Georgia's Kirby Smart Didn't Say One Word to Gunner Stockton Before Entering SEC Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Dec 7, 2024 8:42 PM ET

In an emotional rollercoaster matchup in the SEC Championship game, Kirby Smart and the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs secured the win in overtime, 22-19. Despite being without starting quarterback Carson Beck for most of the second half, backup Gunner Stockton entered the contest and held down the fort, finishing 12-of-16 for 71 yards and one interception.

After the game, ESPN's Holly Rowe asked Smart what he had told Stockton before entering the game and about its intense finish.

"I didn't say one word to (Stockton). Coach (Mike) Bobo did, and all the coaches did," Smart said, holding back the emotion building in his throat. "This kid's a winner, man. This kid's special. He's a winner!"

GUNNER STOCKTON IS A DAWG @GeorgiaFootball pic.twitter.com/RBcjvFWfK3
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 8, 2024

Stockton was a four-star recruit in Georgia's 2022 recruiting class. A local product out of Tiger, Georgia, a very small town with a population of 542, Stockton has only played mop-up duty to this point.

Yet on college football's biggest stage, he did enough for the Bulldogs, including absorbing a monster hit from Texas' Andrew Mukuba that set up the Bulldogs' eventual game-winning touchdown.

With Stockton knocked out of the game from that huge tackle, Beck returned, only to hand it to Etienne to win the game for Georgia.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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