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Al Golden, Notre Dame DC, shares first impressions of Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
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Al Golden knows better.
The Notre Dame defensive coordinator played major college football at Penn State and has been in coaching long enough to know that an opposing quarterback with little experience doesn’t necessarily mean that quarterback isn’t dangerous.
And Golden believes Gunner Stockton is dangerous. Georgia’s backup quarterback is now the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback in the Sugar Bowl Playoff quarterfinal against the Fighting Irish on New Year’s Day night. Carson Beck got knocked out of the SEC title game against Texas with an elbow injury and had season-ending surgery, so now it’s on Stockton to make it happen against Notre Dame in what will be his first career start.
Golden spoke about how Stockton came into that SEC Championship Game and held down the fort in helping Georgia prevail in overtime.
“The way the guys rallied around him … one of his first or second plays wasn’t a great play, and then he just settled in. You can tell he knows how to run the system, and I think that’s the most important thing,” said Golden during Friday’s press conference. “The system is a great system that they have. I’m sure they’re telling (Stockton), just be a great distributor. … There’s ample talent around him, and I’m sure they’re telling him that you don’t have to do it by yourself.”
Stockton went 12-of-16 passing for 71 yards and an interception in relief of Beck in the SEC title game, and now he’ll be under center from the start on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs and Fighting Irish will kick things off at around 8:45 p.m. ET on ESPN, with a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals going to the winner.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
