Carson Beck’s job as the starting quarterback for No. 2 Georgia is not in jeopardy, despite throwing eight interceptions in the last three games.
The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) have managed to win four straight games, even with the turnovers, and now look ahead to Saturday’s game against No. 16 Mississippi (7-2, 3-2). Coach Kirby Smart said on Monday that after reviewing the tape of Georgia’s 34-20 win over Florida, he felt positive about Beck’s performance.
“I was more pleased after watching the tape than anything,” Smart said. “Out of 73 snaps, he made 68 really good winning decisions.” Beck completed 25 of 40 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions against Florida.
He threw two interceptions in the first half, which led to a 13-6 Florida halftime lead, but Beck bounced back strong in the second half, helping Georgia outscore Florida 28-7.
Even so, Beck admitted he needs to make better decisions and avoid forcing throws.
“It’s an in-game, decision-making thing,” Beck said after the game. “There’s times when it’s OK to throw it away if it’s not there. That’s something I think I did a lot better last year. … That’s just me out there trying to compete and trying to make a play.”
Beck started the season as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. However, his potential to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft has been affected by his performance this season. He has thrown 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 190 of 290 passes for 2,302 yards.
As a junior, Beck threw 24 touchdowns with six interceptions, completing 72.4% of his passes. This season, he has completed 65.5% of his throws and is coming off two consecutive games with three interceptions.
“The difference in the stats is more about the type of games we’ve been in,” Smart said, explaining that Beck’s numbers are “skewed” because “we threw the ball the entire second half” in their 41-34 loss to Alabama on Sept. 26.
Beck completed 27 of 50 passes for 439 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions against Alabama. It was the first time in his career that he threw more than one interception in a game, and now he is working to break a streak of three games with multiple interceptions.
Tight end Ben Yurosek said that Beck’s teammates are not concerned about his turnover streak.
“It’s not just me,” Yurosek said on Monday. “It’s the whole entire team. We’ve got full support for Carson. We trust him and we know how he prepares and practices. We’re behind him completely. There’s not a moment of doubt about our quarterback.”
It’s also important that Beck still has confidence in himself.
“No matter what, I’m going to keep coming to every single play, no matter what happened on the play before,” Beck said. “I’ve always been resilient in that way, and when the team needs me, I’m going to bring that.”
“Obviously, I’m going to watch the film and see what I can correct. In the future, I have to be better, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Smart said Beck’s ability to bounce back from mistakes is one of his strongest qualities.
“He’s done a good job of overcoming mistakes he has made,” Smart said. “… Resiliency is a huge trait. I think he continues to show that. I think it’s a good thing.”
