There is a lot of speculation around the Georgia football world on who will be the starting quarterback on Saturday since JT Daniels could have to sit out. Most people have automatically suggested that Carson Beck will get the nod, but why wouldn’t the Dawgs use Stetson Bennett with the experience he got last season?
Call us crazy, but Bennett did earn the starting job last season fair and square when D’Wan Mathis struggled against Arkansas, when Daniels wasn’t cleared and when Jamie Newman left the team.
While yes, head coach Kirby Smart named Beck as the No. 2 quarterback this week, that doesn’t mean he will get the start.
Rumors are spreading around Twitter about how Beck will, in fact, get the nod and his first start in the red and black, but no one has officially ruled Daniels out or said that Beck would.
Those speculating may be in for a rude awakening come 3:30 p.m. on Saturday when the Mailman trots out to the huddle for the first offensive drive of the game. He went 3-2 as a starter, was the only quarterback to lead Alabama at the half, and is tough as freaking nails.
Bennett led the Dawgs to a win over No.7 Auburn Tigers last year and only had one game that he started, in which he threw for under 200 yards.
He knows this offense inside and out, has more experience than Beck and can get the win when he needs to.
While Beck has shown this offseason that he is a competitor and earned the backup role, I don’t think Smart and Todd Monken start him. We may see him after the Dawgs get up a few touchdowns, but I think Bennett gets the start.
Smart and Monken know they can put the offense in Bennett’s hands, and he will run it proficiently. If I’m honest, the Dawgs can ground and pound it against UAB to a win, throwing it occasionally to spread out the defense.
At the same time, UAB always comes to play and has a tough front seven. Even Smart complimented their front seven and said they wouldn’t be any pushover.
Why put a game in the hands of someone who has no experience when you can put it in the hands of a guy like Bennett. Regardless if you like him or not, the kid can flat out ball. Stop thinking about the issues against Alabama and Florida.
Georgia needs to win this game and win it big. I’m not saying Beck can’t do it, but I’d rather punch them in the mouth than see the inexperienced guy cough up a few turnovers. I mean, Bennett could too. As someone who knows his high school coach, he can get wild with his passes — I know the Alabama game.
Heck, Beck could start and lead the team to a dominant victory over UAB. Another option is, Daniels starts, goes out there for a couple of series, and then lets Beck and company handle the rest of the game.
No one from the University of Georgia has come out and said Daniels would not start, and yet the rumor mill continues to swirl across the Dawg nation. If I’m even more blunt, between the three QBs, all of them can lead the Dawgs to a victory on Saturday.
Bennett has more game experience than Beck, and with a defense like UAB, you want that experience because they won’t quit until you make them. Do I think we see Beck play against the Blazers? Oh, absolutely, but don’t be shocked when Georgia football looks to the Mailman and has him start.