Georgia Football: Stetson Bennett delivered when it mattered most

When it comes to Stetson Bennett, there is one thing we know for sure about him — he loves Georgia football, and he will do whatever it takes to help them win.

That love and determination were evident on Saturday against UAB, where he put on a clinic against the Blazers. His effort didn’t go unnoticed as he earned SEC offensive player of the week honors.

Bennett went 10-of-12 for 288 yards and five touchdowns. However, the most impressive part of his performance wasn’t how he finished, but the fact that he started 5-of-5 for 245 yards and four touchdowns — including 73, 12, 89 and 61-yard scores.

Every throw he made throughout the first half of the game against UAB was almost perfect. He threw perfect balls in stride and made sure to place the ball exactly where it needed to go for his wideouts.

Georgia needed someone to step up with JT Daniels missing the game due to injury, and Bennett was the guy who did.

After the game on Saturday, head coach Kirby Smart made sure to give him quite the compliment, and since then, stories upon stories continue to talk about Bennett.

"“We just have a lot of young players who are trying to grow up and we thought it would give a calming effect to have him in with his experience and his ability to play in games, and he played really well,” Kirby Smart said in his post-game press conference. “Nobody has been better to the University of Georgia than Stetson Bennett.”"

To say that nobody has been better to Georgia than Bennett has to complement every football player could want. Not to mention it’s true.

He has gone through it all, from coming to Georgia as a walk-on, leaving to go to a JUCO school, and coming back on scholarship — it came full circle for him. Bennett won the starting job then lost it, but he did when the team needed him to take over.

There was no prima donna drama surrounding him. Nope, Bennett accepted the role and prepared for it. He knew the team needed him, and there is no question in my mind he proved every doubter wrong.

Even though Bennett said in his post-game presser that he didn’t hear the outside noise and the negativity surrounding the quarterback drama, I  don’t know that I  believe him. To me, I  think he proved every doubter wrong. Bennett showed that he is a playmaker and someone who can get the job done.

I’m not saying he is a starter by any means, but if it comes down to it and the Dawgs need him, Bennett will do everything in his power to make that happen.

His love for the team is so important to their success. That emotion he brings isn’t just from him but the entire team. Everyone loves Bennett and his story. The players are so happy for him, and it shows. This team knows what it means to be a unit.

We do not hear about how this group needs to come together or anything like that. Nope because this team understands the assignment, they understand that sometimes adversity hits, and to overcome it, you help pick up the next guy and keep grinding.

Selfless is the best way to describe this team because as long as they win, they don’t care who plays.

Bennett is a big part of the puzzle. He brings experience to that room. He brings a calming effect, a swagger per se, and everyone should embrace him.

Daniels is the starter, but when he couldn’t go, Smart and the rest of the team trusted that Bennett was the guy to make it happen. Sure there are some people still out there that don’t like him. Those people don’t get it, and that’s okay.

Bennett is a leader in his own way, he delivers the mail on time, and he doesn’t care how he is a part of this team as long as he is on it.

That humbleness is something every future Dawg needs to take a page from — the book of the Mailman — because humbleness will carry you a lot further than being a drama-driven selfish individual.

So regardless of where you sit on this discussion, Bennett made sure to let the world know Georgia is a force. He helped lead this team to one of the most explosive and dominant wins over smaller schools in a long time.

It’s time to stop the hating and Kirby Smart slander. It’s time to stop the Bennett slander. Enjoy this ride because there is something different about this team. They have something no one else, maybe outside Alabama, has, and that’s a connection and a love for each other to go to battle every single week.

Bennett is part of this team whether anyone likes it or not, and if it comes down to it, that whole squad will go to war for him.

I  don’t think they believe anyone on this schedule can beat them, and part of that comes from having guys like Bennett on this team who are motivators and leaders not just on the field but also off it.