Stetson Bennett’s hopes of winning the Heisman Trophy came to an end as Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams came away with college football’s top individual prize Saturday night in New York City.
Bennett – Georgia’s first Heisman finalist since Garrison Hearst in 1992 – finished fourth, behind Williams and TCU quarterback Max Duggan.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was third.
"I don't think anybody can even imagine this being an actual story," Bennett said in an on-air interview with Marty Smith on ESPN prior to the announcement. "It's day by day, getting better day by day, it's failing day by day, it's whatever the day throws at you. Accomplishments, taking those baby steps, and all of a sudden I'm here on this stage talking to you with my mama and daddy."
Bennett is the first Bulldog to finish in the top voting for the Heisman since running back Garrison Hearst in 1992. Hearst finished fourth.
Williams received 2,031 total votes, followed by Duggan with 1,420, Stroud with 539, and Bennett with 349. Bennett finished fourth in every section of the country, except for the South where his 95 votes was good enough for third.
"The American dream. This guy was Baker Mayfield for one dream as the scout team quarterback (for the Rose Bowl) and he did a helluva job and won over his teammates by the job he did on the scout team," head coach Kirby Smart said on ESPN during the Heisman show. "He just kept getting better. We kept thinking he wasn't good enough, but he kept proving us wrong over, and over and over again."
Ultimately, Williams’ numbers were too much for voters to ignore, after passing for 4,075 yards with 37 touchdowns and just interceptions. He also rushed for 372 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Bennett, who leads the top-ranked and undefeated Bulldogs into their College Football Playoff semifinal matchup at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Ohio State has completed 269 of 399 passes for 3,425 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has rushed for 184 yards and seven scores.
Although Bennett did not come away with the sport’s top individual prize, a second straight national championship is very much a possibility.
Bennett and C.J. Stroud will renew acquaintances here shortly when the Bulldogs and Buckeyes convene in Atlanta after Christmas to start preparations for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
What a difference a year makes.
It was exactly one season ago in Georgia’s post-game press conference following its loss to Alabama that head coach Kif y Smart was asked if he considered changing quarterbacks after Bennett endured one of his poorer games.
One year later, he’s in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
“I had several people come up to me and say they thought he played the best game of his career tonight,” said Smart after Bennett threw for four first-half touchdowns to lead Georgia past LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship.
Bennett’s inclusion as one of the top four players in college football is yet another feather in the cap of Bennett, whose story of success is one of the more intriguing college football has seen in years.
From a former walk-on to transferring away to Jones College in Mississippi before returning to Athens as a scholarship player, ultimately leading the Bulldogs to their first national title in 40 years last year with a win over Alabama.
