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    • Among the high interception numbers for Georgia football QB Carson Beck
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    Among the high interception numbers for Georgia football QB Carson Beck

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Aaron Murray was in the broadcast booth in Starkville on Saturday covering Mississippi State's game against UMass, while Georgia football quarterback Carson Beck's tough performance in Jacksonville had piqued his interest.

    Beck threw three more interceptions in the 34-20 win over Florida, which coincided with Murray's SEC Network game.

    Here's the former Georgia quarterback's reaction as he watched the replays.

    “Frustration,” Murray said. “I know it and I think a lot of people know how good he is and how good he can be. We saw that last year, we also saw that at times this year. It's a little frustrating because it's the quarterback's primary responsibility to take care of the football. A year ago he didn’t have this problem.”

    After having just six interceptions all of last season, Beck now has an SEC-high 11 interceptions heading into Saturday's game against No. 12 Ole Miss, all in the last five games. He had multiple interceptions in four of the last five games, including three at Alabama, Texas and against Florida.

    Murray watched the coach's tape of the Georgia game Sunday morning and thought Beck's performance wasn't as bad as he thought, on a day where Beck went 25 of 40 for 309 yards and scored two touchdowns.

    “There were a lot of big throws made,” Murray said. “I thought the offense moved the ball very, very well. It's only three games. There were a few other plays that make you wonder, 'Man, why are you throwing that football there?', but overall I'd say 80 percent of the game was good, winning football.”

    Beck also had a near-interception and two passes defended at the line of scrimmage, but coach Kirby Smart saw it the same way as Murray. Smart met with coaches after every game, including offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, and saw a lot of love for Beck despite the turnovers.

    Smart said “decision making” led to Beck’s wiretapping.

    “I think that’s the bottom line,” Smart said. “After watching the tape, I was satisfied more than anything. I mean, he took 73 snaps, he had 68 crucial decisions, really good decisions, and 68 out of 73 are pretty good in every sport I'm involved in. The concern is that the errors cannot be catastrophic.”

    That's a word Bobo has used over the years, including to Murray when he was coaching him, and Murray mentioned it earlier in a phone interview when discussing Beck.

    “I think he feels like he has to be Superman, and I don't think he has to be,” Murray said. “Right now I think they will be fine with him playing within the system. The receivers are playing better. You see more consistency from them. …Bobo always told me: Don’t turn a bad game into a disaster.”

    Smart said Beck's two interceptions on passes over the middle “didn't look great defensively against that call, like we expected something different.” So when that happens, you have to play for the next play, right, that's the one most common thing in football. You have to be willing to accept a setback and move on. Especially when it’s the first down and it was both.”

    Beck's 11 interceptions are the most for a Georgia quarterback since Murray had 14 in his sophomore season in 2011. That came in a season in which he threw for 3,149 yards and 35 touchdowns.

    “I know the pressures of playing quarterback at Georgia,” said Murray, the SEC’s career leader in passing yards and touchdowns. “There were times when I pushed and made some pretty bad mistakes, so I get it.”

    Only three FBS quarterbacks have more interceptions than Beck this season, and only Syracuse's Kyle McCord has more interceptions among Power 4 quarterbacks with 12.

    “Carson Beck’s regression is real,” former ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said on “The McShay Show” podcast.

    McShay said Beck “misses the comfort of Ladd McConkey and the security blanket of Brock Bowers.” … For some reason he doesn't trust his guns.” He said he didn't think Beck “would apply pressure, but I don't see that You pay special attention to protecting the football in certain situations. “There are just some throws you can’t make, man.”

    Murray said, “Sometimes he just has to learn too, the guys on defense are on scholarship, they're going to make plays.” Florida is an improved defense. Ole Miss is a really good defense this weekend. Sometimes it just won't be there. There is nothing wrong with just throwing the football away, eating it, checking it and punting the football. You don't have to score 40 points to win. We’re not Miami.”

    Murray said Beck has to trust the pass catchers.

    SEC Network's Jordan Rodgers pointed this out Saturday morning during SEC Nation due to route issues.

    “He doesn’t trust where they’re going to be and when they’re going to be there,” Rodgers said. “That leads to him playing slow, throwing some interceptions and throwing the ball into coverage at uncharacteristic times.”

    Beck was considered a possible QB1 for the NFL Draft this summer, but draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic listed Beck as a third-round pick this week.

    “Beck has NFL tools,” Brugler wrote. “But when things didn’t go according to plan, he struggled to make follow-up plays and create anything.”

    Beck recovered from three interceptions and completed 12 of his next 14 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

    “He probably would have 12 or 13 completions in a row if guys got their signals and knew what to do on the perimeter,” Smart said after the Florida game.

    Georgia had a third-down incompletion in the fourth quarter that appeared to involve a miscommunication with Dillon Bell, something that has happened more often this season with Beck and receivers.

    “It only takes one,” Smart said Monday. “You can get 52 of them right, and you get one wrong, and the one thing that’s wrong is what people talk about.”

    Beck and Georgia have found ways to win every game but one this season.

    “There's a quality now, when you look at the NFL, when you look at all sports, you look at the quarterback position. Resilience is a big trait,” Smart said. “The only thing this guy did when he needed to is go out there with his back against the wall and make some throws.”

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    Kathleen William
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