Pat Forde compares Penn State’s situation with its starting quarterback going out against Iowa…
After what befell Penn State (21) Saturday, it’s clear how important quarterback depth can be. When Sean Clifford was injured, the Nittany Lions were sunk at Iowa. Ta’Quan Roberson may end up being a fine college QB, but he wasn’t ready for that admittedly very difficult spot. The guy who had been Penn State’s No. 2 QB, Will Levis, is now the toast of Kentucky, where he is starting for the undefeated Wildcats and doing strange things with food.
… and you-know-who’s.
Stetson Bennett IV (24), Georgia. He’s played a lot of football for the Bulldogs, throwing 244 passes in three seasons. While Bennett struggled at times last year when thrust into a starting role, he’s been really good when pressed into service by injury to JT Daniels. Bennett’s efficiency rating is a robust 206.56, way up from 2020. He might have played his best game Saturday at Auburn, throwing for 231 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Most importantly, the team and coaching staff have faith in Bennett to get the job done and avoid catastrophes.
With the transfer portal, having an experienced back up who’s good enough to hold things together for an extended period is going to be an ever rarer thing. Stetson Bennetts are valuable as hell.
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Getting and keeping SB back for this season may be the smartest move this coaching staff has ever made
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I’m sorry. Smart is bad at managing QBs. I’ve been told that for three years, so it must be true.
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Also, he doesn’t develop players, and 1980… oh and Mullen is a better coach.
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the quarterback whisperer agrees with this post.
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SBIV is a DGD – that is all.
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“Struggled at times”? 2nd half of Bama w/the TO’s and was injured vs. FL otherwise he was undefeated as starter and led Dawgs to come from behind @Arky.
I guess whatever fits the narrative!
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He had a bad game against Kentucky, too. He wasn’t good enough to accomplish what Georgia wanted to last year. This year, he’s better.
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Well, it’s a lot easier for him to write that than to look up the actual case.
Sports writers are lazy.
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Stetson Bennett has proved there is a need for a journeyman QB that hangs around for 5 years waiting to win a game here or there until the 5 star is ready.
Kirby didn’t respect SB when he was on the scout team, but he’s learned the value of a guy like Stetson. Can you imagine if last year was Mathis? Yeah, same shudder here. Kirby doesn’t leave things to chance and I bet he now has a system in place to groom a capable pack up QB. He’s on the mutha…
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Oh, and how does all of what we’re seeing Stetson Bennett do compare to Dan Mullen coaching Emory Jones for the last 3 years?
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How dare you crap on the handbag’s last remaining narrative.
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He is perfect for the role he plays. And hopefully be Georgia folklore for a long time of how the 5Star and 2Star took UGA to their first National Championship in 41 years (with an incredibly talented football team around them).
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But Kirby can’t manage QBs PAWWWLLLL
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After a full year and Spring working with Monken, SBIV looks like a different QB.
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Imagine what Monken might have done with Fromm had Kirby hired him in 2019 vs promoting Coley.
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I was just thinking the other day that Fromm would light up the scoreboard in Monken’s system. I don’t think Jake would have ever been an elite QB, but we definitely didn’t get the most out of him in the Chaney/Coley offenses.
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Ifs and buts….
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The way this team is built, we probably would still be undefeated if we had been forced to go with Beck after JTD got injured. The defense and running game are just too good. The difference is that instead of steamrolling Auburn and Arky it most likely would have been a 17-10 or so nail biter. Could we win the NC without Stetson should JTD not be able to go? Not a chance in hell. Can we win it without JTD and Stetson running the show? I’m feeling pretty damn sure we can.
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I wonder how all this (transfer portal leaving game-ready depth depleted) changes recruiting if anything.
Thinking about Stetson and Ladd for that matter…. there is clearly great value in mining undervalued talent the old fashioned way that can’t be shortcut by reliance on traditional recruiting services. Not that i’m saying something a coach would consider revelatory, but as a fan I’d chalked all that up to Coachspeak from programs not on our level. If we’re developing undervalued talent better than programs that arguably need that skill just to survive, goodness gracious. The narrative that kirby is just a manager of a self-executing machine is dead. Of course, that “undervalued” talent gets sharpened into something really good going against all those Blue Chips in practice. There are no Roquans at Mercer to chase young Stetson around.
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#2’s will jump in the Portal for a chance to be starters, but the top teams will also find strong backups in the portal. We might lose Beck, but Kirby will know how to have his own QB in waiting and/or find a senior who wants his shot and willing to be #2 for a CFP team.
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