UGA Football: Trio Named SEC Weekly Award Winners

ATHENS, Ga. — Bulldog starters Stetson Bennett, Malaki Starks and Jalen Carter have all earned Southeastern Conference weekly honors following Georgia’s 27-13 win over No. 1 Tennessee, according to an announcement Monday.

Bennett is the league’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week, giving him two of the accolades in his career.  Starks has now won the Co-Freshman Player of the Week for the first time while Carter is garnering Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for the second time in his career.

These are the Bulldogs’ eighth, ninth and 10th SEC weekly awards this season.  Senior safety Christopher Smith has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week two times while sophomore tight end Brock Bowers has garnered Offensive Player of the Week honors twice.  Senior place-kicker Jack Podlesny has garnered Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice this year as well.  Running back Branson Robinson was also named the league’s Freshman of the Week following his showing versus Auburn.

Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., connected on 17-of-25 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score.  After the Volunteers went up 3-0, Bennett took off on a 3rd-and-10 situation and ran in for a 13-yard score.  The Bulldogs never trailed again during their ninth straight win of 2022.

Starks, a native of Jefferson, Ga., had a game-high 10 tackles and a pass breakup during Georgia’s rout.  He helped the Bulldog defense hold the Volunteers to only 289 total yards and 13 points as Georgia’s high-powered opponent was held scoreless in the third quarter.

Carter, a native of Apopka, Fla., returned to the starting lineup after an injury for the first time since week two and had four stops, including two tackles for loss and a sack, along with two forced fumbles.  He highlighted his day with a sack and a forced fumble in the opening period at the Tennessee 1 yard line that eventually led to Georgia’s second touchdown of the game.

No. 3 Georgia (9-0, 6-0 SEC) makes the trip to Starkville, Miss., to face Mississippi State (6-3, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday.  ESPN will televise the matchup at 7 p.m. ET.