No. 2 Georgia is resting its national championship hopes on backup quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Kirby Smart said Monday that Georgia is preparing Stockton to start in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against No. 3 Notre Dame. Stockton took over when starter Carson Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the SEC title game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.
Georgia’s first-round bye has given Stockton, a sophomore, more time to prepare for his new starting role. Smart said the experience with the first-team is the primary benefit in “several practices” since the SEC championship.
“He got lots of reps prior to these practices, but he’s getting much more now,” Smart said. “I do think … when you get ready for an opponent like Notre Dame, you need time, and we have time.”
The Fighting Irish advanced by beating Indiana, 27-17, in the first round on Friday night. Smart said Stockton and Georgia can focus on Notre Dame. “But I think the biggest thing is just competition at practice,” Smart said. “You know, the situations we put him in. All those things allow him to get better as a quarterback.”
Georgia announced on Dec. 9 that Beck and his family were considering treatment options for his elbow. Those options could include surgery, though Georgia has not released details about the injury.
Two weeks later, no decision has been released by Beck or Georgia.
“The only thing I can update is that they’re still going through those deliberations in terms of the decision-making process time, all the kind of decisions they have to make as a family,” Smart said.
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Beck suffered the injury to his throwing arm in the first half of the SEC title game and made a dramatic return to the field for the handoff on the game-winning play in overtime. Stockton had to leave the field for one play after having his helmet knocked off.
Even though he was able to take the snap and hand off to Trevor Etienne for the running back’s decisive 4-yard touchdown run, Beck was unable to raise his right arm.
Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas.
Smart downplayed the suggestion Stockton could give the Bulldogs more options as a running quarterback.
“I think we are who we are in regards to that,” Smart said. “I mean, we played an entire season, offensively. You know, Gunner’s a good athlete. I think Carson is a good athlete. So it’s one of those deals that I don’t know how much that changes things.”
Beck, a fifth-year senior, is 24-3 as a starter. He started all 26 games for the Bulldogs in 2023 and 2024. He passed for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2023 but had more difficulties with turnovers this season. Beck passed for 28 touchdowns with 12 interceptions this season and completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards before his injury in the SEC championship.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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