As the Bulldog Nation tries to play couch psychiatrist figuring out Carson Beck’s recent interception woes, head coach Kirby Smart continues to take a more cerebral approach in supporting his starting quarterback.
Beck’s struggles have been well-documented.
With 11 interceptions in Georgia’s last five games, the senior’s decision-making has been called into question. Despite Georgia’s 34-20 win over Florida, Beck continues to be the story.
Although the Bulldogs are one of the top passing teams in the SEC (currently third, averaging 299 yards per game), Beck’s penchant for picks continues to be the source of great frustration for many.
Don’t get Smart wrong. He doesn’t like the interceptions either, especially the two that Beck threw in the first half against Florida with the Bulldogs inside Gator territory.
“I think I was more pleased after watching the game than anything, because, I mean, he had 73 snaps. He had 68 winning decisions, really good decisions. I mean, 68 for 73, pretty good in any sport I'm in that you're in,” Smart said. “I think the concern is the mistakes can't be catastrophic. You’ve got to make good decisions and the two plays that he ends up turning the ball over on, they weren't great looks defensively against that call.”
That’s the area Smart acknowledges Beck must improve.
“We were expecting something else. So, when that happens, you got to play for the next down, right? It's the most common thing in football. You’ve got to be willing to concede a down and move on, especially when it's first down,” Smart said. “Both those were, and two of those were those situations. But I still think that in 68 out of 73 decision-making processes, he did the right thing and made some really, really elite plays and throws within the game. He’s just got to down on the catastrophic plays.”
Tight end Ben Yurosek said that Beck continues to have the support of the entire team.
“Yeah, it's not just me, it's the entire team. We’ve got full support. We’ve got Carson, and we trust him,” Yurosek said. “We know the way he prepares, the way he practices. We have full support behind him. Not one moment of disbelief with our quarterback.”
While some fans may rail, Smart points out Beck’s resiliency.
For example, after throwing three interceptions against Texas, after the Longhorns made it a one-score game, Beck calmly led Georgia down the field, completing a 3rd-and-10 play to Arian Smith.
Following, his third interception against Florida, Beck completed his next 12 of 14 passes against the Gators, including one for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:19 left to play.
“I just think first and foremost, he's done a tremendous job overcoming any mistakes he's had in the ability to go out and close things,” Smart said. “There's a quality now that when you look across the NFL, you look across all sports, you look across the quarterback position. Resiliency is a huge trait. And the one thing that this guy has done is when he's had to, he's gone out and was back against the wall and made some good throws.”
