(Video) Georgia’s Gunner Stockton gets lit up by Texas safety before Trevor Etienne’s SEC Championship-winning touchdown 

Gunner Stockton, replacing Carson Beck in the SEC Championship, exited after a brutal hit from a Longhorns safety.

(Video) Georgia’s Gunner Stockton gets lit up by Texas safety before Trevor Etienne’s SEC Championship-winning touchdown 

Kirby Smart watches Gunner Stockton tackled by Texas defender (Image via ESPN/X)

Gunner Stockton found himself lying flat on the ground after getting pummeled by a Texas defender in the SEC Championship game on Saturday in Atlanta. The Georgia Bulldogs’ quarterback had to find his bearings before resuming football.

Texas forced overtime after Bert Auburn dispatched a 37-yard field goal in garbage time. Steve Sarkisian’s side took the lead after Auburn scored another three from 32 yards, but the game wasn’t over until the next touchdown.

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During Georgia’s possession, Gunner Stockton led the Bulldogs inside Texas’s fifteen-yard line. From second and nine, the 22-year-old decided to sneak the ball in for the first down but was knocked out.

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Texas safety Andrew Mukuba Jr. (4) leaned in with his right shoulder but ended up in a helmet-to-helmet collision with Stockton. The impact sent Stockton falling backward, and his legs followed suit.

It didn’t take long for the referee to throw a penalty flag for dangerous play, which eventually degraded to a roughing the passer call. Bulldogs players had to pull the shaken Stockton off the ground, and he took a moment to get his focus back.

Gunner Stockton’s night ended before finishing the job

The medical team did not allow Stockton to continue in the game. They feared a possible concussion—first from the tackle and then from hitting the turf. Kirby Smart had no other option but to send Carson Beck in.

(Video) Georgia's Gunner Stockton gets lit up by Texas safety before Trevor Etienne's SEC Championship-winning touchdown 
Gunner Stockton (Image via Rivals.com)

Beck, who usually starts for Georgia, left the game in the final moments of the first half while trying to get rid of the ball to avoid the Texas blitz. Stockton replaced Beck in the game, and five minutes after restarting in the third quarter, set up Trevor Etienne for the Bulldogs’ first touchdown of the night.

Stockton threw 12 completions in the game for 71 yards and one interception before exiting. Smart had to send Beck into the game once more, who handed the ball to Etienne, who bundled the ball into the Texas end zone to win the game 22-19 along with the SEC title.

After the game, Smart was asked by an on-field reporter what went through his head when he had to send Stockton into the game. The veteran coach revealed he did not say anything because he had complete faith in the local Atlanta kid. The reporter then asked Stockton how it felt to win in front of the home crowd.

I think it just gives back to the love I have for everybody in the locker room and all the seniors and just wanted them to go out the right way… This is pretty awesome.

Gunner Stockton said

Stockton redshirted for Georgia back in 2022. Since then he has seen a handful of games because of Beck, who will enter in the 2025 NFL Draft.

If everything goes smoothly, Georgia fans will see the Rabun County graduate as their future starter. For now, they are the best team in the SEC and can look forward to the College Football Playoffs.

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