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‘This isn’t going to be the Stetson Bennett show,’ 4 takes from the Georgia quarterback
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‘This isn’t going to be the Stetson Bennett show,’ 4 takes from the Georgia quarterback
ATHENS — Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett summed up his Georgia G-Day Scrimmage by saying “there was a lot of good, and there was a lot of bad.”
Comments
Good article. 👍
In terms of the batted passes, I believe Vandagriff or Beck had at least one batted down. The announcer actually made an excellent point that the D line can just stand back and try and deflect passes in a Spring game but not in a real game because the O line guys would just wallop the opponent trying that.
I don't think it's a concern. Nobody should really be concerned about Bennett doing what he does. I mean, I'm re-watching a shortened version of it and at 2:24 left in the 1st, he made a poor choice and threw into double coverage with someone that SHOULD have intercepted it. THAT is far more concerning, but again, he's no Freshman.
I've always loved this young man's chutzpah. Increasingly though, we're seeing his maturity.
His quote in the headline says it all: "This isn’t going to be the Stetson Bennett show."
The offensive show actually starts with an offensive line that may be in the running for the Joe Moore Award. Then, you've got really fine running backs; a receiving corps that seems underrated; and our ridiculous TE corps.
With Young, Rogers, Hooker, Rattler and Jefferson all in the league, it's difficult to imagine Bennett getting a lot of individual recognition -- partly because of bias against him as an "undersized game manager."
But think about it: Jones, Van Pran, McClendon, Ratledge, Mims, McIntosh, Milton, Bowers, Gilbert, Washington, Blaylock, Mitchell, A. Smith, Jackson, Podlesny --- all those guys will contribute this year and any could break out in a big way. Maybe all SEC. Most of them (plus a few others) probably will be pros.
Like football watchers everywhere, we love to argue about QBs. Any hint of "controversy" tends to get both journalists and fans going. But the truth is we know who our quarterback is; he's proved that he can lead an offense through the CFB. We also know that we'll have one, two or three great backups.
QB debates are irresistible. Theoretically though, I'm just as excited about: 1) which WR and RB is going to break out, 2) how our big LT develops as a pass protector, and 3) Arik, Arik, Arik!
So glad we have Bennett returning, but hopefully the back-ups will get more experience this upcoming season. It worked out great for us because we won it all while Carson and Brock were able to redshirt during the 2021 season. I think we will see them both play a whole lot more in 2022. Hard to believe those guys each have 4 years of eligibility remaining. Go Dawgs!!!
Towards the end of the first half it looked like there was going to be some QB controversy as Carson Beck outplayed Stetson for most of the first half. But after bringing the red team down the field just before halftime, Carson misfired on 3 passes in a row forcing a long field goal attempt (that was missed) and all the talk of QB controversy faded away. Stetson did make a couple of bad passes, one that should have been intercepted by a LB and another into double coverage, so as he said, there was good and bad to be found.
I think it is very hard to judge how the offense is going to look based on the spring game. Once they get the running backs cranked up for real in the fall, this offense is going to look completely different. I for one am hoping they run some 3 TE sets with Brock Bowers, Darnell Washington and Erik Gilbert. That will be epic.
Unless SBIV grows 5-6" before the season starts we know who SBIV is. This is who he is. To his credit he does well with what he has. Monken seems to do a good job calling plays that SBIV can run. Throws he can make to the outside or over the top. At his height he just can't see the middle of the field. Even more now with two 6'7" OG's. CKS is working on changing SBIV's habit of just throwing to the spot where he expects the receiver to be. Timing plays yes. Scramble plays no. He has made some progress not forcing the ball. He will have to do more for UGA to repeat.
It never is a one man show: ask Bryce Young.
Wait: didn't SB have the 3rd highest QBR last season behind Young and Stroud?
@MikeGriffith
Mike, I'm going to throw your words right back at ya. You said, "since when are dropped passes a Stat?" (paraphrase). I say...since when are batted passes a STAT? LOL...you didn't have a problem including those. I'm starting to think you say those things to get a rise. All that aside...very good article.☝👍
@kirkhilles
I agree. That pass made me cringe and you could tell, Bennett was talking to himself after that one. I didn't see another one like it, but, you can bet...Smart and Monkin probably had a heart to heart with him after the film session. That was exactly the kind of decision he needed to eliminate. Maybe, we just chalk it up to rust, along with all the dropped passes.
@CandlerPark
UGA is going to be loaded on the offensive side of the ball this year. As far as QB, there is a huge drop off between Bennett and the 2 backups.
