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

“Our confidence is not going to waver because we didn’t shoot well tonight,” said Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, shown here last month with Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Dream go ice cold in loss to Wings

Atlanta’s dismal night from 3-point range, dominant interior play from Dallas lead to lowest offensive output of the season.

Chase Elliott’s ties to kids with cancer go beyond race car paint scheme

Chase Elliott, NASCAR's most popular driver and a Georgia native, will have a paint scheme designed by young cancer patient Rhealynn Mills for the 2025 race in Atlanta.

Georgia football primed to go on a major tear on the recruiting trail

It's generally the new norm to see many top prospects come off the board in July after official visits have dominated the month of June, but that timeline has been sped up.

The Latest

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) celebrates his solo home run against the New York Mets in the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Credit: AP

Atlanta TV sports listings

35m ago

Dream go ice cold in loss to Wings

Sports Daily: Pre-draft Porzingis party

Featured

Bumper to bumper traffic travels northbound on the I-85 just past the I-285 overpass, also known as Spaghetti Junction, in Doraville. In late May and June of this year, several drivers have pulled out weapons and fired guns at other motorists on metro Atlanta roadways. (Jason Getz/AJC 2023)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Metro Atlanta road rage: Routine drives can quickly turn violent, experts say

‘Power mad’: Why a far-right Georgia GOP faction is splintering

Defections from a far-right faction within the Georgia's Republican Party show it is losing influence in state politics.

Jake Paul’s $39 million Georgia property is fit for a ‘big kid,’ broker says

Social media influencer and professional boxer Jake Paul said much of the $39 million he paid to buy a massive South Georgia property in April came from fighting Mike Tyson