The popular saying is “next man up.” Football is a game of attrition; players inevitably get hurt over the course of a grueling season, and the team must be ready to replace them.
Yet, starting B-back Dedrick Mills’s dismissal from the team a few weeks ago leaves a hole larger than any other player’s might. Tech was ready to count on Mills as a significant contributor in a year when the team debuts a new starting quarterback. Deadspin projected Mills as “one of the conference’s premier running backs” in its season preview of the Jackets. Indeed, his 12 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman were a truly impressive contribution for a player just learning the ropes against ACC defenses.