Stetson Bennett is an ugly crier. But he played a pretty game on the biggest stage, at the biggest time, to earn the right to cry on national TV.
Bennett went 17-for-26 for 224 yards and two touchdown passes while leading Georgia to a big 33-18 win over Alabama in the national championship game. He threw an absolute dime on a 40-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell in the fourth quarter, giving his team the lead for good.
After Kelee Ringo sealed things with a pick-six, all the emotions poured out of Bennett.
“It just hit me. As soon as he caught (the interception), I just teared up. I didn’t plan it,” Bennett said in his postgame interview on ESPN.
The former walk-on quarterback just started to cry happy tears:
From walk-on to national champion at his home state school.
It means everything to Stetson Bennett.#NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/TaRdSJF8sc
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022
Stetson Bennett crying happy tears after taking down Saban @UnnecRoughness pic.twitter.com/sCitiwlRp3
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 11, 2022
Stetson Bennett emotional after UGA takes the late lead pic.twitter.com/6pssdBFnYk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 11, 2022
Bennett was a two-star quarterback recruit coming out of high school.
Pretty damn cool pic.twitter.com/SCS7UyMo88
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) January 11, 2022
Now he has led his home state team to a national championship, and he played one heck of a game and earned the title. Best of all, he helped Georgia overcome Alabama, the team that kept haunting the Bulldogs.
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