Carson Beck and Arian Smith enjoyed career highs in Georgia’s 41-31 win over Mississippi State.
Both played key roles on the offensive side of the ball for the No. 5 Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC). Beck helped Georgia’s offense thrive through the air by completing 36 of 48 passes for a career-high 459 yards. He tossed three touchdowns and two interceptions as well.
After the game, the senior quarterback said part of Georgia’s game plan was to air it out more against Mississippi State.
“I had no clue. I knew I was feeling it, and I felt really good, which is crazy because in warmups, I felt terrible,” Beck said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ That’s usually how it works, which is weird. The same thing happened in high school. You come out there like, ‘I don’t feel good,’ and then you come out there and, shoot, the second play of the game, you throw a pick. It’s like, it is what it is. Let’s go. It doesn’t matter. Just keep playing the game; keep going, and then you start to find a rhythm.”
Beck’s favorite target was Smith, who caught five passes for a career-high 134 yards and a touchdown. The senior wide receiver averaged 26.8 yards per reception in the win.
Smith emphasized how much time he and Beck spend practicing routes during practice each week.
“Practice. We’ve both been here for a while, so when we weren’t playing, we had other people in front of us,” Smith explained. “Just practice. We’ve been practicing together for a long time, so I feel the chemistry has been there. So now we’re just putting it on display.”
Beck tossed an interception on Georgia’s second play of the game, but Georgia tied the game on the ensuing possession, which a three-and-out by Mississippi State followed.
A significant play on the Bulldogs’ next drive was Beck completing a 26-yard pass to Smith. A few plays later, running back Branson Robinson crossed the goal line for a two-yard score.
Almost midway through the second quarter, Georgia clung to a 13-10 lead before Beck heaved up a 31-yard pass to wideout Dillon Bell, who went up and caught the ball in the back of the end zone.
The redshirt senior quarterback also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Lawson Luckie, taking a 27-10 lead into the break after the extra point. In the first half, Beck passed for 317 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick.
The Bulldogs started the second half quickly by extending their lead to 34-10 on a three-play, 75-yard drive. The possession ended with Beck firing a 42-yard pass across the middle to Smith for six.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows the two have built a rapport together.
“Shoot, how many years have they both been here? Five for both of them? They’ve known each other for a long time,” Smart said of Beck and Smith. “They throw a lot. We work a lot of timing routes on Monday. The receivers don’t do conditioning. They go and throw with Carson, and they get running through their long, extended bombs, comebacks, and deep routes. So, I thought that the last year or four weeks, that’s helped Arian and Carson in terms of throwing vertical balls.”
Smart hopes Beck, Smith, and the Georgia offense can maintain consistency at Texas next week.
“Our offense got on rhythm, did a nice job with passing throws, and Carson was in rhythm, which was great to get those guys going,” Smart said. “But we’ve got to continue to get better.”