Stetson Bennett easily earns week one MVP honors against Oregon

Georgia football had its way with Oregon in week one, cruising to a convincing 49-3 victory, and starting quarterback Stetson Bennett stole the show.

The Ducks had no answers, as the Dawgs were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. The offense out-gained Oregon 571 yards to 313, and the defense forced two turnovers, intercepting Bo Nix twice. It was complete domination from the beginning, as Oregon was outmatched in every game phase.

While it took a team effort and major contributions from several players to dismantle the No. 11 team in the country thoroughly, Bennett stood out above the rest.

Stetson Bennett was the Georgia football Week 1 MVP against the Ducks.

As voted on in our first weekly MVP Twitter poll, Bennett was the clear winner.

The veteran signal caller had arguably the best game of his career, completing 81% of his passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns while scoring a touchdown with his legs. He was on fire from the jump, leading Georgia 85 yards to a touchdown in 12 plays on its opening possession.

Bennett looked poised and comfortable under center and seemed to exude confidence. Having an entire offseason to take reps as the clear-cut starter appears to have paid off dramatically. He was in command of the offense and consistently made big plays, even under duress.

Bennett’s favorite target was running back Kenny McIntosh, who reeled nine catches for 117 yards. McIntosh was impressive in his own right, catching passes out of the backfield as well as lining up out wide as a receiver.

Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell were the recipients of Bennett’s two touchdown passes, representing the player Bennett is.

McConkey’s reception was the result of Bennett’s gunslinger tendencies, extending the play and eluding pressure to throw a wild pass – the type of play that makes fans shout “no, no, no, no, YES!” as it’s happening.

Mitchell’s score was the result of a perfectly timed and placed back-shoulder pass in the end zone. The success of these types of passes is determined by the chemistry between the quarterback and receiver, as well as the passer’s ability to make an accurate throw in the correct window of time. Experienced quarterbacks are generally the most successful with these types of plays, and Bennett has had plenty of practice to connect on those passes consistently.

Bennett is an experienced gunslinger, and while his wild hero ball can get him in trouble at times, he has progressively learned when and when not to try to make that kind of play. Under the guidance of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, he has developed into one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, whether the media recognizes it or not.

Bennett’s performance against Oregon turned heads and put the rest of the country on notice. Even after leading Georgia to a national championship, he still has doubters and naysayers who don’t believe in his talent, but they only add to the chip on his shoulder.

His confidence is infectious to the rest of the team, and fans should be excited to see what The Mailman can do as the season progresses.