Because placing Bennett into the video game against Arkansas in the 2nd quarter, the Bulldogs have outscored challengers 49-9. With Bennett at the helm, the Bulldogs have actually appeared like among the best groups in the country.
” He played well. He played truly well,” Smart said. “And I believed he gained self-confidence as he played.”.
And Bennett was far and away exceptional to Nix in that aspect. Thats why the Bulldogs came away with a definite 27-6 win over Auburn.
The first quarterback was Stetson Bennett IV. The second was Auburns Bo Nix.
Bennett not just began for Georgia on Saturday night, he shined. He was the one who played like the 5-star quarterback and not the former walk-on and JUCO transfer that he at one-point was.
After halftime, Bennett wasnt asked to do almost as much as he just threw 6 pass efforts in the last 30 minutes. Nix on the other hand invested the majority of the second-half running for his life. He wound up getting sacked three times and threw an interception, his first considering that Oct. 26 of 2019.
Related: Social media gushes over Stetson Bennett, Georgia football for very first half against Auburn.
Bennett initially opened some eyes as to what he may be capable of on Georgias second 3rd down of the video game. The Auburn defense required and blitzed Bennett to bail out of the pocket.
Looks can be deceiving. They d inform that Nix was supposed to be the very best quarterback on the field in Sanford Stadium on Saturday night.
The two starting quarterbacks for No. 4 Georgia and No. 7 Auburn might not have more different as recruits. The other was the No. 33 general gamer and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country.
Nix on the ensuing drive went 3-and-out as soon as again. Bennett then led Georgia on another scoring drive and it was 24-0.
” He simply went up and made a heck of a play like he does,” Bennett said of the Pickens touchdown.
However after Bennetts performance on Saturday against the No. 7 team in the nation, it appears like Bennett is pretty plainly the guy to lead the Georgia offense.
” We understood that in 2015 wasnt the year we wanted to have,” Jackson said. “We want to come out and be explosive. We understood what we wished to do and its just the additional work that hes put in.”.
In those first 30-minutes, when the video game was in the balance, Bennett clearly outperformed Nix. Georgia went 6-for-9 on third-down to that point, while Auburn was 1-for-6.
TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stetson Bennett @StetsonIV ➡ George Pickens @geo_Thagoat pic.twitter.com/pScXguBSoj– GEORGIA HEROES (@GeorgiaHeroes) October 4, 2020.
Nix on the other hand couldnt find that exact same kind of connection with any of his large receivers. Star Seth Williams had simply 3 catches for 34 lawns. Nixs leading receiver was running back Tank Bigsby, as he captured 7 passes for 68 yards. Many of those began dump-offs as Nix was preventing the Georgia pass rush.
Based upon the resume, you would be inclined to believe that it was Nix who went 5-of-7 for 81 lawns and a goal on third down in the very first half. And it wouldve been Bennett who completed only one of his five pass efforts for zero lawns on the “money” down in the opening 30 minutes as his group fell back 24-0.
Related: Stetson Bennett IV: The bad dirt farm boy story about Arkansas you havent heard.
At that point, it was all however over for the Tigers, as the Georgia defense got to pin its ears back and continue to attack Nix and the Auburn offense.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett speaks after strong efficiency versus Auburn.
Of those catches, four came on third down. He amounted to 72 yards and four first downs for the Bulldogs. He also hauled in a 49-yard pass from Bennett too.
No one thought Bennett was going to be the guy for Georgia this season. Even offensive organizer Todd Monken apparently informed him “sorry we simply dont see you as the starter,” according to ESPNs Allison Williams..
The strong connection with Jackson wasnt the only place Bennett went when he needed a third-down conversion. A player after getting lit up by Auburn linebacker ZaKoby McClain, Bennett provided a beautiful ball to George Pickens– a one-time Auburn commitment– to put Georgia up 17-0.
The connection with Jackson was a strong one on the night, as the redshirt sophomore caught nine passes for 147 yards. Those are both new-career highs for Jackson.
Bennett tossed for 240 backyards on 28 pass attempts while adding the goal to Pickens. Nix on the other hand required 40 pass attempts to total 177 passing backyards. Bennett was simply better.
” My goal is always to start here, thats why I came here in the first place,” Bennett stated. “I came here to win an SEC champion and a nationwide champion for the Georgia Bulldogs.”
Stetson Bennett @StetsonIV ➡ Kearis Jackson @king_kearis pic.twitter.com/UqweiJrXjZ– GEORGIA HEROES (@GeorgiaHeroes) October 3, 2020.
” You just need to perform the strategy,” Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari stated. “Just control the quarterback. Hes got great speed and he can go out so we simply had to manage him this evening.”.
Through the ups and downs, Bennett always kept his confidence and preserved the belief in himself. Even with all the concerns this week about who would start at quarterback, Bennett left no doubt he was the guy as he was the only Georgia quarterback to play significant snaps for against Auburn.
One quarterback was making his very first career start. The other had been called SEC Freshman of the Year and tabbed as a difference-maker in this contest in between the two top-10 groups.
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And Bennett was far and away exceptional to Nix in that aspect. Bennett initially opened some eyes as to what he might be capable of on Georgias second third down of the video game. The Auburn defense blitzed and forced Bennett to bail out of the pocket. After halftime, Bennett wasnt asked to do almost as much as he only threw 6 pass efforts in the last 30 minutes. Bennett tossed for 240 lawns on 28 pass efforts while including the touchdown to Pickens.
