Stetson Bennett Has Something to Prove Against Tennessee.

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s matchup. Hendon Hooker’s Heisman campaign. Is Tennessee a team of destiny? How does Georgia slow down the Volunteers? Lost in all of this has been one man: Stetson Bennett.

It seems hard to imagine that the quarterback who just led his team to a national championship would be a forgotten factor in any game, but it certainly feels that way. All of the conversation has been centered around Tennessee’s offense, and for good reason. The Vols boast the No. 1 offense in college football, but Georgia hasn’t been too shabby, ranking sixth in scoring offense.

Saturday’s bout in Athens is another opportunity for Bennett to go toe-to-toe with a Heisman-type quarterback. We’ve seen it before. 2020 featured games against Mac Jones and Kyle Trask. 2021 saw Bennett take on Bryce Young twice. Bennett’s record in those games: 1-3.

2020 vs Florida*: 5-16, 78 yards, 1 TD, INT
2020 at Alabama: 18-40, 269 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
2021 vs Alabama - SECCG: 29-38, 340 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
2021 vs Alabama - CFP: 17-26, 224 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Now, the hesitation to support Bennett as an elite quarterback is understandable. We’ve all heard the knocks on his size, and if you’ve watched him play, you’ve seen the stretches of bad play that pop up in games. But when Stetson Bennett is on, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in college football. That’s a fact. In 2021, on the way to Georgia’s national championship, Bennett ranked fourth in passing efficiency rating, one spot behind Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.

What he can’t do, what’s been his Achilles heel in big games, is push. When he tries to do too much, like most other quarterbacks, Bennett looks bad. When Bennett looks bad, Georgia typically loses. What Georgia cannot afford in this one is the Stetson Bennett we saw in the first half of the national championship. Jumpy, scattered, amped. What Georgia must have to win is the Stetson Bennett we saw in the second half of that game. Confident, collected, dangerous.

You May Also Like: