Determined Georgia QB Carson Beck accepts competition, soldiers on

System · April 2023

Determined Georgia QB Carson Beck accepts competition, soldiers on

ATHENS — Carson Beck has no illusions when it comes to winning the Georgia quarterback job.

jvillebil · April 2023

I think the media and everyone is trying to make something out of nothing. Beck WILL be the starter. Kirby just likes to get in the media's mind along with his opponents. I truly believe we can 3-peat.

Brooksie · April 2023

@MikeGriffith thanks for embedding your archived article about Bennett starting over Beck.

in the comments you received mostly negative reviews as “Bennett is not the future”. I guess most of those who left comments like that had to change their screen name. 😳

this just proves you excel at your job even though us keyboard warriors need something to complain about.

thadec · April 2023

@MikeGriffith

"and the value of QB mobility"

Being an exceptionally mobile QB didn't do squat for Justin Fields, who only got one meaningful snap his entire time in Athens. Being mobile didn't do anything for Jamie Newman or D'Wan Mathis either. In that era everyone downplayed mobility in favor of "the ability to run a complex pro-style offense" and other Jake Fromm merits. Also, I still say that people who believe that Bennett's 530 rushing yards at 3.8 ypc in 41 games with an OL stacked with future NFL draft picks makes him "a dual threat" should have watched more Tim Tebow and Lamar Jackson games.

"The importance of managing the offense, decision-making"

Again, during the Fromm era "managing the offense and decision-making" meant completing 10 or fewer passes in 7 of 15 appearances in 2017, including going 4-7 for 101 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT against Florida. And SB IV's decision-making was horrible in 2020. Wasn't particularly great in 2021 either, but with that defense he didn't have to do much until the playoffs. In 2022 they worked around the issue by creating an offense around him ... something that had never been done for any other Smart QB.

Bottom line: Smart plays who he likes best. That is why the starting QB rationale keeps changing, the guy that he plays not actually even meeting the professed rationale, and why some guys get chance after chance while others are one-and-done if they get a shot at all. Why some have short leashes while others keep the jobs - and aren't even benched for a half or even a series - despite long stretches of bad play.

So this is all a dog-and-pony show to hold onto both Beck and BVG through this season, and to keep Kirby's guy motivated and working hard through the offseason. My bet is that Kirby cares a lot more about the latter than the former.

"and the Georgia head coach indicated the competition could spill into the season with both players seeing game reps."

Yeah ... Smart has promised this nearly every season. The next time that it happens will be the first. It won't this year either because game 3 begins a stretch of winning and/or conference opponents, meaning that the starter for the South Carolina game is going to need 3 quarters of work against Ball State. There's no cushion of a historically great defense like 2021 or the running game of 2017 (or even 2018) either. If Smart never did a platoon with Fromm and Eason in 2017 to take advantage of the latter's arm strength, or with Fromm and Fields in 2018 to take advantage of the latter's arm strength AND running ability, or in 2021/2022 with Daniels and Beck to take deep shots down the field to Brock Bowers and over the middle to Darnell Washington then it won't happen this year either.

reddawg1 · April 2023

I have said this many times on here but everyone looks great in practice(as it pertains to the QB position) when the defense can't hit you. It's called practice for a reason. Some people excel in practice, the're world beaters in practice, but when the lights go on and the real game starts they turn average. Others are the opposite, they look perhaps OK or pretty good in practice but nothing to write home about until the lights come on and they just know how instinctively to handle the adrenaline in the situation.

Case in point is SB. Two time NC winner who must have(unless CKS and CTM are bafoons) just looked OK or decent during practice. D'Wan looked the part and was highly mobile(gifted athlete) and no doubt completed his share of passes in "practice" but when the lights came on he shrank back, has anyone heard of him sense? I just checked, he's now practicing as a WR for Temple. He's not even QB material, even at Temple and yet he started a game for UGA. LOL!

