MIAMI, Fla. - Earlier this week, both Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken stated emphatically that Stetson Bennett was their starting quarterback.
Friday night in the Orange Bowl, Bennett showed the Bulldog Nation why that trust was placed upon him in the first place. As a result, the Bulldogs are headed back to the national championship for the second time in five years.
Give Bennett his share of credit for that.
While Georgia’s defense was busy ridding itself of the sour taste left from the debacle in the SEC Championship against Alabama, Bennett answered some questions as well.
He also has an Offensive MVP Trophy to boot, after completing 21 of 31 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns to lead Georgia to a 34-11 win and a trip to Indianapolis to face Alabama for the national championship on Jan. 10.
“I didn’t go out there to try and play well to spite anybody,” Bennett said. “I came out there and played well and worked hard throughout the few weeks we had off, because my teammates needed me. We needed to win.”
Smart agreed.
“I don’t get into much about statements,” Smart said. “I really focus on performance and do things based on performance, and I thought he performed at a high level. He’s really been focused the last couple of weeks.”
It did not take Bennett long to get started. In the first half alone, Bennett completed 16 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, one of nine yards to Brock Bowers and another of 57 yards to Jermaine Burton.
“Stetson is the leader of our offense,” running back James Cook said. “He doesn’t let negativity to his head. He has no social media. He carries a flip phone around, and he stays off social media and lets the noise go over his head and plays football. That’s what we love about him.”
He wasn’t done.
After a penalty-plagued third quarter, Bennett put the stamp on the game with a 39-yard scoring pass to James Cook to make the score 34-3.The play marked Bennett’s 26th touchdown pass.
For good measure, Bennett also scrambled for a couple of first downs, rushing three times for 32 yards.
“Coach Monk is a great play caller,” Bennett said. “A lot of those throws that you saw were run plays that I just spit out there.”
Now one win away, Bennett can forever prove his doubters wrong by helping lead Georgia to a win over Alabama.
In the SEC Championship, Bennett threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice, including one for a pick-six. However, Bennett will not be looking back. It’s full steam ahead in attempting to help the Bulldogs win their first national championship since 1980.
“It’s been a long journey. Me, just like every player in that room and on our team—we love the University of Georgia, and we wear that G with pride,” Bennett said. “For us to come together after all the hours and all the off-season work, fall camp and the grind of the season, to be able to give ourselves a chance to go to a national championship. It’s pretty special.”
Bennett was asked if he could ever have imagined this moment five years ago when he was helping the Bulldogs prepare for the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma.
“I mean, no,” he said. “Every day from then until now, you just go about your business and put your best foot forward. Obviously, you cannot predict the future. You just hope something works out.”
