It wasn’t a day to celebrate, but Georgia Tech could take small consolation in an accomplishment in quarterback TaQuon Marshall and B-back KirVonte Benson both reaching 1,000 rushing yards for the season during the 43-20 loss to Duke.
They became just the second pair of Tech teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season in the school’s modern era. The first were another quarterback/B-back duo, Joshua Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer, in 2009. It’s all the more impressive given that both Marshall and Benson are first-year starters, and neither was even expected to be the starter going into the preseason.
“Of course, I’m grateful that I got 1,000 yards,” Benson said. “That’s the goal for the season, but the way of doing it, I’m not liking the outcome of this season in general.”
Marshall came into the game needing 66 rushing yards. He cleared it in the second quarter on a 48-yard run that set up the Jackets’ third and final touchdown of the game. He finished the game with 140 rushing yards for his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season, the most by a Tech quarterback in a single season. He finished the game with 1,074 rushing yards, 12 shy of the school rushing record by a quarterback, set by Justin Thomas in 2014 (1,086).
Benson entered the game with 930 rushing yards. He ran for 79, clearing the 1,000-yard mark with a six-yard run in the fourth quarter. He became the first Tech B-back to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Anthony Allen in 2010.
“It’s always beneficial to say I have a 1,000-yard season since coming in as the new B-back, but the way the season’s going right now, we’ve got to find a way to get to six (wins),” Benson said. “That’s all I’m worried about.”
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