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Stetson Bennett has a legitimate chance to cross a rare benchmark for Georgia QBs

by:Jack Mathison06/19/22
Stetson Bennett received a champions' welcome in his hometown of Blackshear, Ga.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 31: Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs warms up before the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Stetson Bennett won the hearts of many college football fans last season. He also won the National Championship and Orange Bowl offensive MVP awards.

But he can add a rare distinction to his Georgia football resumé in 2022.

To say that Georgia struggled to have a dominant passing offense since 2013 would be a major understatement. Sure, the Dawgs won eight of their ten bowl games, had 57 players selected in the NFL Draft, and won a National Championship.

But everyone loves a gunslinger who looks good in shorts.

It wasn’t always this way for the Dawgs. In fact, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray became the first SEC quarterback in conference history to throw for 3,000 yards in four consecutive seasons back in 2013.

Since that season, no Georgia quarterback eclipsed the 3,000 yard mark in a single season. For perspective on the length of this drought, 11 out of the 14 SEC teams have at least one 3,000 yard passer at some point in the last eight seasons.

Kentucky and Tennessee are the only other teams not to make the list. Mike Hartline did it for Kentucky in 2011. Tennessee’s Tyler Bray did it in 2012. Similar to Georgia, both schools have a shot to break that streak this season with returning quarterbacks Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.

Georgia is coming off of its National Championship with several blue chip prospects on campus and the recruiting trail, and spectators all over the country will be paying close attention to the Bulldogs passing offense this year.

The question is: can the Bulldogs break the drought?

Well, here’s why the odds may be in the Bulldogs favor this season…

What’s kept Georgia football and Stetson Bennett from the 3,000 yard club?

Since 2013, Georgia has come close several times to reaching the 3,000 yard mark, most recently coming with Stetson Bennett’s 2,862 yards on 287 attempts last year. While Fromm’s 2,860 yards in 2019 also deserves some recognition, Bennett reached his number on 98 fewer pass attempts.

What does that mean? 

Well, more attempts don’t always correlate to more yards, but when you’re Stetson Bennett is 5th in the conference in passing yards and 12th in attempts, it raises an interesting question:

Why aren’t the Dawgs passing more, and is it a concern that Todd Monken is capable of fixing?

Todd Monken’s resume shows that he can scheme it up

Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken has made his mark all over football, spending time as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and head coach in college. For now, we’ll take a look at Monken’s two most recent college stops when he spent two years as the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and three years as the head coach of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Working with elite collegiate talent at Oklahoma State such as Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden, Monken lit up college football with 5,034 passing yards on 596 attempts. 

In his stop with the Golden Eagles, Monken coached future NFL players like Nick Mullens, Ito Smith, and Jalen Richard to throw for 4,616 yards in 2015 on 531 attempts.

In both these cases, the single-season passing yard marks destroys Georgia’s all-time record, when Aaron Murray threw for 3,893 yards in 2012 on 386 attempts.

While Monken’s offenses usually stretch the field, his pass-run splits reveal an interesting pattern:

Take a look at Todd Monken’s previous college stops:

2011 Oklahoma State- 60% Pass, 40% Run

2012 Oklahoma State- 49% Pass, 51% Run (The Cowboys played 3 different quarterbacks due to injury problems)

2013 Southern Miss- 59% Pass, 41% Run

2014 Southern Miss- 56% Pass, 44% Run

2015 Southern Miss- 51% Pass, 49% Run

Current Position:

2020 Georgia- 45% Pass, 55% Run

2021 Georgia- 43% Pass, 57% Run

There are plenty of reasons why the pass-run splits look so different, mainly being Georgia’s offensive approach in blowout wins. Once the game is in hand, the Bulldogs typically pound the rock until the clock hits zero.

It’s hard to complain about the run-dominant approach that Monken has taken when he has been so successful, especially when you consider the obstacles that he has had to overcome.

Since his arrival in Athens in 2020, the Bulldogs are yet to field an undisputed starter at quarterback for the entire season. If Stetson Bennett can stay healthy the entire season, will Monken lean on him to throw the ball more down the stretch?

The answer remains to be seen, but if you ask me, it’s an easy yes.

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