My formal apology letter to Stetson Bennett IV
Dear Stetson Bennett IV,
I’d like to apologize for the things that I said about you last week. I’m sure you had your head down, focused on Auburn, so assuming that you didn’t see/hear some of the things I said about you last week before your first career start, here’s a recap:
“Facing Arkansas in relief isn’t the same as facing a Kevin Steele defense that has time to prepare.”
“Hey, Kirby: JT Daniels is the only option to start at quarterback.”
“Georgia isn’t hitching its national title wagon to Stetson Bennett IV.”
I know. Foolish, in hindsight.
An apology letter seems like the best way to reach you, given your side hustle as everyone’s favorite mailman in Georgia (we actually call you everyone’s favorite DUI lawyer on The SDS Podcast, but The Mailman nickname works). I must say, I don’t think you need to wear a U.S. Postal Service cap to get noticed anymore.
What I saw from you on Saturday night reminded me that I mustn’t get caught up in recruiting rankings. Rankings are all well and good until you actually have to buckle the chinstrap and get out there against real SEC competition. You, my friend, weren’t scared of anyone.
When you were staring down untouched rushers, you didn’t do as your counterpart Bo Nix did by drifting back to your throwing hand and heaving an uncatchable ball. Instead, you somehow spun out of it and delivered a dime on the left sideline:
Stetson Bennett is looking like he wants to prove a bunch of people wrong this season 👀🔥pic.twitter.com/cPGLaQFtzp
— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) October 4, 2020
Now that’s art. That’s the type of play that made me realize an apology was in store. I probably could have picked any one of the throws that you made to Kearis Jackson, and that diving touchdown from George Pickens was dropped in a bucket, as well.
Tell me, Stetson, did you learn how to make plays like that at Jones County Junior College? Or were you doing those things when you played Baker Mayfield on the scout team ahead of the 2017 Rose Bowl? Whatever the case, your teammates were in a much different state of mind than I was after your performance on Saturday night.
Zamir White called you “a natural baller,” and said that “everyone loves you.” That includes Kirby Smart, who declared that you’re going to be the guy moving forward.
While I’m sheepishly admitting how wrong I was for assuming that the villain from a 1990s teens movie (Daniels) would be the starter moving forward, you certainly showed that you’re capable of running this offense and winning big-time games. Of all the weird things we’ve seen in 2020, there’s zero part of me that envisioned you seeing a meaningful snap this season. Not with Jamie Newman and Daniels on the roster. Oh, and especially not after hearing the D’Wan Mathis hype from fall camp.
But that’s all in the past. What lies ahead for you is a Tennessee team that like you, has no shortage of confidence entering Saturday with the longest active Power 5 winning streak. You’ve seen how they averaged just 16.5 points per game during that streak and nobody has scored more than 27 points against them.
Wait a minute. Were you there when Jeremy Pruitt was at Georgia? I assume that you’ve been there for the past 7 seasons. Of course, with the JUCO break.
Oh, my internet research tells me you just missed out on seeing Pruitt’s defense in practice every day. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. They actually share a lot of similarities to the defense you practice against now. They don’t miss open-field tackles, they have a middle linebacker who has a magnetic pull to the football (his name is “Henry”) and they make the right halftime adjustments.
What am I wasting my ink for? You know these things by now. What you lack in height, you make up for in football IQ. As difficult as it is for me to look at you and think you’re a legitimate SEC quarterback and not Cory Matthews from “Boy Meets World,” I must come to grips with this new reality.
In just 2 short weeks, you have proven me and others wrong. Instead of making us all wonder if Kirby could get a 5-star transfer to enroll midseason, you made us believe that Georgia has its guy. Between your full-extension dives to the pylon to pick up 2-point conversions against Arkansas and your deep-ball prowess against Auburn, you have seemingly answered the question that’s been on the minds of all of us for months.
“Who’s going to be Georgia’s starting quarterback?”
It’s you, Stetson Bennett IV. You no longer have to tell people that you’re not actually a postal worker, or that you don’t actually have the ability to settle that DUI claim.
You do, however, have the ability to sling the pigskin. And if you play your cards right, you’ll do so for a team who’s fully capable of ending the 1980 jokes.
I hope you accept this apology, for you are indeed worth hitching a national championship wagon to.
