Todd Monken may just hold the keys to Georgia’s national championship on his play sheet.

And when it comes to Stetson Bennett, Monken knows it.

“The bottom line is I can do better as a coordinator to put him in better position to be successful,” Monken said this week. “He understands that. Our team understands that. So I expect him to play well just like I did last week.”

Whether Monken calls plays that allow Bennett to scramble and escape a collapsed pocket, or put the quarterback in a position to choose an incompletion over an interception, Monken’s job is to find a sweet spot between how Bennett has played against every other team, and how he’s played against Alabama.

The last 2 Alabama games each ended in a 41-24 Georgia loss. If Monken solves that conundrum, Georgia raises the crystal ball trophy on Monday.

  • Bennett in December against Alabama was 29-for-48 passing for 340 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He had 7 carries for 11 yards.
  • In 2020 against Alabama, Bennett was 18-for-40 passing for 269 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He had 6 carries for 12 yards.
  • Alabama has scored 28 points off Bennett interceptions in those 2 games, and in the second halves alone, Alabama outscored Georgia 38-7.

In both games, it wasn’t just that the interceptions were costly, it’s that 4 of the 5 interceptions came in the second half, although 2 of the 3 in 2020 were on tipped or batted balls. That speaks to key halftime adjustments made, or confusion of Bennett, that Monken should identify entering Monday’s game. The adage that incompletions don’t kill you should be a mantra for the Georgia offense.

“We just need to understand that the first 2 halves of each of those games were outstanding, and I’ve said that before,” Monken said. “He has everything we need to be successful offensively. And our issues with turnovers aren’t his issue, particularly. That’s everybody in this country — if you turn the ball over you’re not going to win, no matter how you do it.”

Just as Bennett spreads the wealth when things are going well, he must also share the blame, or simply avoid it with risk-free throwaway to rely on a solid punt, and a confident defense to extend the game.

Monken has admitted that he has undervalued Bennett’s skill set, and the quarterback has proven the offensive coordinator wrong, probably multiple times. It’s time for Monken to push all his chips to the middle of the table, and call plays like Bennett is a blue-chip 5-star quarterback that Monken acts like he is, no matter his walk-on history.

Bennett may not be Mac Jones or Bryce Young, or even Vince Young on Monday night, but he has plenty of sample size to craft a game plan around that skill set and be the kind of national championship-caliber quarterback Monken has described him this season. Call 5 mobility plays in the first half, where he can scramble if Will Anderson Jr. is on the prowl. Getting Bennett involved early will not only juice him, it will send the sideline into a frenzy and even pump up the defense.

There were 2 moments this season when Bennett proved he could handle the job, and the coaching staff admitted, at least by its actions, that he’s the guy.

The first came against Florida when JT Daniels appeared healthy enough to play, and didn’t, and the other was against Tennessee, the last major test before the postseason when Bennett had his best game from a mobility standpoint with 8 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. That’s what Monken should shoot for on Monday.

Gary Danielson of CBS Sports noted on a 9-yard touchdown run by Bennett as the QB avoided 3 defenders, “All I keep hearing about all the time is what he can’t do. He can’t do this, he can’t do that. Well, here’s what he can do, and he’s been doing for the Georgia team. Gives them that extra dimension in the running game, and I tell you, his teammates play for him.”

Can a solid Bennett, who led Georgia to a 12-0 record, and led the SEC in yards per pass attempt, topple Alabama? It’s time for Monken to unlock that championship door.