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Although it was much harder to come by than anyone in Athens expected it to be, the Georgia Bulldogs topped the Florida Gators for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday afternoon, overcoming an early deficit to secure a 34-20 win and keep their SEC title hopes alive. The game swung in Georgia's favor after Florida quarterback DJ Lagway was carted off the field with what the Gators fear is a potentially significant hamstring injury. But even after Lagway's exit, the Florida D kept the Gators in the game.
Another way to read this is that it was Georgia quarterback Carson Beck who kept Florida in the game. For the second consecutive year against the Gators, Beck threw for a pair of touchdowns and over 300 yards in his return home to Jacksonville, Florida. But this time around, the talented fifth-year senior also threw three interceptions, continuing a season-long trend of sloppy play.
Ultimately though, a win is a win, and for the second consecutive year, Carson Beck led the Georgia Bulldogs to a victory in the only game all season they'll play in his hometown. It's no wonder that after the game, despite the three picks, Beck gushed about how he was living out his dream.
“This is my dream. It's a super cool circle for me,” Beck said after the game, per the Associated Press. “This is my favorite game of the year. I wouldn't say I ever put pressure on myself. I go play football. … Obviously, I want to throw a perfect game: 30-for-30, four TDs. That's what I was thinking about walking into the stadium. I felt like I was the man, walking back into my hometown of Jacksonville, let's go. This is fun. What am I supposed to do? We just won. I'm happy.”
Carson Beck is supposed to be happy. Wins in the SEC are tough to come by, even if recent history at Georgia indicates otherwise. But head coach Kirby Smart knows that for his team to return back to the top of the mountain, his quarterback needs to clean things up moving forward.
“I don't think it's a matter of decision-making. I think sometimes he presses there, and it's a big game to him; he's from here. We don't win that game without Carson Beck.” Smart said. “He just has a couple of times where he threw the ball over the middle late. You can't do that. You can't turn the ball over and be a good football team. He knows that.”
Carson Beck got away with pressing against Florida, but next weekend, when Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs visit the Ole Miss Rebels, the result may not be the same.