Sincerely,
Connor O’Gara
P.S. Please send Uga my best regards. I assume that if anyone gets a free pass to see/pet the quarantined pup whenever they want, it’s you.
The mailman is unimpressed. How does that crow taste?
No need for him to apologize. The dogs aren’t win a championship with a 5’11” walk on at QB. Not happening.
Maybe but TN will still be watching from 3rd place in the East.
@Snapshot………..Boston College won a natty with a smaller guy!!! Also do you think Baker Mayfield wins a national championship with a defense like UGA has? BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO A WALK ON! Not a whole lot taller than Bennett!!! Mayfield had a stronger lower body. But other than that. Hmm? That’s about it. Because Baker is about 6 foot. Listed at 6.1 or 6.2 but he is closer to 6 feet!!! AT BEST!!!! I believe Bennett might be a little faster than Baker Mayfield. And Bennett has made big plays against our defense over and over. Even from the scout team!!!!
I said from the start. I’m a JT Daniels supporter but I also believe in Bennett!!! Ultimately I believe JT Daniels will be the man or Carson Beck! But it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the Mailman TOOK UGA TO THE PROMISE LAND!!!
I will say that if UGA is planning on it being JT Daniels. He needs to get some playing time soon!!!! By the way. Kyle Trask is taller. But he is also a walk on QB!!!! If Bennett would have had the size. He would have been rated as a 5 STAR RECRUIT!!!! Because his play in high school was nothing short of elite!!! He took his high school team to a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
PS. You do know your comment might be pissing him off, right? UGA plays your team next week. And we ain’t one bit intimidated!!!! That Tennessee win streak comes to an end in Athens next Saturday!!!!
King Negan
@Snapshot…….UGA and the mailman have a message for Cade Mays and Tennessee!!! We plan to deliver it in person!!!
King Negan
Connor’s gonna be writing a lot of these during the season.
After watching the UF and UGA games on Saturday, my prediction for Stetson Bennett on 3rd down against Granthan is:
10-10 170 yards 3 TDs. 7 first downs/3 TDs.
LOL. At this point 3rd down is in Grantham’s head. Every gator fan has to cringe on every 3rd and long. I feel your pain. I felt the same when he was at UGA. lucky for you y’all can score at will against most teams.
Most teams is the key!
LOL, Gatorfan9696!!!
yea Grantham at UGA was miserable… feel your pain.
Oh yeah. Almost a given at uga that on 3rd and long there will be a bust. I almost wished for 3rd and short
Ouch. Brother, we feel ya. It won’t be long before you guys fire Grantham and find a real coordinator. I’m not looking forward to that as a Dawg fan.
Nice post, and yeah you were so wrong, but glad you see the light. BTW, I think that Arkansas defense is legit. Connor Shaw was a nobody, and did well for SC. I’m hitching my wagon to the “MAILMAN”, after all everyone loves a Cinderella story.
I was hoping Shaw would make it long term in the NFL, at least as a backup. Even though it was against 3rd stringers, he looked good in during a few preseason games I watched. Dude was tough as nails.
Though I thought Bennett had earned the start against Auburn (having to pull Daniels for Bennett if Daniels struggled would have been a DISASTER), I agreed that Daniels was our only hope for a championship contender.
In that regard, you were not alone, Connor.
And by the way, SDS overestimates the importance of coordinators. It’s the Jimmies and Joes, not the X’s and O’s.
Kevin Steele was never going to put on a uniform and play.
Connor the UT Defense will make this article null and void. UT will get to him and Thurston Howell III will make plenty of mistakes. Will see JT Daniels soon enough.
Yeah against the offensive juggernauts of South Carolina and Missouri, Tennessee really proved their mettle, huh?
I wouldn’t call UGA an offensive juggernaut.
Did anyone?
I don’t know, we kinda bullied and shoved around Auburn as we wanted to until we let off the gas in the 2nd half.
UGA isn’t an offensive juggernaut (which is pretty clearly obvious). But perhaps Tennessee fans are about to see first hand the difference between the offenses they have faced and UGA’s. Something tells me fans with your disposition are in for a rude awakening.
Agree boxster. Despite all the hype, I think Vol fans are in for an ugly reality Saturday afternoon.
