Experience is certainly nice to have as a college football quarterback, and Saturday’s Georgia-Tennessee game in Athens will have a plethora of that.
Both Stetson Bennett of the Bulldogs and Hendon Hooker of the Volunteers used the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus outbreak to return for a sixth-year senior season. Bennett turned 25 last Friday, then guided Georgia to a 42-20 win over Florida in Jacksonville the following day, while Hooker will celebrate his 25th birthday in January.
Bennett recently described the abundance of veterans at his position as “a bunch of old farts playing quarterback,” and the combined 49 years of this week’s pairing in Sanford Stadium will top the combined 47 years of Mac Jones and Zach Wilson during last Sunday’s NFL game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets.
Yet while Hooker is front and center in the Heisman Trophy conversation along with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, Bennett is on pace to guiding the Bulldogs to their most productive offensive season in program history while continuing to live with that “former walk-on” tag.
“I know that there are some people who have questioned who he is as a quarterback, whether he is a Heisman candidate or one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, but when I watch the tape, I see a very, very good quarterback,” Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said. “I see a guy who led them to a national championship last year and can make all the throws. He’s versatile enough to get out on the perimeter and is elusive enough that he does not take sacks.
“He really is the catalyst to their offense. I know (Georgia sophomore tight end Brock) Bowers is obviously one of the top players in the country, but when you watch the film, I watch Stetson Bennett.”
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from Blackshear, Georgia, has completed 181 of 267 attempts (67.8%) this season for 2,349 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He is not on track to match last season’s 29 touchdown tosses, but he is averaging 293.6 passing yards per game after averaging 204.4 a year ago.
In the bigger picture, Georgia averaged 442.9 yards per game during last season’s run to the national championship but is dwarfing that clip with this season’s 530.1-yard pace.
“He did some really good things in this last game, some elite, elite things,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “He had some decisions he wishes he could take back, but I don’t know many quarterbacks who play games who you can’t say that about. You’re just trying to wipe those away.
“A lot of teams, including Tennessee, put a ton on the quarterback to make decisions, and we do the same with Stetson. He’s not always going to make the right decision. We just have to make the right one more times.”
The Bulldogs were brilliant during the first half in Jacksonville, amassing 346 yards while holding the Gators to 88. Bennett had 262 first-half passing yards and a pair of aerial scores, but Georgia’s first two possessions in the third quarter ended abruptly with a Kenny McIntosh fumble and a Bennett interception.
“Kenny got stripped and I threw a pick,” Bennett said afterward. “It was on two plays. They didn’t stop us other than that, period, so we just went back out there, played really good football and answered well. Everybody answered the call when they were asked to.
“I think we’re maturing as we play. We shake off good or bad, and I think we do a good job of that.”
Georgia’s biggest challenge last November was conquering Tennessee in Knoxville, which the Bulldogs did 41-17. Bennett threw for 213 yards and a touchdown, but it was his 40 rushing yards that seemed just as damaging, especially the 9-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter that put Georgia ahead to stay at 17-10.
“That’s something that’s not really talked about a lot, but we know that he’s able to use his legs in addition to using his arm,” Tennessee junior defensive tackle Omari Thomas said. “He gets Georgia going, and we know that he’s a winner. He led them last year, and I know he wants a repeat, so we’ve got to keep him in the pocket and affect him.”
Said Vols head coach Josh Heupel: “He’s sometimes undervalued, but his athleticism and his ability to extend and make plays can change a game.”
CFP motivation?
Saturday’s showdown is a 1-2 pairing of Georgia and Tennessee in the Associated Press poll and a 1-3 pairing of the Vols and Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff rankings. Smart does not believe Tuesday’s reveal of the CFP standings will serve as added motivation.
“I know the players see it,” Smart said. “They have to, because they’re all on social media, but we live and practice in a bubble. We’ve dealt with this for so long now with last year going on and knowing that it doesn’t matter. It matters how you play, and we try to put our focus on things we can control.
“We can’t control anything to do with that. The ultimate goal for us this week is to play our best.”
Next Beal up
Another sixth-year senior on Georgia’s roster, Robert Beal, will be taking the spot of outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who has been lost for the season with a pectoral injury.
Beal played in all 15 games last season, starting twice and collecting 23 tackles and a team-high 6.5 sacks. The 6-4, 255-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Norcross has played in all eight games this season, getting a start at South Carolina and amassing 10 tackles and 10 quarterback pressures.
“Robert has been tremendous, and he has gotten a lot better,” Smart said. “He seems like he’s been here forever. His toughness always shows through, and he’s a great, consistent worker. He’s already played a lot of snaps this year, so it’s not like he’s new to it.
“He played quite a few snaps last year, and this year he’s played a lot more.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.