If you want to get a snapshot of reality, consider only QB play against the #1's on defense By all QBs...i.e., the Black Team offense vs Red Team defense.
Bennett played exclusively against the 1's alternating with Vandergriff in the 1st Half and Beck in the second half. If you look at the cumulative effort of Vandergriff and Beck against the 1's vs Bennett's effort against the 1's, it shed a lot of light on exactly where the backups are. Bennett scored all 26 points for the Black Team, while Beck and Vandergriff couldn't sustain a drive, much less score a point. That is disconcerting to say the least.
Obviously Bennett could have padded his STATS on the Red Team, but to what purpose. I will say this...there wasn't a big drop off between the #1 offense and the #2 offense. I wish I could say the same about the defense.
I fully expect Smart and Monkin to get Beck and Vandergriff involved in games early and often next year. If Bennett goes down to injury early in the season, UGA's in trouble. They both have some growing to do, understandably. The good thing is that they both have the tools to develop into an effective QB. They just need a little seasoning, which they didn't get last year, since JT was the backup. Beck did get 10 pass attempts with 2 INTs...1 pick 6. I don't know if I would call that "meaningful experience".
i am not optimistic about the 2022 season. I dread the prospect of the quarterback debate continuing. I see Bennett as having limited quarterback skills, and his presence prevents Beck or Vandegriff from getting the in game experience they need to develop their potential.
2022 is likely a reload year for the Dawgs and giving the QB job to Bennett will prevent playing time for the other QBs and do nothing for Bennett.
I am thankful that Bennett played as well as he did last year, but I am not convinced that JT would have not gotten the same results.
Fans need to decide...do they want the Dawgs to contend for another Championship...OR....are they willing to concede one year of mediocre football in order to train a QB that could be injured and out for the year, or never reach full potential, in 2023. That could be the beginning of the end. In other words, trade a maybe or likely for a possibly. UGA cannot win it all in 2022 with Beck or Vandergriff behind center. That was made clear to me Satiurday and after a couple of viewings since.
IMO...George Allen was right..."The future is Now". Work on winning in 2022, now. 2023 will take care of itself. It may be Beck or Vandergriff or Stockton or somebody that's not even on the team yet.
To win now, Bennett is UGA's ONLY option. If either Beck or Vandergriff have to play...GAME OVER for 2022.
I know what Smart and Monkin would say. They aren't getting paid to win 2 years from now. They're getting paid to win NOW. Fans are gonna be Fans. Most of em don't know diddly about putting together a winning team. They just see the window dressing...i.e., The Quarterback...or in 1980, the Running Back. There's a lot more to it than one position on offense. And, Bennett is the best QB option, not just for UGA, but, the guy could play for any team in the SEC.
People get wrapped up in "the narrative". If anything, you would think people would learn to think for themselves and stop listening to every Tom, Dick and Harry that calls themselves..."Expert". Bennett was one thing in 2017...he's something else in 2021-22. Believe it or not...that thing your Dad, or coach, or teacher, told you when you were a kid, is actually true. PRACTICE, MAKES PERFECT. Bennett earned every darned thing he has, by working and practicing...and he proved Saturday, regardless of what the talking heads continue to spout, he is head and shoulders above the competition because of his "Work Ethic".
May be a QB controversy brewing in Tuscaloosa, their 2nd string Qb put up better numbers in their spring game than Young! :)
LOL...Yeah, I saw that on The Finebaum Show. I watched enough of that show to piss-me-off and turned it. There was an out-of-context quote from Bennett and a bunch of ignorant talk about UGA's QB position. It was either laugh or call and educate. I just laughed and turned it. I don't get paid a dime to set em straight and don't care what they think. 2022 will speak for itself. It's too early in the year to argue. LOL
BTW, I've said before, if you live by the pass as BAMA has, you are only one injury away from average. Young goes down...They're done for the year.
BTW, There was also a flap among BAMA fans, because Saban had to raid lowly Vanderbilt, to shore up BAMA's pathetic offensive line. At least, that's the word on the street. LOL
Man....I just got through watching the A-Day game. I got news for you. I don't care what their numbers were, none of their QBs looked good....at all. The one with best numbers, moved the football by running it. The passing game looked very weak all the way around.
And, Young did NOT look good. He was all over the place. The #1 line was a sieve. It looked so bad, Saban said he had to sit Will Anderson in the 2nd half to give Young a chance. FYI...it didn't matter.
If that's all they got...UGA wins again. LOL