ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) — No. 2 Georgia is resting its national championship hopes on backup quarterback Gunner Stockton following Carson Beck’s season-ending elbow surgery.

Coach Kirby Smart said Monday that Georgia is preparing Stockton to start in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against No. 3 Notre Dame. Stockton took over when Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the the first half in the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.

Georgia announced later Monday that Beck had season-ending surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the right elbow. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday. Beck is expected to begin throwing next spring.

Georgia’s first-round bye in the playoffs has given Stockton, a sophomore, more time to prepare for his new starting role. Smart said the experience with the first-team is the primary benefit in “several practices” since the SEC championship game.

“He got lots of reps prior to these practices, but he’s getting much more now,” Smart said. “I do think ... when you get ready for an opponent like Notre Dame, you need time and we have time.”

The Fighting Irish advanced by beating Indiana 27-17 in the first round on Friday night. Smart said Stockton and Georgia can focus on Notre Dame.

“But I think the biggest thing is just competition at practice,” Smart said. “You know, the situations we put him in. All those things allow him to get better as a quarterback.”

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Stockton will require adjustments by his defense.

“You evaluate, obviously, what they’ve done all season and you have a separate tape of what Stockton has done,” Freeman said Monday. “I think we have 80-something plays of him. He can run their offense. He does things a little bit differently. He can extend plays with his legs, he’s a good athlete. The thing I probably noticed most about him, he’s an ultra-competitive individual.”

Georgia announced on Dec. 9 that Beck and his family were considering treatment options for his elbow.

Beck suffered the injury to his throwing arm in the first half of the SEC championship game and made a dramatic return to the field for the handoff on the game-winning play in overtime. Stockton had to leave the field for one play after having his helmet knocked off.

Even though he was able to take the snap and hand off to Trevor Etienne for the running back’s decisive 4-yard touchdown run, Beck was unable to raise his right arm.

Stockton’s job may get a little easier with Notre Dame defensive tackle Rylie Mills out. Freeman announced Monday that Mills will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury he suffered against Indiana.

Mills had 37 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks this season and anchored the interior line while All-American Howard Cross II missed the final three regular season games with a high ankle sprain. Cross returned against Indiana.

It’s yet another blow to a defense that had already lost preseason All-America cornerback Benjamin Morrison and its top two rush ends with season-ending injuries.

“You can’t replace Rylie Mills,” Freeman said. “Yes, the production, but the leadership, a captain, very similar to the things I said about Benjamin when he was out. You feel awful for him as a person, a guy that came back to improve his draft stock. You’ve got to replace what he did for our defense in different ways.”

Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas.

Smart downplayed the suggestion Stockton could give the Bulldogs more options as a running quarterback.

“I think we are who we are in regards to that,” Smart said. “I mean, we played an entire season, offensively. You know, Gunner’s a good athlete. I think Carson is a good athlete. So it’s one of those deals that I don’t know how much that changes things.”

Beck, a fifth-year senior, is 24-3 as a starter. He started all 26 games for the Bulldogs in 2023 and 2024. He passed for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2023 but had more difficulties with turnovers this season. Beck passed for 28 touchdowns with 12 interceptions this season and completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards before his injury in the SEC championship game.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.