As expected, Georgia Tech B-back Dedrick Mills and linebacker P.J. Davis will be available to play in the Yellow Jackets’ game against No. 21 North Carolina on Saturday. Both had missed games in recent weeks with injuries, but were not on the team injury report released Thursday.
Mills suffered a concussion in practice last week and was held out of the Duke game, while Davis sat out the past two games with a hamstring strain.
Tech will be without two running backs, B-back Marcus Marshall and A-back J.J. Green. Both were listed as out, Marshall with an upper-body injury and Green with a lower-body injury. Green was helped off the field in the second half of the Duke game after injuring his right leg on a kickoff return. It isn’t clear when Marshall was injured.
Green has started all eight games at A-back and is probably one of the position group’s two best blockers, along with Isiah Willis. He has also been dangerous as a kick returner, and the Jackets struggled without him against the Blue Devils. Coach Paul Johnson said Wednesday that coaches had determined who would replace him, but did not divulge more.
Without Marshall, Mills will likely be backed up by Marcus Allen, who split snaps with Marshall in the Duke game with Mills sidelined.Having Mills and Davis in the lineup undoubtedly improves the Jackets’ chances. Mills leads Tech running backs in rushing with 446 yards on 95 carries and has been effective running between the tackles. Davis has led the Jackets in tackling the past two seasons; his experience figures to be beneficial against the Tar Heels’ high-tempo attack.
