It will be a homecoming for quarterback Carson Beck when top-ranked Georgia travels to Jacksonville on Saturday for the annual rivalry game with Florida.
As a native of the city, this one is going to be special for the graduate of Mandarin High.
“Obviously, it’s super cool,” Beck said. “The last time I played there I was 11 years old, for the city championship. Going back there, to play in my hometown, to play in the Georgia-Florida game, a huge rivalry, is going to be fun.”
There’s obviously a lot on the line.
Saturday’s 3:30 kickoff marks the first of what’s shaping to be a gauntlet of challenging games for the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0).
After Florida, Georgia hosts resurgent Missouri and a dangerous Ole Miss squad, before wrapping up the regular season on the road at Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
Obviously, for Georgia to be successful, Beck will need to play well.
So far, so good.
Through the Bulldogs' seven games, Beck has established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC, having completed 173 of 235 passes for 2,147 yards and 12 touchdowns.
His 313-per-game passing yardage is second in the conference and is fifth in efficiency, with a quarterback rating of 163.81. Beck does have four interceptions, including one that nearly went for a pick-6 against Vanderbilt.
“We turned the ball over twice; obviously I take credit for that, it’s my fault,” Beck said. “We try to eliminate turnovers, so when you do, it gives them opportunities, especially when it’s on our side of the field.”
Kirby Smart agreed.
While eliminating turnovers is an area Georgia’s head coach said the entire offense needs to improve, he remains pleased with what he’s seen from Beck at the midway point of the season.
"He plays very consistently, winning football when he plays within the system. I think sometimes when he tries too much, he gets himself in trouble,” Smart said. “But he's played at a really high level to me, like a 90-percent success rate, and keeping a 10-percent from being catastrophic is critical. That's the ones you want to get back. If you can take that 10 percent and throw them away to keep his 90 percent and his accuracy, we're going to be good offensively when he's good."
Naturally, Saturday’s game will be the first without tight end Brock Bowers, who is rehabbing after undergoing tightrope surgery to repair a high ankle sprain.
The loss is certainly significant, but Beck is confident the offense will still be effective.
“We have guys who can make explosive plays, 1-2-3 deep,” Beck said. “We fully expect the next guy to come out and make plays.”
