Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are preparing to face Georgia without its star quarterback after Carson Beck was ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.
But the Fighting Irish head coach is expecting Bulldogs backup Gunner Stockton to be up for the fight in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Beck suffered a torn ligament in his elbow during the SEC championship victory over Texas earlier this month, and he will play no further part this season.
Redshirt sophomore Stockton stepped into the game and led Georgia to a 22-19 victory in overtime, securing the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoff. But he will face a completely different test on New Year’s Day when he makes his first collegiate start in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, tasked with leading his team for 60 minutes against one of the best defenses in the nation, which is fresh off a dominant win over Indiana in the opening round.
Freeman says his players have been closely studying tape of Georgia’s offense with and without Stockton to understand the different tests he will pose to pocket passer Beck.
He can run their offense; he does some things a little bit differently,” Freeman said. “He can extend plays with his legs; hes a good athlete. The thing I probably noticed most more than anything in watching those 80 plays is hes an ultra-competitive individual.
“You can just tell by the way he celebrates and finishes plays that he is a competitor. I don’t see it being tremendously different from what they’ve done all season, but well prepare for anything.
The first-round bye has given Stockton the benefit of more reps in practice to gain a command of the offense, and head coach Kirby Smart believes his new starting QB will be ready for the challenge.
“He got lots of reps prior to these practices, but hes getting much more now,” Smart said. “I do think when you get ready for an opponent like Notre Dame, you need time.
Smart continued: “We’re excited, very honored to be playing a really, really talented Notre Dame team. I have so much respect for Coach Freeman, his staff, everything they’ve been able to accomplish this year.
“I remember watching them early in the year when they got to play at [Texas] A&M and had a huge win in a night game in our conference. So I have a lot of respect for them. We’re looking forward to getting down to New Orleans, always one of the most traditional bowl games, or in this case playoff games, that there has been. So we’re excited and ready to get to work.”
Georgia is a two-point favorite to defeat Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, despite having a backup under center. But there is hope the second slate of playoff games will deliver more competitive matchups than an underwhelming opening round.
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