Georgia QB Hutson Mason Needs to Prove Doubters Wrong vs. Kentucky

Hutson Mason has to show those who doubt his ability to lead Georgia when needed that they are wrong.

Last week against the Florida Gators, Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason had his best statistical game of the season. Unfortunately it came in a lopsided loss, and much of his yardage came in garbage time when the game was already out of hand.

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What wasn’t seen by Mason last week was the ability to pick up a team, put them on his back, and say “I got this, boys”, something that his predecessor, Aaron Murray, did all too often during his four years as starting QB.

Despite completing 63.4 percent of his passes, and throwing for a season-high 319 yards against the Gators, Hutson Mason had one of his worst games in total, with a raw total quarterback rating of only 47.7, his second lowest of the season.

The question is, does Mason have the moxie to stand up and make this his team?

We’ve seen shades of it a few times this season, but not when the chips were down, and not when it seemed his team needed it the most.

What we haven’t seen is that spark, that fire, that display of guts and determination that says “no way are we losing this game today…not on my watch”, and brother, do the Bulldogs ever need that.

This will be Georgia’s last week without Todd Gurley in the backfield, but that doesn’t mean next week against Auburn that Gurley will be 100 percent fit, in game shape and ready to plow over defenders like he did for the first five games of this season.

Mason needs to take that next step today against Kentucky, and start proving the doubters wrong, as well as give the Auburn Tigers something to think about and plan for next week’s game. Because right now, there is no way the Tigers are concerned about Mason and his ability to burn them. They’ll be thinking about Gurley, Chubb, and how to recreate what the Gators did against Georgia’s run defense.

If Mason can make a statement in Lexington, and become the teams leader in spirit as well as in position name, then the last few games of his career at Georgia will take on a whole new direction.

The Hutson Mason who led the Bulldogs back from 20 points down to an overtime victory against Georgia Tech last season needs to make an appearance, and stake his claim as the undisputed leader of this team.