Stetson Bennett explains how he'd celebrate if Georgia wins national championship

It’s been quite a journey for Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who on Monday has a chance to become a Bulldogs program legend.

Bennett, a 23-year-old former walk-on, has blossomed into the unsung hero throughout Georgia’s hunt for a national championship. He first came on for Georgia after the season-opening starter, JT Daniels — a USC transfer that first assumed Georgia’s starting quarterback role in 2020 — suffered a core injury, and Bennett has since catalyzed the Georgia offense. In fact, the speedy quarterback has played so well that Smart opted to keep the Blackshear, Georgia native under center, which in turned moved Daniels, the former On3 Consensus five-star recruit, to the bench.

Though Bennett was unable to cap off Georgia’s perfect regular-season performance with an SEC Championship, he has a chance to avenge that 41-24 loss to Alabama on Monday. The two programs face off in a rematch at 8:00 p.m. ET; only this time, the national championship is on the line. If Georgia can pull off the victory, securing the program’s first national championship since 1980, Bennett told ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski that he’d like to celebrate as Joe Burrow once did: in iconic, cigar-smoking fashion.

“Remember how Stetson Bennett celebrated that Orange Bowl victory against Michigan?” Wojciechowski said on ESPN’s College Gameday, calling back to Bennett’s viral orange-throwing celebration. “I asked him last week, ‘What do you do if you win a national championship? How do you celebrate?’ (Bennett) said, ‘You know what? I kind of like the way Joe Burrow smoked those cigars after LSU won its Natty.’ Then he caught himself, and he said, ‘You know what — I have to focus on this game, this moment and not worry about cigars and celebrations.”

Bennett had every right to celebrate the Orange Bowl victory, as Georgia — which fell from No. 1 to No. 3 after suffering its first loss of the year in the SEC Championship — capped off a 34-11 rout of No. 2 Michigan in the Orange Bowl thanks to his performance. Bennett was named player of the game after completing 20 of his 30 passing attempts for 313 passing yards and three touchdowns, adding 32 rushing yards to his performance. The win marked a major turning point in Bennett’s career, as the former walk-on drew criticism after throwing two interceptions in the SEC title loss to Alabama.

Bennett added on the same College GameDay segment that this historic season — during which he’s thrown for 2,638 yards with a 64.4 completion percentage, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, all while rushing for 283 yards and a touchdown — has proved himself right.

“I’ve always just thought I was good enough,” Bennett said. “You just try to put your best foot forward each day and work hard and maybe things will turn out like they have.”

In the process of proving himself right, he’s proven head coach Kirby Smart wrong. Smart even admitted as much on College GameDay, explaining that the Georgia coaching staff once overlooked Bennett.

“He’s been on a long journey,” Smart said of GameDay. “This guy was doubted many times, and I’m including myself and our staff. And he’s never wavered in his confidence in himself, and that is what a true competitor does.”