Georgia will start Gunner Stockton at quarterback against Notre Dame in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Stockton replaced starter Carson Beck, who suffered an elbow injury in the second half of the SEC Championship game. Stockton helped the Bulldogs defeat Texas 22-19 in an overtime thriller on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Stockton has been taking first-team reps since beginning practice for the Sugar Bowl. However, he acknowledged that Stockton needed the extra time to prepare for the Fighting Irish.
“I would say experience, just practice,” Smart said on Dec. 23. “He got a lot of reps prior to these practices, but he’s getting much more now. When you get ready for an opponent like Notre Dame, I think you need time.”
Smart commented on Beck’s situation and availability earlier this week.
“The only thing I can update is that they’re still going through those deliberations in terms of decision-making, process time, and all the kinds of decisions they have to make as a family,” Smart said.
Previously, Smart said Beck was with his family in Jacksonville while Georgia was practicing for the Sugar Bowl.
Beck started every game for Georgia this season, passing for 28 touchdowns, 3,485 yards, and 12 interceptions. Stockton will make his first career start at quarterback for the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Stockton is the more mobile quarterback, which makes Georgia more dynamic on offense with his ability to run.
However, Smart doesn’t think the Bulldog offense will look any different from when Beck was under center.
“I think we are who we are in regards to that,” he said. “We’ve played an entire season offensively. Gunner is a good athlete. I think Carson is a good athlete. It’s one of those deals of I don’t know how much that changes things.”