The UGA backup quarterback could be D'Wan Mathis, Stetson Bennett

Athens, Georgia

Stetson Bennett dropped into his pocket, scrutinized the opposing player and chose his target.

Only, just as he straightened his arm to launch, the pocket partially collapsed. Bennett danced around for half a second, advanced into a flickering pocket and waved his wrist, sending a 52 meter dart to Matt Landers. Bennett said he was trying to imitate Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his game, and that this throw seemed strangely Rodgers-esque.

Welcome to the quarterback battle of Georgia.

Competitor # 1: Bennett, the veteran.

Bennett was arguably the best quarterback of both teams on Saturday, considering Jake Fromm's day off, and he clearly demonstrated that he deserved the coveted spot of # 2 behind Fromm.

"I missed bullets," Bennett said. "Overall, the day was good. I'm ready to go see the movie later in the day and see how it went. … As I was going out here, I had some minor problems, but I'm just trying to reproduce it and I know my assignment to each room. So when I go out, I will feel comfortable.

Bennett finished as the scrum's first passer, scoring 12 of 23 attempts for 210 yards and one touchdown. He took pictures for the red and black teams. Bennett's touchdown was a tight pass between the safes and Jeremiah Holloman, who threw a tackle and rushed into the end zone.

But that was not all Bennett's show.

Contestant # 2: D'Wan Mathis, the freshman.

Mathis made his first appearance in the red and black (or white, technically, since the quarterbacks were wearing a white jersey without contact) during Saturday's spring match. The rookie hinted at her ability, but she also recalled that it was still as green as the soaked grass at Sanford Stadium.

Mathis threw 113 yards in 15 out of 28 passes. He did not throw for a touchdown, but technically recorded a score in the air.

This score came on a double backhand that ended up in the hands of Landers. The Landers sprinted to the right and kicked a throw across the court towards Mathis, who grabbed the throwing basket and exited the safety to the end zone.

"I was ready for (the sleight of hand)," said Landers, who played as a high school quarterback. "Just to see the result, because, you know, a lot of trick games do not work. My first round played and we accomplished it. "

The advantage of Mathis is pretty clear. He is still quite young and inexperienced, but has shown flashes of what he brings to the table. He throws the ball with a soft and pleasant touch and can get scrambled when things get worse. He demonstrated his scrambling ability more than once during the scrum.

Of course, with any green quarterback, he still has a lot to learn.

Mathis forced a throw in a triple cover in the first half and launched an ugly interception on his second practice of the match. And he had some problems reading the defense, such as the moment when a defense was completely released during one of his defeats in the second half.

It's a lot for Kirby Smart to start the Bulldogs season program at Vanderbilt. Both quarters showed high ceilings and both showed signs that they may still have some adjustment left.

"They handled the game well," said Smart. "D'Wan had some sloppy shots, I think he dropped a slam there, I thought Stetson did a good job. Stetson has already played in this match. So, these two guys have handled many throwing situations well.

"I was pleased with how Stetson and D'Wan handled the game in the field. And it's important.