petrino did not speak to the media Thursday after the team’s practice at Memphis University School, which ended at about 5 p.m.
The loss of Davis and Harris further thinned a defense that was already without freshman defensive tackle D.D. Jones, who sustained a high ankle sprain and knee injury during on-campus practices before Christmas. Davis is second on the team with 79 tackles, while Harris ranks third with 71 tackles.
Sophomore Jerry Franklin, who started four games at middle linebacker lastseason, moved over from his weakside linebacker spot to take over in the middle in Thursday’s workout. It appears Franklin will start inside with Freddy Burton and Jerico Nelson on the outside against East Carolina.
Tramain Thomas, who started at strong safety early this year, moved to the first team in practice to pair with Elton Ford.
Tenarius Wright, a key reserve defensive end, appeared to sustain an ankle injury in Wednesday’s practice and was not spotted during Thursday’s work. If Wright is unavailable, the end rotation of Adrian Davis, Jake Bequette and Damario Ambrose would likely have to handle more snaps.
Wade, a junior who has had injury and discipline issues in his past, had taken few snaps this year and has no statistics.
Sports, Pages 19 on 01/01/2010