ATHENS — Stetson Bennett knew the assignment and was ready to carry out his duties, living up to his “Mailman” nickname by delivering once again.

Bennett was 7-of-11 passing for 72 yards and carried 3 times for 16 yards in Georgia’s 37-0 win over Arkansas on Saturday.

To think, Bennett wasn’t even sure about returning to Georgia this season.

“You don’t play football forever, and you’d like to play football when you can play football,” Bennett said. “It was a tough decision, probably one of the hardest that I ever made. It was tough and, at the end, I broke it down and I decided to stay.”

Georgia proved again on Saturday why Georgia is fortunate he did decide to remain with the program.

The Buldogs fans didn’t learn Bennett would make his second start this season in place of injured incumbent JT Daniels (lat) until shortly before the game when his name was flashed on the JumboTron.

Georgia fans cheered their approval, most all recognizing how Bennett has grown into a reliable option at the position.”

“I was the starter the whole week — JT (Daniels) had something going on with him, so since Monday,” Bennett said, asked when he knew he would start against the Razorbacks in the Top 10 showdown at Sanford Stadium.

The Bulldogs (5-0) pounded the ball in the Razorbacks (4-1) three-man front all day to the tune of 57 carries for 273 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.

That was fine with Bennett, who has supplanted Carson Beck as Georgia’s No. 2 quarterback for the foreseeable future.

“My job is team first, (so) whatever it takes for us to win, that’s what I’m going to do and that’s what everybody else on this team is going to do,” Bennett said. “That’s what I think makes this year, this team, very special.”

Coach Kirby Smart said he believes the offense’s ability to adjust to what the defense is giving is also one of the special qualities of this team.

Bennett, who had a shifty 9-yard scramble to set up a touchdown, said the game plan was obvious from the onset.

“We knew we were going to have to with the defense that they run, I mean, they drop eight every play,” Bennett said. “We knew, the offensive line knew, the running backs knew, the wide receivers knew, the tight ends knew that their job this week was to run the ball and that’s what we did.

“They were basically challenging us can we run the ball and they were saying we couldn’t and we were saying we could today.”

Bennett improved to 5-2 as Georgia’s starting quarterback with the win over Arkansas, the second time he has faced the Hogs. Bennett, of course, was 20-of-29 passing for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns in Georgia’s 37-10 win over Arkansas last season.

And yet, Bennett said, he’s a much better quarterback than a season ago.

“A lot different, so much more sure,” Bennett said. “So much more control over the offense, more knowing what the defense is going to do, knowing what Coach Monken is thinking in specific situations, just a much better football player.”