Sports
Sports

KirVonte Benson suspended for first quarter of opener

Joe Giles-Harris of the Duke Blue Devils tackles KirVonte Benson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Credit: Grant Halverson

Credit: Grant Halverson

Joe Giles-Harris of the Duke Blue Devils tackles KirVonte Benson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
By
Aug 27, 2018

Georgia Tech B-back KirVonte Benson will be held out of the first quarter of Saturday’s season opener against Alcorn State for a minor team infraction. Jordan Mason will start in his place. Mason is ahead of Jerry Howard on the B-back depth chart.

Coach Paul Johnson made the announcement on his coaches show Monday night on 680 the Fan. Safety Charlie Thomas and linebacker Quez Jackson will also sit out the first quarter, also for minor team infractions.

Benson was named second-team All-ACC last season in his first year as a starter, rushing for 1,053 yards. Benson was also suspended one game in 2016, his freshman year.

Thomas and Jackson are both freshmen who are expected to play this season.

About the Author

Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.

Follow Ken Sugiura on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Behind a balanced offense and a raucous home crowd, the Dream punched their ticket to the WNBA postseason on Friday. “We clinched (a playoff berth), but still that doesn’t mean our spot can’t change,” the Dream's Rhyne Howard said postgame. (AJ Mast/AP)

Credit: AP

Dream clinch playoff spot, continue push for higher seeding

The Atlanta Dream rolled past the shorthanded Dallas Wings 100-78 on Friday at Gateway Center Arena, punching their ticket to the WNBA postseason.

Dream partners to eliminate $10M in debt for Atlanta families

The partnership — between the Dream, Cash App and ForgiveCo — will affect more than 3,500 recipients who have debts that range from $500 to $80,000.

Dream loss to Aces hurts, but confidence remains high

The Latest

National League baserunner Ronald Acuña Jr., of the Atlanta Braves rounds third base to score against the American League during the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Jason Getz / AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Atlanta TV sports listings

Dream clinch playoff spot, continue push for higher seeding

Ben Shelton out of the US Open after injuring shoulder against Mannarino

Featured

An aerial view captures a large area under construction for a new data center campus on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Developed by QTS, the data center campus near Fayetteville is one of the largest under construction in Georgia. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Georgia could restart regional energy, water reviews for data center proposals

Georgia is weighing rule changes to once again make certain data centers disclose information about their resource requirements to local planning authorities.

From Ponzi fallout to party power: Frost dynasty clings to Coweta GOP

By the end of the two-hour meeting, Brant Frost V had stepped down as Coweta County GOP chair. But in a show of his continued influence, he took on a new role.

After a decade of delays, $148M renovation to Cross Keys High begins

The $148 million project is expected to be completed in 2028. The school, which serves about 1,600 students, will remain open during construction.