Stetson Bennett leads Georgia to another national championship in rout of TCU

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sometimes Hollywood endings aren’t too good to be true.

Stetson Bennett couldn’t have asked for his story to have a better conclusion. If there’s anything more he could have asked for, he might’ve wanted a little more time.

With more than 13 minutes left in the national championship game, the quarterback left the field for the final time as a Georgia Bulldog. Bennett thoroughly dismantled TCU for 46 minutes, 35 seconds, leading his team to a 52-7 lead Monday night.

The Bulldogs’ domination continued when Bennett’s day was done, finishing as 65-7 victors. While the whole team excelled, it was Bennett’s night.

» READ MORE: No. 1 Georgia bullies TCU 65-7 to win 2nd consecutive title

“It’s the last one,” Bennett said. “I mean, it was the last one in this jersey. It’s for the national championship. … If you can’t pull out your best in a game like this, or at least your best effort and best preparation, then maybe this isn’t for you.”

Although Bennett has played on some of the most talented college football teams ever assembled, his story is the quintessential underdog tale. Bennett received one FBS scholarship offer, from Middle Tennessee State. He walked on at Georgia instead, then left to play junior college football at Jones County Junior College. After a year at Jones County, he came back to Georgia on scholarship, yet was only there to be Jake Fromm’s backup.

Instead, the former walk-on leaves Georgia as a two-time national champion, in the conversation as possibly the school’s greatest quarterback ever.

What the 5-foot-11 QB lacks in size, he makes up for in confidence. Bennett nicknamed himself “The Mailman” in high school because he always delivers. However, even he couldn’t script his own story.

“I mean, I wouldn’t believe them,” Bennett said. “I mean, I don’t know. That would have been like — well, good thing I signed with Georgia, you know?”

In 2020, Bennett entered the season as the third-string quarterback. Jamie Newman was expected to be the starter, then he opted out of the season. D’Wan Mathis started in Georgia’s opener at Arkansas, but after five punts and an interception in six drives, Bennett got his chance.

Bennett ran with it. Briefly. He played six games in 2020 before losing the starter’s job to J.T. Daniels.

In today’s day and age, departed starters often head for greener pastures. Mathis did, heading to Temple, where he got a season’s worth of starts under his belt before losing his job this year to freshman E.J. Warner. Instead, Bennett stuck around. When Daniels went down with an oblique muscle injury in his side, Bennett led the Bulldogs to their first national title since 1980.

“[Bennett] came in my office [after the title] and he said, ‘I’m trying to decide if I’m going to come back or ride off in the wind. I don’t understand everybody’s telling me I should just ride off into the sunset, be the legendary quarterback who won a national title,’ ” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He said, ‘That’s just not who I am.’ ”

Monday night was Bennett’s shining moment. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns, adding two touchdown scrambles as well. He was responsible for 36 points, tying Joe Burrow for the CFP record.

“He did everything that he said he was going to do,” Smart said.

» READ MORE: Philly’s Tykee Smith prepares for his first national championship game with Georgia

In the postgame scramble, Bennett was the man of the hour, surrounded by throngs of teammates and well-wishers. With a cigar in his hand, he celebrated, walking through a mixture of rain, confetti, and cigar smoke, arm-in-arm with his coach, head held high.

The quarterback faces an uncertain NFL future. The same doubts that surrounded him heading to Georgia still exist, mainly that he’s a 5-11 quarterback in an age when there aren’t many 5-11 quarterbacks. He’s also 25 years old, older than nine NFL starters, including Jalen Hurts.

However, on Monday, all that mattered was the here and now. For the last time, Stetson Bennett ran on the field a Georgia Bulldog.

In the end, again, he left a national champion.

A local player made an impact in the game.

Like Bennett, Imhotep’s Tykee Smith also left the field as a two-time national champion. After missing last year’s victory over Alabama because of injury, Smith played in Monday’s game. The defensive back played mostly in the second half, recording a sack in the fourth quarter.

Smith left the field celebrating. His postgame message on Twitter was simple: “Back 2 Back !!”