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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs knocked out the Tennessee Vols Saturday in Athens, and Georgia’s quarterback got a big honor after the game.
UGA QB Stetson Bennett was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday according to a release from the league. The No. 1 Bulldogs beat the No. 1 Vols 27-13 Saturday in Athens.
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Bennett helped keep the Bulldogs undefeated during the dismantling of No. 1 Tennessee by connecting on 17-of-25 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score. After the Vols went up 3-0, Bennett took off on a 3rd-and-10 situation and ran in for a 13-yard score; the Bulldogs never trailed again.
Snapshot of Senior Stetson Bennett
Senior Stetson Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., began his career with the Bull-
dogs as a walk-on in 2017 when he was redshirted. Bennett transferred to Jones College (Miss.) where he started in 2018 and then returned to the Bulldogs on scholarship in 2019. He saw action that season in five games including throwing passes in four of them. In 2020, he started five games and then got the nod in the final 11 contests of the 2021 national championship season.
In his Bulldog career, Bennett is 23-3 and has completed 64.3 percent of his passes (489-for-761, 6,907 yards, 50 TDs, 17 INTs).
In school history, Georgia is 3-5 all-time against the No. 1 team and Bennett is 2-0. He led Georgia to a victory over No. 1 Alabama in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game and then against top-ranked Tennessee this season.
Currently ranks third nationally among active players in Total Offense Yards Per Play for a career at 8.42, which is on pace for a school record (7.69 by Aaron Murray). Current active national leader is C.J. Stroud (9.35, Ohio State) followed by Grayson McCall (8.56, Coastal Carolina).
Stetson Bennett Big in Big Moments
After falling behind for only the second time this season (No. 1 Tennessee 3-0, 10:05 1stQ), Bennett directed an 80-yard touchdown drive that was capped by his 13- yard scamper to the pylon. The Bulldogs would never trail again against the Vols.
Bennett took off for a career-long 64-yard touchdown run during the win over Auburn, giving the Bulldogs a 28-3 edge at the start of the fourth quarter. His scoring scamper was the longest for a Georgia QB since 1976 when Ray Goff flew 73 yards for paydirt in a 41-0 win at Clemson.
Bennett and Tim Tebow (four) are the only two SEC players since 2004 to have at least four consecutive games with 250 passing yards and one rushing score. Aaron Murray is the only other Bulldog quarterback to have at least 250 passing yards and at least one rushing score in four games overall during a season (2013).
Bennett earned Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week and Manning Award National QB of the Week honors while leading No. 3 Georgia to a 49-3 rout of No. 11 Oregon in this season’s opener. He directed the Bulldogs to seven touchdowns on their first seven drives and finished 25 of 31 for a career-high 368 yards and two touch- downs. Bennett also had a 1-yard rushing score against the Ducks. Bennett’s 368 passing yards in the win was the most in a season opener by a Bulldog since 1994 when Eric Zeier tallied 485 yards in a road win over South Carolina.
He ranked fourth nationally in Passing Efficiency (176.7) last year, which broke the school record in that category previously belonging to Aaron Murray (174.8, 2012).
Bennett helped Georgia complete a historic 8-0 SEC regular season and its first undefeated regular season since 1982.
During the CFP National Championship Game versus No. 1 Alabama, Bennett finished 17-for-26 passing with 224 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Trailing 18-13 with 10:14 left in the game, Bennett directed a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead at the 8:09 mark (a two-point conversion failed). Georgia never relinquished its lead to collect its first national championship in 41 years. Bennett was named the game’s Offensive MVP as was the case in the CFP Semifinal Orange Bowl victory over Michigan.
In the highest ranked matchup in Sanford Stadium history, No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 1 Tennessee 27-13 (CFP ranking). The high-flying Vols entered the contest leading the nation in scoring (49.4 ppg) and were held to the lowest tally in the Josh Heupel era.
After registering just 10 sacks through eight games, the Bulldogs collected six against top-ranked Tennessee who had surrendered only 13 on the year. Sophomore STAR Javon Bullard led the attack with the first two of his career. *Georgia is 4-1 as the No. 3 CFP team. On CFP Selection Sunday in 2017 and 2021, the Bulldogs made the CFP as the No. 3 seed. In the first CFP rankings this year, the Bulldogs were No. 3 behind UT and Ohio State. Georgia was No. 1 in the Associated Press and Coaches polls while UT was No. 2 (AP) and No. 3 (Coaches).
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
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