Georgia head coach Kirby Smart confirmed Wednesday that Stetson Bennett will be the starting quarterback in Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan.
Quarterback JT Daniels’ health remains in question as the No. 3 Bulldogs (12-1) take on the No. 2 Wolverines (12-1) in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“Stetson is our starting quarterback,” Smart said Wednesday when asked if Daniels is likely to play. “The JT situation will be what’s the situation (in the game), right? And also if he’s healthy enough.
Bennett completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,325 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games (10 starts) this season.
Daniels sustained multiple injuries this season (oblique, lat strain) and reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 just before Christmas. He passed for 722 yards with seven TDs and three picks in six games (three starts).
Smart acknowledged that starting Bennett over Daniels, who began the season as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, might not be a popular decision with everyone.
“There’s fans that may not agree with it, that may agree with it, media may not agree with it, may agree with it,” Smart said. “Our team understands that we’re going to give our team the best opportunity to win and Stetson does that. And that’s not to knock on JT. That’s the part that’s so sad about this is that you guys want to ask us as coaches questions, I want to answer them as honest as possible, but the hardest thing is every time you ask a question, you drive the comparison home.
“Really, at the end of the day, they’re both different quarterbacks, and they’re both good in their own right, and I think we’ve got four quarterbacks capable of winning big here at the University of Georgia, and Stetson is our quarterback right now.”
–Field Level Media