FAYETTEVILLE — After years of dealing with a severe lack of depth at linebacker, Arkansas coaches and players told anyone who’d listen that they were deeper at the position this season.

That was put to the test right out of the gate, as the Razorbacks were without each of their top three linebackers at various points of their 38-17 season-opening win over Rice on Saturday.

Hayden Henry had to serve a first-half suspension because of a targeting penalty in the second half of last year’s finale against Alabama and then starters Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool were ejected for targeting against the Owls.

Morgan was tossed on the first play of Rice’s second drive of the game, forcing backup Andrew Parker into action for most of the first half. When they lost Pool midway through the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks once again turned to Parker.