Paul Finebaum: Carson Beck’s legacy was ‘in the trash heap’ before Week 12 performance
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Paul Finebaum knows a legacy-defining game when he sees one, and that was the case for Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on Saturday night.
In Week 12’s game against Tennessee, the Bulldogs faced the previously unthinkable: Taking a 3rd loss in the regular season. And Beck’s performance has undeniably been a factor in Georgia’s struggles.
Overall, Beck has 12 interceptions this season after 6 all season long last year. Four of Beck’s interceptions came across Georgia’s 2 losses, and the QB has 4 games with 2+ picks.
In the road loss to Ole Miss, Beck threw an interception, was sacked a season-high 5 times and did not throw a touchdown with less than 200 yards through the air. Instead of that performance snowballing, Beck delivered one of his best performances of the year.
Beck threw for 347 yards with 2 touchdowns and was even effective on the ground. He set a season-high with 32 rushing yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season while avoiding taking a sack.
With that performance, Finebaum knows Beck rescued his Bulldog legacy with the season on the line:
“I have rarely seen a place more ready to explode, and we saw that in the second half. I don’t think we should be surprised, it was only the biggest game of Carson Beck’s career,” said Finebaum during a segment with Matt Barrie. “I mean, can you imagine if he threw a couple of interceptions and lost the game? His legacy (was) literally in the trash heap, but they pulled it out. Now all the questions that were being asked about Georgia get flipped over to the loser Saturday night.”
Now, instead of taking a 3rd loss, Georgia is likely to be squarely in the updated College Football Playoff bracket when the new rankings are released Tuesday evening. The Bulldogs will finish the regular season with games against UMass and Georgia Tech, and they have to feel much better about their Playoff hopes, with or without the SEC Championship, after taking down the Vols.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
