ATLANTA — Georgia coach Kirby Smart didn’t think Carson Beck would return to the field in Saturday’s SEC championship game against Texas after his starting quarterback injured his right arm on the final play of the first half.
Beck had to come back on the last play of overtime, however, after backup quarterback Gunner Stockton was forced out of the game when he lost his helmet during a jarring tackle by Longhorns safety Andrew Mukuba on an 8-yard gain.
All Beck had to do was take the snap and hand the ball to tailback Trevor Etienne, who fell into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown that gave the No. 5 Bulldogs a 22-19 victory over the No. 2 Longhorns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“This team never ever says no, [and has a] never-die attitude, man,” Smart said. “They were so fired up at halftime. The offense was in there pumped out. … Gunner was coming out, them guys were fired up and ready to go, man.”
It was Georgia’s second straight victory in overtime — the Bulldogs needed eight extra periods to take down rival Georgia Tech 44-42 at home Nov. 29 — and this one gave the Dawgs their third SEC title under Smart.
Just as importantly, Georgia will be one of the top four seeds and will receive a first-round bye in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff when the field is announced Sunday.
That means the Bulldogs probably won’t play again until a CFP quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+).
“It means rest for our team that [SEC commissioner] Greg Sankey and his staff sent on the road all year long,” Smart said. “We get to take a little bit of a break and get ready for [the] College Football Playoff. This team needs some rest mentally, needs a little time off. We’re going to celebrate this one for maybe 48 hours because it is a big one.”
That extra rest might be important because Smart said Beck couldn’t grip a football in the locker room and was in pain. Smart didn’t know the extent of Beck’s injury, saying only that he had an upper-extremity injury and would have an MRI.
On the final play of the first half, Georgia faced first-and-5 at the Texas 42 with one second to play. Instead of taking a knee, the Bulldogs ran one more play. Beck dropped back, and Longhorns linebacker Trey Moore hit his right arm as the quarterback was trying to throw.
Beck fumbled the ball, and linebacker Anthony Hill recovered it.
Beck completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards with one sack before leaving.
Stockton, a seldom-used third-year sophomore from Tiger, Georgia, gave the Bulldogs a much-needed spark on offense after they trailed 6-3 at the half. He had attempted only 16 passes in two games this season before being forced into action.
Stockton led the Dawgs to a 75-yard touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half, throwing a 12-yard pass to Arian Smith on third-and-2 from the Georgia 33 and running for 3 yards on third-and-1 from the Texas 40.
On first-and-10 from the Texas 18, Stockton picked up 8 yards on a designed quarterback run. Etienne scored on a 10-yard run on the next play to give the Bulldogs their first lead, 10-6.
“This kid is a winner,” Smart said about Stockton. “This kid is special.”
Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked twice. He led the Bulldogs to two touchdowns and two field goals after the half.
“Gunner comes in and works his butt off every day,” Georgia safety Dan Jackson said. “He’s always prepared. I see him staying in the film room late for this chance. He gets this opportunity. He definitely made the most of it. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
After Texas tied the score at 13 on Quinn Ewers‘ 41-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. with 13:54 to go in the fourth quarter, Stockton led Georgia on a 16-play drive that took nearly 9½ minutes off the clock.
Peyton Woodring kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 16-13 lead with 4:32 remaining.
“He’s resilient, man,” linebacker Jalon Walker said of Stockton. “I mean, he’s waited for his opportunity for three years, and when he got it, he stood strong and he capitalized. That’s what this team has done all year, too.”
Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette intercepted Ewers’ pass to Matthew Golden at the Texas 29 on the next possession. It seemed that the Bulldogs were poised to put the Longhorns away for good.
After a holding call backed Georgia up, however, Stockton made his first big mistake on third-and-13 from the Texas 31. With linebacker Colin Simmons pressuring him, Stockton made an ill-advised throw toward the right sideline. Cornerback Jahdae Barron picked off the pass.
The Longhorns got as close as Georgia’s 13-yard line in the final minute, but had to settle for Bert Auburn‘s 37-yard field goal that tied the score at 16 with 18 seconds left in regulation.
