Skip to main content
georgia logo

Kirby Smart points out 'biggest change' in Georgia QB Stetson Bennett

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•09/13/22•

JakeMRowe

On3 image
Photo: Perry McIntyre.

Most felt like they had Stetson Bennett IV pegged in 2021. He was viewed simply as a smaller-than-average, former walk-on, game manager who just wasn’t capable of carrying his team in the big moments.

Georgia’s 2021 SEC Championship loss to Alabama? Well that just solidified things. Those who thought that before the game got even louder. Quite a few who didn’t believe it going into that game started to by the time they saw Bennett throw two costly interceptions.

Then something changed. In the three-plus weeks that separated that league title game loss and the College Football Playoff semifinal game vs. No. 2 Michigan, Stetson Bennett found a little something. Kirby Smart knows what that “something” is.

“I think confidence in himself, that’s the biggest change. He prepared the right way last year, he continues to prepare the right way in terms of what he watches on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. What his answers are, what run checks we have, what pass checks we have, what decision making process we have. He gets better and better at it with reps, but he’s got confidence in himself and he’s seen himself play well in big moments. I think that helps the quarterback be able to play with a little more composure.”

Sticking with Stetson Bennett

So why did Georgia stick with Bennett after his struggles in the SEC Championship game? There’s no one right reason. It was a number of things.

First and foremost, Stetson Bennett had won the locker room. His teammates were behind him. Secondly, as Smart pointed out last week, Bennett was earning the job week in and week out during the season.

“It wasn’t at that point. You guys don’t see every single practice, every single rep that led up to the Alabama game,” Smart said recently. “And all the reps from, whatever, South Carolina from the time he played UAB, all the way through, there’s millions of reps you don’t see against a pretty good defense. Against a pretty elite defense. So there was enough of that to convince me that we were going with the right guy. For who we were and who we needed to be, he gave us the best chance to win and it didn’t take a lot of conviction to stick to that. And it doesn’t really matter what people say outside of our organization, it matters what we think in it. And we’ve got conviction on that.”

Reaping the benefits

Since Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken showed confidence in Bennett by continuing to trot him out there as the starting quarterback, they’ve been rewarded handsomely.

Bennett was offensive MVP of the Orange Bowl win vs. Michigan. He earned the same honor in the National Championship win over Alabama with two fourth-quarter touchdowns passes.

Both Smart and Monken have received substantial raises because of the success Georgia experienced last season. The Bulldogs are also off to a great start in 2022 with Bennett averaging 334 passing yards per game with three passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and zero turnovers.

You may also like