Under center and under pressure. Saying Carson Beck has had a rough stretch of games would be an understatement. 3 thrown picks on the weekend, 8 in his last 3 games, 11 in his last 5. The Florida native nearly cost his side the game in Jacksonville. Amidst intense scrutiny in the backwash of his performance, there was a charitable helping hand on offer from a fellow QB with experience of playing for a national championship contender.

HOFer Greg McElroy is often the voice of reason in the CFB media landscape. That is especially true in instances when the discourse is around an individual’s quarterbacking woes. During the latest iteration of his Always College Football podcast, McElroy broke down Beck’s struggles against Georgia’s (7-1) win away to Florida (4-4).

In an excerpt posted on YouTube, McElroy absolved Beck of some of the blame. “He’s now had 3 straight games [in] which he’s had multiple interceptions. Now, I’ll excuse the last [interception] because he was getting hit. You get hit, the ball flutters up, they pick it up. It happens. It’s hard for me to put that on the QB. As a guy who played the position I know how hard that is”

McElroy pointed to the nature of the Gators’ pass rush and the O-line’s inability to contend with it as the reason for the last turnover. However, he did not condone the previous mishaps. He laid into Beck for his poor decision-making and “throwing into traffic” on the first pick. McElroy gave his two cents on why he believes the redshirt senior is floundering off late.

“Right now, it feels like sometimes he doesn’t trust the receiver, he doesn’t trust the progression. He is predetermining where he’s going with the football. He’s letting the naysayers about, well, his draft stock and all that stuff [get to him]. Just take the progression. Take what the defense gives you”. Beck will have to find his game quickly, as there is no let-up on the horizon for a Georgia program with championship-or-bust expectations.

Why Kirby Smart cannot afford for Beck’s downturn to continue

Carson Beck’s rut has not cost Kirby Smart’s outfit any games outside of Bama. Whether it is an upturn of form or, at the very least, mitigation of errors is imperative. The Bulldogs stand on the precipice of two sizable challenges in a fortnight, with huge implications on the line.

Georgia take a trip west to face no.16 Ole Miss this weekend, followed up by no.7 Tennessee coming to Athens. Both SEC rivalries are looking not only to get one over on the Bulldogs but also to make the 12-team cut-off for the CFP. A loss to either team, especially the Vols, will be catastrophic in Georgia’s quest to make the conf. Championship round.  The fans, too, have echoed their concerns.

The Georgia Bulldogs are currently sat atop the SEC, followed closely by the Aggies and the Vols. Kirby Smart cannot afford an upset at this stage of the season. Carson Beck will need to pull his weight and deliver on his promise, which was lending him high draft consideration not long ago. November football is the leveler, and cream shall rise to the top.