Carson Beck’s breakout changes everything from national perspective but nothing in Georgia huddle
ATHENS — Carson Beck put himself on the national college football map with his 389-yard, 4-touchdown performance on Saturday, jumping into the “top quarterbacks” conversation.
But nothing will change in the Georgia football huddles, locker room or football building.
Kirby Smart already knew what he had at quarterback, and he tried to tell everyone in August that Beck could have been under center for Georgia’s past two national championships.
“Carson Beck could have been our quarterback that entire time, and he learned from that,” Smart said in August, a statement that more Bulldogs’ fans are likely to agree on today than last Friday with No. 1-ranked UGA moving to 6-0 and 3-0 in SEC play.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly did the breakdown on Beck’s fast start in Georgia’s 51-13 win over then-No. 20 Kentucky.
Per ESPN stats, Beck was averaging 52.8 yards and 8.5 yards on first-quarter completions entering the game, with Georgia scoring an average of 3.4 points in the first quarters.
Saturday night, Beck was 11-for-11 for 146 yards and generated 14 points in the first quarter.
SEC Network analyst and college QB legend Tim Tebow, like Smart, was bullish on Beck even before his outing against Kentucky.
“I was so impressed with his mentality when they had a tough first half against South Carolina, and the camera is on him, and he winks at the camera as if to say, ‘it’s ok, we’ve got this,’ " Tebow noted. “And he came out and had a really good second half.
“One of the best things I could say is that he’s played his best when his best has been needed … against Auburn, he had a really good fourth quarter, made plays.”
Smart determined that Beck’s best would be needed in the first quarter against Kentucky, a team built around its power run game.
“Our offense made them play a little left handed,” Smart said. “You can’t sit there and be methodical if you’re down that quickly.
“We knew they would struggle to play from behind. That’s not their style of play. The quick start played big time to our advantage.”
Other times Smart has conceded the Georgia game plan has relied more on the defense, such as in the opening contest against UT-Martin.
Smart has tried to explain how much more goes into the offensive game plan than quarterback play.
Georgia is a tough program to read for those who don’t understand how Smart and the Bulldogs change up the game plan each week depending on the opponent.
Further, Georgia has enough competition and player development leads to different talents emerging each week.
Mississippi State transfer Rara Thomas had somewhat of a breakout performance against Kentucky by going over 60 yards receiving and scoring his first touchdown of the season in a UGA uniform.
Tailback Daijun Edwards, who hadn’t caught more than 2 passes in a game and averaged less than one per contest last season, had a career-high 6 catches for 51 yards, adding a key element to his game.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo also worked some Xs and Os to get Brock Bowers 7 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown, per UK coach Mark Stoops.
“I compliment them with the way they were creating some plays,” Stoops said. “We all look at and say, ‘How in the world does a guy like (Bowers) get so open?’ Well, some of it they’re creating, they did a nice job and they got us bad vision.”
Beck was the benefactor of it all, much like Stetson Bennett took full advantage of his weapons last season.
Smart, perhaps anticipating Beck’s breakout performance, explained how that works in the days leading up to the Kentucky game.
“I think when you start talking about national title hopes and putting it all on one player, that’s a little far-fetched,” Smart said last Wednesday.
“I just don’t think we won the ones we won just because of that position.”
To be clear, Smart said, “neither one (championship season) would be because of (Bennett), and whether we do or don’t this year is not going to be just because of Carson Beck.”
Smart’s approach has been consistent on such issues, and while the perspective on Beck is changing in the national media and in the fan base, it’s a safe bet things will remain the same in the Georgia locker room.
