What's wrong with Carson Beck?

According to his head coach Kirby Smartwho answered this very question on Monday, the answer is nothing.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him,” Smart said. “He didn’t play perfectly, but nobody does. I'm very happy with where Carson is at in terms of his leadership, his training habits and the things we're asking him to do. I think he's doing it well.”

Still, the numbers show that Beck wasn't as strong this year as he was in 2023.

Beck's completion rate has dropped from 72.4 percent last season to 66 percent this season. Beck's interception total in seven games in 2024 (eight) has already surpassed his total of six from the entire 2023 season.

In Georgia's two biggest games of the year so far, Beck has struggled quite a bit. In the loss to Alabama and win against Texas, Beck completed 50 of 91 passes (54.9 percent) for 614 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.

After the Texas game, Beck confirmed his performance.

“I was just off, it felt like that the whole game,” Beck said. “I think for the most part it really started in the fourth quarter, but I mean I was just off. I mean, of course it's really difficult. I mean, not to say that games like that are going to happen, but, you know, games, I can't control everything that I can control and I have to go back and watch film and I have to get better on this team. “

Smart fully expected his quarterback to react this way. He wants to see better from everyone around Beck.

“We have to train better, we have to act better,” Smart said. “We need the people around him to play better. That’s the ownership a quarterback takes, and I wouldn’t expect him to answer questions like that any other way.”

Recipient Arian Smith I also have the feeling that Beck is doing well.

“I would probably say he doesn’t really need to get much better as a quarterback,” Smith said. “He does everything he needs to do for us as a quarterback, like making sure we have the right run, the right protection. I'm sure he talks about things like he missed a throw or we missed a catch or something like that on offense, taking responsibility because that's the person he is. So I probably wouldn't say anything, we just need to play better on offense and all agree on where that's going to work.”

Georgia will need Beck to be at his best next month. The Bulldogs face crucial games against Florida in Jacksonville, at Ole Miss and against Tennessee at home as they pursue another SEC title and a College Football Playoff appearance.