Technical Tidbits 8/29: Benson Named Starter at BB

Paul Johnson named redshirt sophomore KirVonte Benson the starting BB yesterday following practice. Benson beat out fellow redshirt sophomore Quaide Weimerskirch and true freshmen Jerry Howard and Jordan Ponchez-Mason to get the first crack at replacing the recently dismissed Dedrick Mills. Benson played in seven games last season but his first career carry will come Monday against Tennessee. Coach Johnson called Benson the fastest of the BBs earlier during fall camp while also saying that he was “really strong.” I’m sure we’ll get a healthy dose of two or three BBs against the Vols but we now know at least one backfield position battle has been decided heading into game week prep.

In less positive football news, star AB Clinton Lynch still has not returned to practice, putting his availability for the season opener in serious jeopardy. Lynch missed spring practice and has been out most of the fall with an unrelated injury. Coach Johnson hasn’t officially ruled Lynch out yet but the dynamic back is running out of time to get back on the field. Without Lynch, the team will turn to Qua Searcy and J.J. Green to carry the load at AB with Nathan Cottrell and possibly others playing a larger role than they would otherwise.

Georgia Tech tennis star Chris Eubanks had a really nice profile on The Undefeated, ESPN’s satellite site dedicated to “exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture.” The piece described Eubanks path to the US Open and how he gained his confidence despite being a 21-year old college student going up against the best in the world.

Eubanks lost his US Open debut yesterday, falling in straight sets (6-2, 6-4, 6-2) to Dudi Sela, the 72nd ranked player in the world. Eubanks had some success with his serve, racking up 10 aces to Dudi’s 2 but couldn’t quite do enough to against the more seasoned Sela.

• Georgia Tech officially sold out of its full season ticket packages on Monday. A limited number of six-game packs that just include the six true home games in Bobby Dodd remain available. Additionally, fans can still buy three-game flex packs or single game tickets.
• The AJC’s JuliaKate E. Culpepper compiled a nice list of reminders for this weekend’s Chic-Fil-A Kickoff games including information on parking, the stadium’s bag policy, and pregame festivities.
• The August ToddCast is up and it’s all about the new partnership with adidas.