This was the Carson Beck of last year, the one many expected to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy, maybe even the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He had zip on his ball, he threw downfield with accuracy and he made good decisions.
And in homage to predecessor Stetson Bennett, whose touchdown run was the highlight of the 2022 win over Tennessee in Athens, Beck made surprising use of his own feet: a 10-yard run on third down for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, following up a 14-yard run in the second quarter to set up Georgia’s first touchdown. After that run, Beck extended his arm and pointed forward, the first down signal. Maybe a bit cocksure, but a sign that his swagger was back.
It was Beck’s passing that carried the offense, along with pass protection that was remarkably better than previous weeks. After giving up five sacks in last week’s loss to Ole Miss, the Bulldogs gave left tackle Monroe Freeling his first career start, and he along with the rest of the line gave Beck a clean pocket.
Beck threw for more than 200 yards over the course of four consecutive scoring drives in the second and third quarter.
That production came despite a series of drops by his receivers and the loss of starter Dillon Bell, who went out with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Beck turned to veteran tight end Delp, who hauled in the first two touchdowns. Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett atoned for drops with big receptions. London Humphreys hauled in some big-chunk passes. And a true freshman getting his first significant action, Nitro Tuggle, found his way into the gameplan.
Five different Georgia players had at least 50 receiving yards. It was the kind of night Georgia had envisioned for this year, a confident Beck distributing to an array of options. It finally came together at just the right time.
