Georgia Bulldogs sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton was thrust into the SEC championship against one of the best defenses in the country after Carson Beck went down with an upper body injury.
Entering the SEC championship, Stockton had just 35 career pass attempts. The former four-star recruit played high school football at Rabun County High School and was ranked as the No. 7 quarterback recruit in the class of 2022.
Stockton is more mobile and a better runner than Carson Beck. His presence along with a strong performance from the Georgia offensive line helped the Bulldogs score 13 points in the second half after managing just three points in the first half.
“The players believe in Gunner (Stockton). They love Gunner. The juice that he brought and the passion and energy,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on Stockton after the game.
ALSO SEE: Celebrate Georgia’s 15th SEC Championship with exclusive merchandise!
Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and threw a costly interception. He took a pair of sacks and had eight carries for eight yards. On Stockton’s final carry, he took a massive hit.
“The only mistake he had, and I feel like it was partially on us, is we just didn’t get the call in. He got the call in early. He didn’t get the call out. He didn’t have time to evaluate what they were doing,” said Smart on Stockton’s interception. “If he sees that, he can pick it up and do some things with it. But again, we were down on the shot clock. And he had the third down, he throws the pick there that could have been costly.”
Georgia may have to turn to Gunner Stockton for the remainder of the season if Carson Beck’s injury is serious. Stockton did not pass the ball vertically as much as Beck did, but he was fairly efficient outside of the interception.
“No, he’s fine. He was prepared to come back in the game,” said Smart on if Stockton suffered a concussion on his final play of the game.
