Georgia fans love to say injuries didn’t impact Alabama when the Tide lost John Metchie and Jameson Williams to injury or Ohio State lost Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr., and they’re right to do so, but it’s also true when talking about the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl loss without Carson Beck.
At the end of the first half in the SEC Championship Game, Beck took a hit that eventually resulted in a torn UCL, a strange injury outside of baseball. Shortly after, he’d undergo surgery and be out for the College Football Playoffs, paving the way for Gunner Stockton to lead the Dawgs.
UGA drew Notre Dame, and in Stockton’s first career start, he did all he could. The reasons the Georgia Bulldogs lost the Sugar Bowl aren’t because their starting quarterback was injured.
Stockton played well enough to win. The redshirt sophomore was 20-of-32 passing for 234 yards and a touchdown, adding 16 yards on the ground while getting sacked four times, including at the end of the first half, which resulted in a turnover and subsequent Irish touchdown.
The Georgia defense did enough to win the football game, holding the Notre Dame offense to just nine points and 244 total yards of offense, while Stockton outplayed Riley Leonard. It came down to a few matchups and a few plays.
Firstly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t praise the Irish defensive front for holding the Dawgs rushing attack to 2.3 yards per attempt. That played a major role in the quarterfinal victory. However, simply put, it came down to three plays, just three.
The Trevor Etienne fumble in the redzone, the sack-fumble and subsequent touchdown at the end of the first half, and the kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the second half won Notre Dame the football game.
For a Kirby Smart-coached football team, those are unacceptable. Putting the ball on the ground in any instance is an inexcusable offense, let alone in the redzone, let alone in the CFP. Smart’s aggressiveness at the end of the half, while the UGA offensive line was struggling, was mind-boggling, even if Stockton should’ve stepped up in the pocket to help out his left tackle. And a special teams touchdown is unacceptable in every aspect.
The Sugar Bowl loss can be attributed to several factors, but none more so than coaching. Marcus Freeman outcoached Kirby Smart, something I don’t think even the most diehard Notre Dame fans thought was possible. But the Dawgs didn’t lose because they didn’t have Carson Beck. Gunner Stockton impressed, and Georgia will be in good hands if he’s the starting quarterback in Athens next season.
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Photographer: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
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