I’m gonna give you some space because you’re a Braves fan… so we share at least SOME of the same wardrobe. But I am surprised at the brashness of the UT fans here. The Vols are a much better team. And in this league anybody can beat anybody (see UGA/South Carolina 2019). But I think UT will have its hands full. And when it comes to Bennett, you have to watch his demeanor in the pocket. This kid is cool as a cucumber. I love Cade, but it would be incorrect to think the Dawgs don’t still have A TON of talent on the O-Line.
I took a screenshot of this so I can accurately address it Saturday evening. Wouldn’t want to get any of it wrong ;-)
Lol “Thurston”
Thurston was just the third. Bennett is the fourth. Doesn’t that make him one Thurston better? Then again, Thurston was rich.
Tennessee isn’t gonna win much with Gilligan at quarterback. Lol.
I personally wasn’t a fan of the article emploring Smart to choose Daniels, but I like this article. Standing up and admitting when you’re wrong (and not doing so only upon being called out) is a trait sorely lacking in these crazy internet times in which we find ourselves.
boxster355- Same here. I wrote on the “JT Daniels has to be the guy article” that Stetson shares similar traits with Fromm except for a minus in overall football IQ and a plus in elusiveness/speed. That roll out away from Big Kat and toss to KJ sums up what I was thinking/hoping for all along from SBIV. Fromm would have been a lame duck and pulled the Peyton Manning “sack” by just falling down if he saw that same rush.
Stetson may not have elite arm strength but there’s no denying his arm talent. The way he flicks the ball is far different from Fromm’s (more often than not) hurls on deeper throws. And yes, that deep ball to Jackson was underthrown but it did travel 55+ yards in the air. With a better read/timing, which he’ll hopefully gain through meaningful reps, Stetson will hit him in stride for a walk in TD.
This should trigger you know who pretty well…..
All the Floriduh fans who are stewing about how Stetson Bennett the Fourth is currently ranked ahead of Kyle Trask the BEST QB EVAR!!! right now in QBR and over on PFF?
Yep. Cajones has to be stewing about that.
So is Arkansas actually good? Lol. They did decent against Georgia in the first half of game 1. They beat Mississippi State who beat LSU. Are they kind of decent this year? I think it’s worth looking at.
Good is relative. They’re improved. But they still might only win 3-4 games this year. But I do think they’ll be tougher opponents than they have been the last few years. Pittman nailed the two coordinator hires.
And related to the article I chuckled at the Boy Meets World line.
I believe we’ll be better than most expected but just dont have the depth. Pittman has us out playing our talent but Im realistically thinking 4-5 wins would be our ceiling. Just glad we wont go winless in conference again.
I think Arkansas is much better. Give Pitt a few years to recruit and they might be a serious contender. But talent-wise, Auburn is still much deeper. I think Tigers win handily. No offense to the Hogs… I’m happy for ya.
I think Bennett deserves a ton of credit and he has surprised a lot of people. So far, he seems to have the “it” factor. Huge, if that continues.
Thanks for your service, man (if I am reading your name right). The team has bragged about Bennett for a few years now, but I think most of us fans have not completely bought into it. I am still not sure I have bought into it. But I have been super impressed with how controlled he is out there. And certainly a lot more mobile than Fromm who would have taken at least a couple of sacks last week. It’s a great story so far. Let’s see how that story reads after TN and Bama.
Stetson Bennett the Fourth is good. However, he, and the entire team, need to keep their eyes on the prize.
The Vawls from Hillbillyville are next, and if y’all don’t think Kirby and his coaches are reminding the team all the accusations Baby Mays, Nine-Fingered Daddy, and the illiterate redneck Pruitt said about the program over the spring and summer through their lawyers, then y’all are crazy.
Of course, when asked, it’s, “We love Cade,” or, “An SEC coach will say anything to get a player a waiver,” but you know, during practice, in the weight room, it’s, “Georgia is a toxic environment,” and, “That place was unhealthy for him.”
Ojualri, Anderson, and Smith are preparing to make Baby Mays their little b–ch boy on Saturday. And knowing his slow feet (he gave up two sacks in the Sugar Bowl to a Big-12 defense and was bad in pass pro all year), it won’t be pretty for Gitmo.
Nothing sucks like a big orange. Go Dawgs!
You’ll see when Mays absolutely kills those weak MFs
Ummmm…weak? Georgia’s Defense? I loved Cade and wish him the very best. But can we please be serious? Posts like this just destroy your credibility.