So, D'Wan was never going to start again after Arkansas(barring an injury to anyone else at QB) and what Bennet did to bail us out. Bennet had to prove himself in a dire situation in a real game to finally get a starting nod. Beck is similar in respect to Bennet in that he has continually been leap frogged by others. JUst maybe he has that same type chip on his shoulder as SB.

ColumbusDawg · April 2023

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/684241#Comment_684241

I know! Mike knows more than all of us put together on what is going on with UGA football due to his connections and diligence.

And you are so right, of all of the comments on the article, where Mike said Bennett could possibly start the UAB game over Beck, that trashed Mike big time or called it click-bait, etc, you DO NOT SEE any of those screen names anymore except a couple! And of those couple that are still on here with the same name, they are well known and would likely be highly embarrassed and eating a lot of crow if they had to answer for the tone and tenor and for what they said.

Because not only were they wrong as wrong could be on Bennett, they attacked Mike pretty harshly. Particularly ShootTheHooch. I hope he has since long ago apologized to Mike.

So with that being said, we might want to learn from STH's post and not attack the messenger for PROVIDING US with intel, that ultimately turns out to be accurate and THE TRUTH! Just dislike or disagree with the message.

Mike you are usually correct with your predictions, for lack of a better word, and for the people who haven't realized that, they need to now and post accordingly and restrain themselves from going after you.

I would imagine that you take some pride in providing us with an accurate prognostication, especially the ones that are way ahead of the curve and then seeing them come to fruition, even if it is months later and those are probably some of the best ones! I really appreciate your intel and how you stick your neck out at times making a very bold prediction, i.e. Dan Mullen.

All that being said, based on all of your past credibility, you have my respect, sir.

ColumbusDawg · April 2023

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/684247#Comment_684247

You're first point is so wrong its laughable. You say Qb mobility did not do anything for all of these other QB's. Wrong. Other factors did them in, mobility had nothing to do with it. Inexperience, could not pick up the offense, other QB had more experience, left program, could not handle the job when it was given, etc.

This right here takes your comment and opinion and destroys it. Why did Stetson Bennett start over JT Daniels who knew the offense very well and had a better arm? There was ONLY ONE REASON. JUST ONE...Mobility!

Smart wanted mobility but of those on the roster, they were not ready or able for all kinds of reasons. Inexperienced Fields left. Mathis ****. Newman could not pick up the offense fast enough. The last one standing with mobility, got the job over a healthy 5-star JT Daniels for the playoffs in 2021 and who then transferred because, Stetson could RUN and he could NOT.

We all know how Smart does his QB's, its the same every year. No matter how long the QB is there. Bottomline is only 1 will get to be the starter. Truth be known, I would think with a new O.C., Smart is leaning Beck but just like the last few years, could EASILY change his mind! Just like when he had Beck as #2 when the 2021 season started but went with Bennett instead when JT did go down.

So if Smart can change his mind, Smart does not even know on a weekly basis when there is no proven starter and therefore you certainly do not.

Next, UGA defense will be able to provide a cushion this year. The 2023 UGA defense is going to be incredible and likely in historically great territory. I am shocked that you who knows everything about everything, especially about UGA football although you are a self-proclaimed "casual college football fan" are not aware of this.

Next, all of your QB comparisons are extreme, all of your points to discredit everything Bennett did by giving the credit elsewhere is a tremendous stretch and disservice. All of the previous QB's you mentioned had inexperience and other issues and did not know the systems so their mobility strengths did not matter because they were not ready. You have to be ready to do more than just say hike and take off running or throw the ball a mile! You have to know and be able to run the offense no matter how mobile or how strong your arm. Come on man! Then inexperienced ones have to be evaluated once they are in live games, i.e. Mathis could not handle it, Newman, could not pick up the offense to make it to a game, Fields, never looked ready and did not know the offense well at all yet.

