Gutsy Gunner Stockton lifts Georgia to SEC title over Texas, sparing CFP from a Jordan Travis 2.0 predicament

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ATLANTA – Gunner Stockton had by no means thrown greater than 12 passes in a school soccer sport headed into Saturday night time.

There was little motive to anticipate that to vary, both, with Stockton’s final motion coming in a 59-21 blowout in opposition to Massachusetts the place he accomplished three of 4 passes when the sport had already lengthy been determined. 

However there was Stockton, compelled into responsibility after Carson Beck acquired knocked out of the sport on the final play of the primary half, dropping again to move in opposition to the Texas Longhorns for the thirteenth time of an SEC Championship sport and he … threw an interception.

The late fourth-quarter interception whereas at Texas’ 31-yard line opened the door for the Longhorns to hit a game-tying subject purpose with 18 seconds remaining to ship the SEC Championship to additional time for the primary time in its 33-year historical past. 

It was a devastating flip of occasions for a Georgia workforce that got here rallied within the second half behind Stockton and a rowdy, principally Bulldogs crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. His movie-esque night time simply may not have been meant to finish in victory. 

Stockton did not fold after the interception, although.

As an alternative, he actually put his head down and tried to get each yard he might to will his workforce to an additional time win. A gutsy 8-yard run that ended with Stockton taking a large hit and his helmet popping off set the Bulldogs’ up on the 4-yard line.

One play later, working again Trevor Etienne danced into the top zone and the Bulldogs have been once more SEC champions. Stockton, the little-known backup, helped ship the heroics on a day that felt it was going in opposition to Georgia’s manner for a lot of it.

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“I imply the child performed simply powerful as nails,” Georgia coach Kirby Good mentioned. “He hasn’t gotten to play a lot this 12 months … however cannot say sufficient about his toughness, character, no matter you wish to say. The man is an outstanding chief. He made some good performs. I believe all people else rose up round him.” 

Good had been on the receiving finish of two second-half quarterback modifications in opposition to Alabama inside this constructing that led to heartbreaking Georgia losses. First it was Alabama turning to Tua Tagovailoa, who famously accomplished a game-winning 2nd-and-26 landing move to beat the Bulldogs in additional time within the 2017 nationwide championship. Lower than a 12 months later, Alabama did it once more — this time turning to Jalen Hurts instead of a banged-up Tagovailoa. Hurts rallied the Crimson Tide to a different SEC Championship win over Good.

The Georgia coach, who entered the night time 2-4 in SEC championships, lastly delivered that type of heartbreak to an opponent. Poor Steve Sarkisian and the remainder of the Texas devoted will rue all of the blown alternatives on this one which led to the unlikely Georgia victory. 

Stockton, a former four-star recruit from Rabun County Excessive Faculty in Georgia, hadn’t gotten a lot consideration this season. He had thrown solely 16 passes the whole season earlier than Saturday and, weirdly sufficient, threw precisely 16 within the win over the Longhorns. As soon as dedicated to South Carolina, Stockton quietly hung within the shadows behind Beck, who began the final 27 video games for the Bulldogs. The Beck QB expertise has been a rollercoaster this season, particularly within the center a part of the schedule when the senior appeared to go off the rails, however there was by no means a forceful fervor to show to Stockton the way in which there could be in Austin with Arch Manning ready within the wings.

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Georgia would possibly want extra from Stockton transferring ahead if Beck is out for any prolonged time after taking a giant hit. Good mentioned after the sport Beck was having issues gripping the soccer and it was painful to attempt to throw the soccer due to an “higher extremity harm.” The Georgia coach hopes to know extra after an MRI. The hit appeared dangerous as did the way in which Beck appeared to wince strolling to the locker room, although he was in a position to are available on the final play of the sport when Stockton needed to miss a play as a result of his helmet got here off. 

The Bulldogs will await MRI outcomes to be taught the destiny of Beck, coach Kirby Good mentioned postgame. 

With the win over Texas, Georgia ought to get a first-round bye. That may give it till late December to get Beck wholesome earlier than making a call.

If it must be Stockton, although, the Georgia workforce confirmed it could actually rally round his vitality and talents.

“The gamers consider in Gunner,” Good mentioned. “They love Gunner. The juice that he introduced and the fervour and vitality.

“It gave us an added enhance of vitality. They have been fired up. They have been making an attempt to maintain him composed.”

Georgia proper guard Tate Ratledge shared the same sentiment. 

“Him coming within the sport, I believe it made all people understand it is a new juice we acquired to return out within the second half with,” Ratledge mentioned. “I believe all people did an important job with that.”

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Stockton’s aid efficiency embodied a lot of what this 2024 model of Georgia soccer is. It wasn’t excellent, even shaky at occasions, nevertheless it was resilient and delivered when the Bulldogs’ again have been in opposition to the wall. The narrative was already forming about what the Faculty Soccer Playoff choice committee might — and will — do with a three-loss Georgia workforce that might be with out Beck. The precedent, for some not less than, was already there with how the committee dealt with an undefeated Florida State workforce final season after star quarterback Jordan Travis acquired injured.

The committee slide Florida State out of the highest 4 regardless of a 13-0 common season and ACC Championship Recreation win over Louisville, citing Travis’ absence. The Seminoles performed two QBs as soon as Travis went down, Tate Rodemaker after which Brock Glenn. Neither appeared pretty much as good of their appearances as Stockton did vs. Texas (Georgia’s solely landing drives got here with him on the helm). Had he appeared like a deer within the headlights and had Georgia suffered loss No. 3 in Atlanta, you may solely think about the narrative that may have enveloped the subsequent hours till the midday ET choice present. 

We’ll by no means must dwell via that certainly contentious debate as a result of Stockton, working again Etienne (94 yards and two touchdowns) and the remainder of this Georgia workforce furiously rallied within the second half to win the SEC. 

This Georgia workforce has flaws, as highlighted in losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, nevertheless it is not going away. Not when it has bench gamers like Gunner Stockton able to step into as pressure-packed a scenario as he’ll ever expertise and nonetheless emerge victorious. 

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