NEW ORLEANS — Kirby Smart said all season that regulating emotions — staying even keel — was paramount for the Bulldogs.
Yet it’s understandable if quarterback Gunner Stockton felt a bit unsettled in his first career start for Georgia, in a College Football Playoff game nonetheless.
“It was a little bit of a roller coaster, just trying to ride it. But I thought I handled it pretty well,” Stockton said. “But just seeing my teammates, they helped me out a lot.”
Stockton finished the game, a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame on Thursday night, completing 20 of his 32 pass attempts for 234 yards and a touchdown.
However, Stockton was sacked four times, resulting in 39 lost yards. One of those sacks led to a critical fumble just before halftime. Notre Dame was able to fall on the ball and scored its lone offensive touchdown on the next play.
“Gunner did some good things,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Any time you don’t have pass (protection), it’s tough. He had some tough moments out there. When it’s your backside, and you can’t see it coming, it’s tough. I thought he tucked it down and ran. He got us out of a couple sacks with his feet and legs, threw the ball away. Did some good things there. But obviously it wasn’t enough with the two turnovers, and we’ve got to be better for sure.”
Georgia had 101 rushing yards on 25 attempts, but netted only 62 yards when accounting for lost yardage.
Stockton’s play had bright moments, giving Georgia fans insight into what he can do. He fired multiple deep passes, including a 67-yarder to Arian Smith. Dillon Bell dropped another deep pass, but Stockton quickly rebounded and delivered a 32-yard touchdown pass to Cash Jones.
“Yeah, he’s a baller. He’s a competitor,” tight end Oscar Delp said. “We didn’t help him out a lot. He made his plays, and he’s really special. Everyone saw a glimpse of what he can do. We didn’t help him out too much. He never doubted his team for a second. This is who he is and the kind of guy he is.”
Notre Dame will move on while Georgia heads back to Athens with its season in the books — and classes resuming for players Monday. In many regards, Thursday was Stockton’s audition to be starting quarterback next season, though Smart will use the offseason to fully vet the competition between Stockton, Ryan Puglisi and Jaden Rashada.
Offensive lineman Earnest Greene complimented Stockton for his poise. He already had helped lead Georgia to an SEC championship and then faced one of the best teams in the country in Notre Dame.
“Gunner played great, man, doing something like that, just rising to the occasion like he did,” running back Nate Frazier said. “Playing the quarterback position at any collegiate level is very hard. It’s not just playing quarterback. You have to know everything on the field, looking at all type of things. So, just being able for him to step up, we’re very appreciative of Gunner playing his heart out today.”
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