Stetson Bennett makes fourth-quarter magic with game-winning final-seconds touchdown to Miller Forristall
Former Georgia star Stetson Bennett saw his first live NFL action in over a year on Sunday evening. And he got off to an incredibly rough start, throwing four interceptions. Bennett ultimately found the magic right when he needed to, in the closing seconds of the Rams’ preseason matchup against the Cowboys. He spun to his left and delivered a game-tying touchdown toss to Miller Forristall. Los Angeles drilled the extra point and won the game, 13-12.
He fired the ball from the 15-yard line into the back of the end zone, connecting with the former Alabama wideout.
Aside from the four interceptions, he put up some pretty solid numbers, completing 24 passes for 224 total yards, while also rushing for five yards on the ground.
Bennett, 26, was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after having a historic career with the Georgia Bulldogs. He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness last year on Sept. 13 and was ruled out for the entire season. Bennett returned to practice in late May and told reporters he wanted to keep the reason he went away “in house.”
“I know this, last year was very beneficial for him,” Rams general Manager Les Snead told Channel 19 in Alabama. “I think he took advantage of that year away from the game. You know what, he’s an exhausted human being based on everything he had done. Let’s just take it as an individual — to walk on, to go to JUCO, to come back, to turn down small schools, say ‘I’m going to try to do this Georgia thing.’
“To win a job, then to win the thing, and then to determine, ‘I’m going to come back.’ And when you come back, it’s really win it again or you failed. And that does take a toll on a human being, so I was jacked for Stetson to be able to take that moment and breathe a little bit.”
Stetson Bennett had a prolific college career
Bennett played his way to being selected by the Rams due to his success at Georgia. In his last two seasons as the Bulldogs starting QB, the team won two national titles and only lost one game during that span. The 2023 season was big for Bennett as he threw for 4,127 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for ann additional 10 scores. He won the Manning Award which is given to the best QB in the country and was a finalst for the Heisman Trophy.
Bennett will look to win the backup QB position for the Rams this fall. Starting QB Matthew Stafford, another Georgia alum, enters his 16th NFL season and fourth in Los Angeles.
On3’s Brian Jones also contributed to this article.