You are like, hey we just recruited a dual threat extremely mobile QB or strong armed-one, he must start right away or do a platoon, because he is mobile or can throw a mile or Kirby is a liar saying he wants mobility or will platoon. Come on man! Think! There can be no real platoon to start 2 inexperienced QB's at the beginning of a season if there is only 1 that can handle it! Waste of time, is not fair to the other players, other than to get a back-up ready as an emergency plan. That is the only reason to do it. But this year there are 2 that can handle it. And this year with 2 inexperienced QB's, I could see 2 getting a lot of reps early especially if Carson wins it, but not as much if Brock wins the job because Carson already has much more than him. Unless Brock **** more than expected lol.

Your QB stats do not say hey but there was terrible receiver availability. And yeah Fields did not get much playing time because he was not ready and could do nothing BUT RUN basically and cannot have him coming in half the time, Jake and all QB's get out of the flow. And yeah Fromm was highly managed when he was a Freshman, what Freshman isn't?! You do not typically build an offense around someone in the SEC who was playing HS ball last year and is unexpectedly starting all of a sudden! You take as much off of him as possible. You also do not factor in the sorry OC and the decimated receiving corp Fromm's last season either. He had one decent WR available and he was out half the season and played injured the rest and the OC was unimaginative, to say the least.

Also you make zero mention of Bennett's speed and how well he actually did at the NFL combine, when diminishing what he brought to the table running the ball as UGA QB. It was all defense, it was all OL, blah, blah. I would like to see you out there with the same OL, running and knowing the complex offense, being chased by dudes that wanted to hurt you. Discrediting the running of Stetson and Kirby not prioritizing running is discrediting your entire thesis. JT Could have done as well huh? LOL.

Factors matter for every QB and every season, its not black and white and it certainly is not cut and dry, as you state it is when it comes to Kirby and QB's. Stetson was mobile. Stetson knew the offense and could run it. Stetson was the starter. NONE OF THE OTHERS THAT WERE MOBILE COULD SAY THAT. SORRY, BUT YOU COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG ABOUT MOBILITY NOT MATTERING.

You do not have to be like your extreme mobile comparison of Lamar Jackson, not even close, you just have to be able to do it when needed, when part of the game plan and escape when needed. It is NOT about who has the BEST MOBILITY, just that it is a highly desired aspect that you be able to do it. That's all Einstein. And all of our current QB's can do it, so mobility it is a moot point in selecting the next UGA QB! They all can sufficiently! Unless all else is basically even, then the better runner will probably break the tie. Otherwise, it is not close to the top priority, when they can all do it adequately.

Bottomline is this . The factors matter much more than Kirby's history of who ends up eventually starting. Because as factors been the difference in the past, and had the factors been different than so would have been the QB and/or their results. Agree? Of course you do. Facts matter. The current and previous QB processes are and were fluid. So is how Kirby selects the past and next starter. The process and criteria are obviously not set in stone as you noted.

It is as Kirby says, who gives the team the best chance to win. Kirby wanted a MOBILE QB, but they left or they did not work out until Bennett. Why do you think Bennett was QB the last 2 years?!! Because Kirby's history proves that he is a liar and does not really care about mobility according to your analysis? LOL... Think outside of the box and only using stats and facts that support your opinion. omitting ones that do not or maybe you just did not think about them. Use the stats and get ALL the facts to form your opinion or be ready to get facts you overlooked for whatever reason. I will leave it at this: JT Daniels knew the offense well and had a better arm and was not mobile. He should have been the starter based on your conclusions. But he was not, it was Stet. Because he was mobile.

CClayC88 · April 2023

@ColumbusDawg

Why did JT start the 2021 season instead of Bennett then? Why did JT return to start the South Carolina game after Bennett started the UAB game? Do you think after JT threw 4TDs in the first quarter against Vandy that Kirby looked over on the sideline and had an epiphany about Stets mobility? Mobility did not win Stets the starting job. And unless JT ever wants to reveal the real reason we'll probably never know because Kirby hasn't ever been honest about it

Determined Georgia QB Carson Beck accepts competition, soldiers on

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