Kiss of death. Now Conner likes the little guy. Stetson will suck Saturday.
Hey Conner, Grow some.
Well connor wasnt the only one who thought bennett was an afterthought. pretty much everyone did and that narrative didnt change a whole lot after the arkansas game. It was the auburn game that drove home to everyone the little QB may be “Da Man” after all. Most everyone was looking for when JT would enter the game until they realized they didnt want him to. Gotta give the kid credit. he has played very well, very mature, very smart. I dont know if we can get enough pressure on him to hurry some bad throws or make other mistakes… but thats one of the important things we will need to do to have a chance. regardless you have to admire him for what hes done so far.
Stetson Bennett IV is Georgia’s Quarterback. I know many will call him a game-manager, but as a game-manager he will not lose games for you. His play has impressed me thus far. The Vol fans are pumped up right now, but The Dawgs defense is going to temper that enthusiasm a bit come Saturday.
Georgia’s D is no doubt the real thing. But Nix freaking out and leaving the pocket after every snap gives the impression of some scary pass rush coming that’s not always there.
opinions vary. Lets play the game anyway. just for kicks!
“He will not lose games for you”
We’ll see against Alabama lmfao
Well it is true that Stetson is a little guy. So what will that say about Tennessee if they lose to the little guy? Let’s meet back here Saturday night and discuss it.
Well reasoned post. I love the story. Not sure if it is real yet. I think the Vols D is probably going to be a better test than Auburn’s was. What few people are talking about is that Kearis Jackson has emmerged as a second serious deep threat (along with Pickens). That will change how the Vol D has to scheme. TN will bring pressure so it all boils down to whether they get to him, or he scorches them enough that they stop the pressure.
Stetston Bennett IV: He has become a hero, and you can see the writing on the wall. One day, he will be the Chairman of the Augusta National Country Club. Does he look good in green?
Connor, you’re gonna have to take a number and get in line to apologize to Stetson. You’ll be behind Kirby.
LOL… yep. Wasn’t long ago that Kirby was refusing to give him reps.
Calm the heck down. Last week everyone was lauding KJ Costello as the SEC’s new king at QB. Jeez.
I’m not saying Stetson isn’t a capable option, nor am I saying I fully believe he can lead UGA to a national championship this season. I’m saying we’ve played all of two games against two very mysterious teams, and switching back and forth from two very radical viewpoints is silly and typical of low-tier sports media.
Let it play out, and keep everything in perspective.
You are probably about the only one still holding out that “Fromm is ten times better than Stetson”. I like this little guy….a lot.
If Stetson goes 64% for 300 yards and 3 TDs against Alabama I will begin to consider comparing him to Fromm.
Exactly
Doesn’t Fromm play somewhere else now? I’ll have to check, but I think he is no longer on the team. I am a Georgia fan first. Fromm did a lot of great things for the team and last year was not his fault (entirely). I love the guy and the way he competed here. Great leader and great attitude. He’s always going to be a DGD. But Bennett is the QB today. So let’s watch and see… And cheer for him the way we did for his predecessor. Bennett is the guy now.
Hey Connor, writing 15 paragraphs on being wrong doesn’t make you “less” wrong. Some dude once said “brevity is the soul of wit”. Think his name was Willie, maybe check him out.
Was the purpose of this article to make himself “less wrong”?
Let’s see if he writes a wall of text for Connor Bazelak, plenty of wrong calls on him as well. I mean if Connor can’t put on his thinking cap for Connor, well..
Bennett has played pretty good but doesn’t he kinda look like a weenie?
Yep. He does….until they zoom in and you see his calm and his command. And then you see two 300 pounders charging almost untouched and watch him spin on a dime and calmly throw a frozen rope down the sideline. We have two games to make a judgement. So it is fair to say that after two games, he looks like a GREAT story. Will that be the case after four games? No way to know until we play them.
This guy is a baller and wins football games. Forget his measurements he gets it done and will be shocking teams all season. Well done Kirby it’s better to find a diamond in the rough. Go Dogs.
Stetson Bennett? OH you mean the most overrated player in the SEC? NOW I remember who he is!
*rolling eyes
Geeze… what’s the matter? Afraid someone is talking about something besides Tennessee? Diesel, your comment smacks of intense insecurity.