In parts one and two of the 2023 Statistical Review, UGASports looked at rushing and receiving. This time around, we'll review the passing game. After Stetson Bennett left after the 2022 season, many questioned the future of the passing game. In 2023, Carson Beck ended up with one of the best seasons by a Georgia quarterback in program history. Check out some of these statistics from last season, proving that statement.
First, here are the passing leaders in the nation in 2023.
Beck was ranked in the top five in both categories, but where does he rank in school history in each of those stats?
In terms of yards passing, he may not be at the very top of the list, but he's still near the top on one, and in the top ten and climbing in the other.
Beck also had 24 touchdown passes on the season. While that ranked tied for 23rd in the nation, it ranked in the top ten all-time by a Bulldog (with a lot of ties).
Beck has 30 touchdown passes in his career. That does not rank in the top ten in Georgia history, but it is only three away from tying John Rauch (1945-48) for tenth place.
Beck threw only six interceptions in 417 attempts. His 1.44 interception percentage is the fifth best in a season in school history.
Here is a breakdown of how many touchdowns he has thrown in a game as well as how many interceptions he has thrown.
Here are some more breakdowns on Beck's 2023 season...
One of those neutral games was the Orange Bowl against Florida State. Beck played the first half and Gunner Stockton played the second. Stockton came into the game completing 6-of-9 passes for 42 yards, but the redshirt freshman showed that he came to play. He went 6-for-10 in that game alone for 96 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. Beck also had two touchdowns passes in that game. It was the first time in Georgia history that a pair of Bulldog quarterbacks each threw for at least two touchdown passes in a single bowl game.
In that game, Collin Drake also completed his first career pass attempt to Luke Bennett for two yards. Jackson Muschamp also took snaps behind center, but did not throw a pass.
One quarterback not listed so far was Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff had a very solid season as the primary Dawg backup in 2023. He completed 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His touchdowns came against UT-Martin in the season opener and against Kentucky. Which is ironic due to the fact that he transferred to Kentucky after the season was over.
Another stat that might have gone un-noticed in the matchup against the Wildcats is that the Bulldogs had 22 first downs via the pass. That tied the highest mark ever by a Georgia team. They also got a new set of downs because of the pass in the 1998 LSU game as well as the 2022 Vanderbilt game. The 33 pass completions (Beck had 28 and Vandagriff had 5) was tied for the fifth most ever thrown in a season for the Dawgs.
Other team stats included the Dawgs' 305.3 pass yards per game was the fourth highest (also the fourth time over 300 yards ) and the 71.8 team completion percentage was the first time ever that Georgia had completed over 70 percent in a season.
One of those completions that helped the percentage was an 18-yard touchdown pass by the versatile Dillon Bell to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint against Tennessee. Bell became the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown for Georgia since Kenny McIntosh threw one against Michigan in the 2021 Orange Bowl against Michigan. That pass was to AD Mitchell and it also went for 18 yards.
2023 was also the first season since 1998 that five different Bulldogs completed at least one pass. Beck, Vandagriff, Stockton, Drake, and Bell did it this past season. In 1998, it was Quincy Carter, Jon England, Mike Usry, Patrick Pass, and Michael Greer who did the honors.
-----
In case you missed the other Statistical Reviews of 2023
