Georgia QB Stetson Bennett named Heisman Trophy finalist
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday night making him one of the four players that will be in New York for Saturday’s trophy presentation ceremony. Other finalists include TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and USC’s Caleb Williams.
Bennett becomes the first Bulldog to be a finalist since Garrison Hearst was one in 1992 and aims to be the school’s third winner joining Herschel Walker (1982) and Frank Sinkwich (1942).
“The guy is really good, he’s really athletic, he plays within our system and he makes everybody better around him,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said during his postgame interview with CBS after Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. “Nobody watches more tape and prepares more than he does.”
“Incredible impact. He’s a leader, he’s tough, a competitor. He’s just been around for what seems like forever now,” Smart also said about Bennett after his final game at Sanford Stadium. “He embodies our team with his competitive toughness. He’s got to keep doing the things he’s doing for us to be successful. We know we’ve got to play better on really all three phases, better than we did today, if we want to get where we want to go.”
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On the season, Bennett has thrown for 3,425 yards and 20 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He’s also added seven rushing scores and 184 yards on the ground on 47 attempts. The sixth-year senior from Blackshear, Ga. started the season off with a career-high 368 passing yards in Georgia’s victory over Oregon. That began a stretch of four straight games with 250+ passing yards and a rushing touchdown, becoming just the second SEC quarterback to do so alongside Tim Tebow – who was three times a Heisman finalist and won the award in 2007.
Bennett seemingly hit a bit of a slump against Missouri and Auburn not throwing for any touchdowns and rushing for only one – albeit a highlight reel 64-yard scamper – before breaking out with a big day versus Vanderbilt. Bennett completed 15 of his first 16 passes against the Commodores on his way to two touchdowns, the first of four straight games with two or more scores. During that stretch he also had a rushing touchdown against Tennessee that got Georgia on the board early in the big SEC showdown as well as one where he made a Mississippi State defender miss on his way into the end zone in the SEC East clinching victory.
Saturday, Bennett was named MVP of the SEC Championship Game as he threw for a season-high four touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 50-30 win over LSU. Doing so helped secure Georgia a spot in the College Football Playoffs where it holds the top seed and will take on Ohio State in the semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on December 31st in Atlanta. Bennett is no stranger to that big of a stage either, earning MVP in both of Georgia’s Playoff games last year. Against Michigan and Alabama, he threw for a combined 537 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions as Georgia went on to win the National Championship, its first in 41 years.
Saturday’s presentation ceremony begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
