Who is Gunner Stockton? Notre Dame has only 80 plays on tape to see what Georgia QB can do.

SOUTH BEND — Gunner Stockton is three inches shorter and far less experienced than the Georgia quarterback he’s replacing, but Notre Dame football has plenty of respect for the Bulldogs’ injury replacement.

“(Stockton) can run their offense,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Monday. “He does some things a little bit differently (than Carson Beck). He can extend plays with his legs. Good athlete. … . I don’t see it being tremendously different than what they’ve done all season. But we’ll prepare — for anything.

Notre Dame, seeded seventh, won its 11th straight game, 27-17 over Indiana, to earn a shot at the second-seeded Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl will be played on New Year’s Day.

More: Notre Dame prepares for Georgia without sacks leader Rylie Mills

Beck, who suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in the SEC Championship win over Texas, passed for nearly 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns in his final college season. The former Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High School teammate of Irish wideout Kris Mitchell also threw 12 interceptions, leaving Beck 31st nationally in passing efficiency.

Beck underwent season-ending surgery Monday, Georgia announced.

Stockton, listed at 6-1 and 215 pounds, stepped in capably on Dec. 7 to lead the Bulldogs to an overtime win over Texas. The third-year player from tiny Tiger, Ga. (pop. 574), went 12-for-16 passing for 71 yards and an interception in Georgia’s second win of the year over the fifth-seeded Longhorns.

“You evaluate schematically what they’ve done all season,” Freeman said. “Then you have a separate tape of what Stockton, the new quarterback, has done. I think we have 80-something plays of him playing quarterback.”

The Sugar Bowl would be Stockton’s ninth career…

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Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-12-25 13:34:00

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