How Have Georgia Quarterbacks Performed in Their Second Year Under Kirby Smart?

With Carson Beck entering his second season as Georgia's starter, here is how the rest of Kirby Smart's QBs have faired in year two.

Although a veteran of the Bulldogs program, Carson Beck is entering his second season as Georgia’s starter and will be looking to build on his successes of 2023. But what does statistical history suggest about how Kirby Smart QBs perform in year two?

Despite entering the ninth season of the Kirby Smart era, the number of quarterbacks who have served multiple years as the Dawgs’ starter under coach Smart remains quite small. Jake Fromm is the only quarterback to have finished multiple seasons as Georgia’s starting signal-caller (Stetson Bennett only completed one full season as the starting quarterback). This makes total yards and touchdowns a difficult metric to use, given that many quarterbacks were not starters for the full season.

But regardless of the lack of evidence, there are still a handful of useful statistics to suggest what improvements (or regressions) Georgia quarterbacks faired in their second season as the Bulldogs’ feature starter. Below is a list of each quarterback.

1. Stetson Bennett

Dec 31, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) catches a football prior the Orange Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game against Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

As Georgia’s most decorated quarterback, "The Mailman” made incredible strides from 2020 to 2021. Although he was not the full-time starter in either season, Bennett’s second go-round as the Bulldogs starter was much more successful. His attempts intercepted percentage decreased significantly from 3.8% in 2020 to just 2.4% in 2021. Bennett also averaged a touchdown every 9.9 attempts in 2021, which is a massive improvement from his 19.4 average just the year prior.

2. Jake Fromm

Sep 23, 2017; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) passes against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports | Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The longest-tenured UGA starter under Kirby Smart, Jake Fromm was a model of consistency throughout his career at Georgia. He did make modest improvements from his true freshman season however, increasing his completion percentage by more than 5% and throwing for an additional 6 touchdowns than he did the previous year. His average length per completion, however, remained the same and his total yards thrown was relatively similar.

3. Aaron Murray

November 19, 2011; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray (11) runs the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports | Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Although he did not play under the tutelage of Kirby Smart, Aaron Murray is arguably the best player to review on this list, as he is the only quarterback to have played under Carson Beck’s current offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo. Unfortunately for Murray, his second season as Georgia’s starter was statistically worse than his first. His percentage of attempts intercepted jumped from 2.3% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2011 and his completion percentage decreased by a whole 2%. Murray’s passer rating also dipped by nearly nine points during that period. He did however throw for 35 touchdowns in 2011, which is higher than any Georgia quarterback under a Kirby Smart has ever thrown for in a single season.

While a small sample size and numerous caveats may not paint a clear picture as to what improvements we can expect from Carson Beck this season. Beck’s veteran presence, elite arm talent, and propensity to take care of the football should result in an extremely successful second season as a Georgia starter.

Georgia Bulldogs 2024 Football Schedule

Aug. 31 - vs Clemson (Atlanta, Ga.)
Sept. 7 - vs Tennessee Tech
Sept. 14 - @ Kentucky
Sept. 21 - BYE
Sept. 28 @ Alabama
Oct. 5 - vs Auburn
Oct. 12 - vs Mississippi State
Oct. 19 - @ Texas
Oct. 26 - BYE
Nov. 2 - vs Florida (Jacksonville, Fl.)
Nov. 9 - @ Ole Miss
Nov. 16 - vs Tennessee
Nov. 23 vs UMass
Nov. 30 vs Georgia Tech

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