Georgia going with new starting quarterback as Bulldogs host UAB

In yet another moment when Georgia found itself in flux at quarterback, it turned to a reliable veteran.

The Bulldogs will run with Stetson Bennett to open Saturday’s game against UAB as the signal caller, at least according to the in-stadium pregame videoboard announcement. The TV broadcast also said Bennett will start. The game is scheduled to kick off closer 3:40 p.m., beginning on the ESPN app and then airing on ESPN2 once the South Carolina vs. East Carolina game ends.

Head coach Kirby Smart went with his experienced option over true freshman Brock Vandagriff and redshirt freshman Carson Beck.

Bennett starts in place of JT Daniels, Georgia’s unquestioned starter who suffered an upper-body injury to an unknown severity. There is no timetable for Daniels’ return.

Daniels was watching the other quarterbacks warm up before the game Saturday and is expected to be out.

Bennett started the 2020 season as Daniels rehabbed from a torn ACL. He played a pivotal role in a few Bulldog wins against teams in the SEC’s lower tier of teams. Bennett threw for 1,179 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions last season.

At the time of Daniels’ injury, Bennett emerged as an option despite Beck holding the backup role. Smart said Bennett had been taking “bank reps” in order to stay prepared.

Daniels’ injury adds to a long list of offensive injuries for Georgia, which includes Arik Gilbert, Darnell Washington, Dominick Blaylock, Kearis Jackson and Tate Ratledge.

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This story was originally published September 11, 2021 at 3:10 PM.