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Georgia QB Stetson Bennett might be the biggest savage ever for dipping during the fourth quarter against Auburn
At SEC football games, chewing tobacco is not just common, it's a requirement to gain entry into the stadium. Apparently, that's not limited to the stands.
On Saturday night at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., the home Georgia Bulldogs laid the smackdown on their oldest rival, the Auburn Tigers. What was supposed to be a touchdown game, at least according to the guys in the desert, was never particularly close, with the Dawgs dominating from the moment the ball kicked and winning 27-6. The performance from the UGA defense was impressive, but most impressive was the play from starting quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.
Entering the 2020 season, Bennett was the fourth-string quarterback at Georgia, and even after Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman opted out of the season and USC transfer JT Daniels had not been medically cleared to play, Bennett was still an afterthought. In the season opener at Arkansas, Bennett was not inserted into the game until the second quarter, when he replaced third-stringer D'Wan Mathis, who had just thrown a pick and left Georgia in a 7-2 hole.
In other words, the fact we are even discussing Bennett seeing live action is a minor miracle. It appears he'll be a topic of discussion for the near future as well. The fourth-year junior has completed 37 of his 57 pass attempts for 451 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, leading the Dawgs to a 2-0 start an potentially earning the starting job in the process. More importantly, he threw in a celebratory lip of chewing tobacco in the fourth quarter, which may very well be the most savage thing we've ever seen:
Dipping is not uncommon in baseball or hockey (players put it in between their toes before lacing up), but I can't say I've ever seen it in football, especially from a quarterback. I'm getting sick just looking at it. That said, he wasn't doing it DURING the game, which would be the behavior of an insane person. But that doesn't make it any less awesome, especially when you consider this was no weak-ass pouch, this was real-deal CHAW, according to one Twitter detective:
What an animal. Another thing to note on Bennett, and something ESPN mentioned during the broadcast, was that he transferred to a junior college in Mississippi after his freshman year at Georgia. He then returned to UGA and remained well down the depth chart, seeing action only in garbage time. Saturday night, he got to start inside the stadium he grew up coming to to cheer on the Dawgs (Bennett is from Georgia, and both his parents graduated from UGA). Once he helped his team end the game against a hated, ranked rival, he threw in some chaw and took it all in on the sideline. Had to be the absolute peak of his existence, though if he continues to start, he may have a few more moments like that one to remember.