ATLANTA — This time last year, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett sat next to Kirby Smart and had to listen to his head coach’s questions about whether or not to bench Bennett.
After the 2022 SEC championship game, Smart explained to reporters why Bennett went to New York as a Heisman finalist.
“Absolutely. I mean I think it’s one of those things, this guy is 23 out of 29 in the second half, I mean he couldn’t do much in the second half so I don’t know what he was in the first Halftime,” Smart said. “He played really well. I’ve had several people come up to me and say they thought he played the best game of his career tonight. He played really well.”
Bennett completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts for 279 yards. He threw a season-high four touchdowns — all in the first half — to four different receivers. The Georgia offense scored 50 points in their 50-30 win over LSU.
Georgia is now 13-0 with Bennett orchestrating every win. So far this season he has thrown 20 touchdowns and ran for another seven while leading what is clearly the best team in the country.
A year ago, Bennett was picked twice in that game and had to watch Alabama celebrate an upset win in the SEC Championship. On Saturday, Bennett finally got a chance to celebrate after leading Georgia to victory again.
The Georgia quarterback knows he’s more than capable of making plays. And that he has a number of talented playmakers around him.
He has fun. He is focused on taking Georgia to another national championship rather than a Heisman Trophy.
And after Saturday’s performance, he’s not so much a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy as a legitimate contender for the award.
“Well, I mean, I was familiar with the pieces. We repeated them many times throughout the season throughout the week,” Bennett said. “We had them executed during the week. When it comes to the SEC championship, you have to play with confidence. If not, they will beat you. Yes I do not know. have good players I mean, I don’t think I got touched tonight. Our O-line was incredible.”