Former Gamecock Jake Bentley leads new team to comeback win vs. ranked foe
Jake Bentley looked a little bit different from the way Gamecocks fans might remember him.
The former starting South Carolina quarterback sported a goatee Saturday, framed by his red Utah Utes helmet. His last pass was vintage good Jake Bentley, skittering away from pressure and gunning a short pass for a 2-point conversion.
In the end, he helped his new team hand No. 21 and ranked Colorado its first loss of the season 38-21. His squad was down by double digits just after halftime, but he helped lead it back.
His final numbers were modest, 240 yards on 32 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 31 yards, which included a key scramble or two.
He did help key the Utes’ run-heavy offense, which posted nearly 200 yards on the ground.
Bentley has had an uneven start to his fifth college season after an unusual journey out west. He lost the battle for the starting QB job, but the player who beat him was lost for the season in the opener, a game delayed multiple times by COVID-19.
He threw for between 144 and 174 yards in each of his first three games, including a pair of interceptions in two losses.
He joined the Utes as a grad transfer after four years in Columbia. He broke into the starting lineup as a true freshman and then started the next two years. He was lost at the end of the opener in what would’ve been his senior season because of a broken foot.
Playing on teams that had his father, Bobby on staff, Bentley finished fourth on the program’s all-time list for passing yards and third in touchdowns.
