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Bielema: 'We don't have suspensions. We don't have anything hanging over us in a cloud of doubt.'

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said he and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn reportedly agree on a idea to change the NFL draft process.
  • Arkansas coach unsure who Auburn will play at quarteback, cornerback, safety
  • Bielema downplays anomisoty between himself and Gus Malzahn

AUBURN – Bret Bielema isn't sure who he'll see line up at several positions for Auburn on Saturday, but the Arkansas coach is going to "roll with it."

With Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall and cornerback Jonathon Mincy each facing indefinite suspensions following their respective marijuana-related run-ins with law enforcement this summer, and "star" safety Robenson Therezie's status unclear due to "eligibility issues," Arkansas is preparing for the unknown in the season opener.

Bielema has supplied yet more fodder to his ongoing feud with Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, saying Arkansas' depth chart is free of suspensions and "we don't have anything hanging over us in a cloud of doubt," as the dueling philosophies prepare to clash for the second time at 3 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"Whatever shows up, whatever shows up in the backfield, whatever person starts and whatever person lines up on the field, we just got to roll with it and make the best of the situation," Bielema said during his Monday press conference. "What I am excited about, I think our depth chart in particular, is the consistency that we've had really the last 10 days of preparation. We know who's lining up. We don't have suspensions. We don't have anything hanging over us in a cloud of doubt. We just got our guys lined up and playing good football, which we like."

Malzahn has not publicly announced Jeremy Johnson as the starter, a formality, though he did admit as much in an interview on Friday. Auburn will release its depth chart on Tuesday.

Tigers offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has told both Marshall and Marshall and Johnson to "be ready to play" against the Razorbacks.

It's left the opposition uncertain, at least in the short-term.

"Offensively, I don't know how long the quarterback's not going to be in there," Bielema said. "The second string quarterback's a very good player. Who know how long the second-string corner's going to be in there. The second-strong corner's a good player. Who knows if the safety is going to play? There's a lot of unknown things but what matters is the 11 guys that suit up for Auburn are going to be good players, they're going to be well-coached and excited to play."

Bielema doesn't expect much of a change from Malzahn's Hurry-Up, No-Huddle regardless of who's at quarterback.

"Nick is his own regards is a seasoned player, a lot of athletic ability, a guy that can say he's played in the big game and won and excelled and played on a big stage," Bielema said. "As long as he's in there we'll see that, but I don't see their offense changing a lot whoever's at quarterback."

Despite the very public back-and-forth over up-tempo offenses and their unproven impact on player safety, referring to his own pro-style of play as "Normal American Football," last year's swinging gate-gate video controversy, Arkansas running an actual swinging gate play during last year's meeting, Anthony Swain's "flop" in last year's game, and the 10-second rule debate this offseason, Bielema downplayed the perceived feud between himself and Malzahn.

"I don't have any ill will, don't have any malice," Bielema said. "We're obviously two totally different kind of people probably in certain regards but also two similar people if you look at the details of what we believe in."