NEW YORK — As USC quarterback Caleb Williams gave his acceptance speed for winning the Heisman Trophy, he noted there was something that separated him from his fellow finalists of CJ Stroud, Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett.
For all of Williams’ individual brilliance during the 2022 season, he was the only quarterback in New York that wouldn’t be participating in the College Football Playoff.
“This is a team award and a lot of guys know that,” Duggan said. “It’s something to be proud of because we wouldn’t be here without them. For us being up here, it allows us to tell their stories.”
Bennett recognizes that the success of the Georgia football team and his teammates is a big reason he would go on to finish fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. The Bulldogs are 27-3 in games started by Bennett.
Based on the Heisman voting results, winning is clearly a big part of the criteria. And for that, you need to have great teammates.
“I mean, I love each and every one of our teammates. I tell them all the time I’m just a fan,” Bennett said. “I like watching them play football. Javon Bullard, seeing him run around like he’s mighty mouse, having 5.0 sacks against Tennessee. Jalen Carter being Superman. Our offensive line is unbelievable. I think I got sacked 7.0 times this year.”
The Georgia offensive line is up for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line. Earlier this week, Bennett used his massive social media following to stump for his group of protectors.
Of course, Bennett was pretty darn good himself this season. The Georgia quarterback particularly shined against the best competition. He completed 73 percent of his passes in games against Top 25 teams, while amassing 17 of his 27 total touchdowns in those five contests.
Most importantly, Georgia went 5-0 in those games. The Bulldogs enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 overall seed and a favorite to repeat as national champions.
Bennett as an individual is a big reason why.
“This guy was Baker Mayfield for one game as the scout team quarterback, and he did a hell of a job at doing that,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He won over his teammates by the way he performed on scout team, and he just kept getting better. We kept thinking he wasn’t good enough and he kept proving us wrong, over and over and over again.”
As Bennett returns to Athens, he’ll be ready to hit the ground running. While he was in New York attending numerous events, his teammates were working out and aiming to get better.
Bennett did not win the Heisman Trophy, as he came in fourth. But he has a chance to accomplish something no other quarterback in college football can currently do. That would be winning a second national championship for the Bulldogs.
To do so, he’ll have to beat Stroud and Ohio State and possibly Duggan and TCU in the championship.
It’s something Bennett has done before, as he beat 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young in the championship game and runner-up Aidan Hutchinson in the semifinal. And with his talented teammates around him, there’s a very real confidence Bennett and the Bulldogs can get it done again.
“It paid off, and he earned it in practice with his teammates,” Smart said. He won them over with the way he performed, and he did that this year too.
Stetson Bennett, Heisman finalists talk the importance of winning
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- Stetson Bennett shares how ‘Stequavious Bennett’ came to life and why he’s probably done getting fades
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- From the bench to the mountaintop, Stetson Bennett knows he earned his Heisman Trophy invite
