Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart addressed the passing attack’s mishaps and sent a strong message of support to QB Carson Beck after consecutive outings with multiple turnovers. Despite the Bulldogs’ win over the Texas Longhorns, Beck’s three interceptions shot the team in the foot and made the victory too close for comfort, however Smart believes the stats are misleading.
The Bulldogs made a statement on Saturday night in Austin. The Dawgs came into a packed-out DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium and walked away with the biggest win in their college football season. Georgia stunned Texas, sending them down into a spiral of concerns and uncertainty. Kirby Smart’s program has issued a wake up call to the league: Georgia is still a juggernaut.
It wasn’t always pretty for now No. 2 Georgia, though. Trevor Etienne had an outstanding game, rushing for 87 yards and three touchdowns. The aerial-attack, on the other hand, did not thrive and Carson Beck had another disappointing performance. However, Smart showed support and belief in the team’s QB and eased some of the pressure on him.
“Our inability to catch a ball was almost comical,” Smart stated, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He had probably eight or nine drops, and that’s hard on a quarterback. Psychologically, when you start a game and you have drops, sometimes it affects you. I’m not saying he played perfect. I think he played pretty good. But everybody will look at stats and everybody will look at other things, and they’ll have things to say and we’ll keep on playing with Carson Beck.”
So far this NCAA season, senior-year Beck has thrown for 1,993 yards, 15 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The most concerning aspect of Georgia’s QB play has been his performance against top SEC opponents. Beck threw three interceptions in the 34-41 loss to Alabama and had three more turnovers against Texas, despite Georgia’s 30-15 victory.
Bounce back opportunity for Beck
The Bulldogs will hope to carry on their momentum into a possible “trap game” in two weeks. After a statement triumph in Austin, the Dawgs head into a bye-week. Their return to action will take place on November 2nd when they’ll host the Florida Gators.
Carson Beck must bring his A-game and dispel any doubts about his ability to lead Georgia deep into the College Football Playoff. However, the skepticism appears to be coming from outside the program, as Smart and the team remain confident in their QB. Instead, the coaching staff thinks the pass catchers are leaving Beck out to dry.