What just happened: Old Carson Beck came to play

Where has this been?

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck turned in one of his best performances of the season, throwing for 347 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Saturday’s 31-17 win over Tennessee. Beck entered the 2024 season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and was considered a first-round NFL draft pick. His campaign hasn’t gone according to plan, mired in turnovers and inconsistent play.

On Saturday, Beck’s performance was what everyone expected to see all along. To top it off, it came against the seventh-ranked team in the nation and put the Bulldogs back in the College Football Playoff race.

However, Beck and the offense started the game as if more of the same was about to take place. Georgia was forced to punt on its first three possessions, with Arian Smith dropping a pass on Beck’s first attempt of the game.

In the second quarter, things changed, with Beck capping a touchdown drive with a 19-yard strike to the tight end Oscar Delp in the back of the end zone. From there, Beck led the offense to two more first-half scores, with Georgia and Tennessee deadlocked at 17 apiece to end the second quarter.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead of the Volunteers 24-17 in the third quarter with a Beck rushing touchdown. Georgia was able to put the game away with a 2-yard rushing touchdown Nate Frazier.

Bulldogs SEC gauntlet ends, Georgia defeats Tennessee and Texas and loses to Alabama and Mississippi. The Bulldogs will face Massachusetts next week before their annual rivalry game against Georgia Tech the following week.

Georgia’s College Football Playoff hopes stay alive with the win. The Bulldogs should jump back into the top 10 and then take care of business against Massachusetts. This will make the annual rivalry against Georgia Tech a de facto win-and-in game for the program.

Can Beck continue at this level?

It didn’t get off to a good start, but over the last three quarters, Beck looked to be the star quarterback he was billed to be before the season started. Can he continue to play like this?

Next week was supposed to be a trip to the park. Georgia Tech will be the next big test where the Yellow Jackets will spoil Georgia’s hopes of a playoff bid. If Beck can play like that going forward, Georgia will be in a great position to win out, make the playoffs and make a run as an at-large pick.

Scramble in the second quarter: On second-and-10 early in the second quarter, Beck scrambled 14 yards for a first down. This seemed to be the spark Georgia needed on offense. From there, Beck was lights out, capping that drive with the aforementioned 19-yard touchdown to Delp.

Drive-extending face mask penalty: At the Georgia 15-yard line on second and 24, Beck threw a quick pass to the receiver Nitro Tuggle. The Volunteers then committed a facemask penalty and ripped off the freshman’s helmet. This gave Georgia a first down, and helped lead to Beck’s rushing touchdown nine plays later.

Decisive false start: With less than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tennessee lined up to go for it on fourth-and-5 from the Georgia 41-yard line. A false start derailed those plans and forced a fourth-and-10 instead. The Volunteers punted and Georgia capitalized with a 12-play drive that resulted in Frazier’s touchdown to put the game away.

Crime: B

This was a much better performance from the offense, especially against one of the better defenses in the SEC. However, the receivers continued to fail Beck with numerous drops. The rushing attack also struggled, mustering just 108 yards on the ground. But considering where this offense has been recently, Saturday night’s performance was a welcome change.

Defense: B+

Georgia’s defense had a tough time tackling Dylan Sampson, although many teams facing Tennessee have that problem. After falling behind 10-0, Georgia’s defense buckled down and mostly stifled the Volunteers the rest of the way. Georgia’s secondary did a good job of preventing quarterback Nico Iamaleava from stretching the field deep.

Special Teams: B+

Georgia’s punt team surprisingly allowed a 26-yard punt return where Brett Thorson was forced to tackle. Thorson also fumbled on that very play, with coverage in place but unable to make a tackle. Thorson had two punts go over 50 yards and landed two in a row at the 20.

Crime: B-

Defense: B

Special Teams: B+