Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Which QB had the more prolific campaign in their run to college football championship?
Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Which had the more impressive championship run? The Georgia Bulldogs repeated as national champions this past Monday, led by Stetson Bennett. Another signal-caller who had an impressive run en route to his own national championship was Joe Burrow, who was the leader of the 2019 LSU Tigers. Naturally, a comparison between the two quarterbacks merits a closer look.
Matthew Stafford congratulates @GeorgiaFootball’s Stetson Bennett after the game 🐶❤️ https://t.co/MwmYv22JG1
Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Tale of the tape
Burrow, who stood at six-foot-four and weighed in at 221 pounds in 2019, was a physical specimen. By the time his final year at LSU was underway, he was already being projected to be the top pick in that NFL Draft class. He checked off all the physical tools, including a notable arm, high football IQ, and leadership qualities.
Stetson, a back-to-back national champion in Georgia, is one of the most successful quarterbacks at the college level that we've seen. The argument, however, could be made that he's surely benefited from playing with one of the best defenses ever assembled in the last two seasons. However, his age has come into question. Many people point to his age as a benefit; imagine a grown man throwing to teenagers in college.
Stetson Bennett and Tom Brady are the same age 🤯 https://t.co/mrFiZ1iQIi
Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Statistics
Now, when it comes to comparisons, there's an undisputed truth, and that is "numbers don't lie." Burrow essentially carried LSU, and with his incredible supporting cast of receivers, the Tigers' passing offense was a machine. In the 2019 campaign, Burrow completed 60 touchdown passes to names such as Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase. He was averaging nearly 11 yards per pass attempt (10.8). Oh, and he only threw six interceptions the entire year; how about that for a ratio?
When looking at Stetson's 2022 season, it wasn't exactly eye-popping. Again, when you think of Georgia, you think of the defense. Nevertheless, Stetson was mostly accurate, throwing for 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions. His completion percentage of 68.1 was the second-highest of his career; his highest was back in 2019, when it was 74.1 in four games played.
Head-to-head, though, there's no comparison as far as the entire body of work over the course of the season. Even so, Bennett did get to Burrow's level in terms of performing on the big stage. Stetson threw for six touchdowns in the national championship, equalling Burrow's effort from 2019.
Quarterbacks responsible for 6 touchdowns in a CFP National Championship
- Stetson Bennett
- Joe Burrow
https://t.co/GarwLe1Vf7
Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Team success
Both squads with these quarterbacks at the helm have achieved the ultimate success: the national title.
However, the two men had different paths to the championship. Bennett had the advantage of a defense that was filled with future NFL players. They dominated across the board in most key categories. That included yards surrendered to opponents per game (308.9) and rushing yards allowed per game (81.2), the latter being the first in the country.
Burrow and LSU's legendary offense carried them into the history books. Their offense averaged 565.8 yards per game, which was first in the nation. Also, LSU averaged 47.2 points per game that season (1st). It's hard to imagine another prolific college offense any time soon.
Stetson Bennett vs. Joe Burrow: Verdict
While Georgia's run was impressive, it will be remembered for how dominant the defense was. They demolished opponents in 2022, including TCU in the final game. LSU, on the other hand, had a generational talent in Burrow, who plowed through defenses and made his mark in college football history. This one's easy; Burrow had a more prolific run.