Adversity can often lead you down paths that appear treacherous but are a blessing in disguise. That’s what happened with Kirby Smart and his Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. The Georgia offense was essentially stagnant all through the first half. Right before the midway point came a watershed moment in the game. A moment that may have not only reformed the Bulldogs traversal through to the crown for the SEC, but beyond.

During the very last play of the first half, Carson Beck’s attempt at a hail mary to the endzone was thwarted by Texas’ pass rush. Not only did they force a strip sack, it rendered Carson’s throwing arm damaged. Carson Beck didn’t return to start the 2nd half. Instead, it was backup QB Gunner Stockton under center. However, this proverbial cloud looming over Georgia’s chances had a silver lining. Stockton led a TD drive right out of the gate to spark life into an offense that mustered merely 56 total yards through 2 quarters. The rejuvenated offense eventually established a mean run game and led Georgia to yet another SEC Championship.

In the aftermath of the game, football legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ocho” Johnson reasoned why Georgia came back and won during Nightcap. “I don’t know if they win this game if Carson Beck stays in.” claimed unc Shannon. A damning take on a surface level but not a condemnation of Carson Beck in actuality. “Here’s the thing, Ocho. [Texas] ain’t practice for the backup. You don’t practice for the backup because you don’t anticipate him getting out.  I hadn’t seen Stockton except mop-up [time]. So I’m not anticipating him being in the game.”, Shannon said. He referenced a previous incident where the shoe was ironically on the other foot.

Flashback to the 2018 iteration of the SEC Championship. Alabama’s QB1 Tua Tagovailoa gets injured (4 most terror-inducing words for Dolphins’ fans). Backup Jalen Hurts then leads Bama to a win against Georgia of all teams. This time, it was them who benefited from unfortunate circumstances. 

Shannon’s comments were not an indictment of Carson Beck. They put the onus of the result more on Texas’ shortcomings instead of Stockton himself. Although the same can’t be said about the wider media viewpoint. 2 football savants with a massive rooting interest in the Bulldogs suggested otherwise.

Bulldogs’ icon potentially flips his stance on Carson Beck after Stockton’s escapades

Georgia alum and legend David Pollack had outwardly expressed his confidence in Carson Beck before the game. With the pieces falling how they eventually did, Pollack gave a different perspective compared to Shannon on why Stockton’s introduction changed the tide. 

“Carson Beck is absolutely a flat liner. He is not emotional”, said Pollack after the game concluded. “I can tell you, as a football player and as a defensive guy, when my quarterback gets juiced up, I love it dude. I love it [and] I rally behind it. When Gunner runs to the right on his first drive and runs a guy over instead of running out of bounds- and the sideline’s jumping up and down like crazy- It infuses your team [with confidence].”

Pollack’s co-host Brent Rollins also laid down what can be perceived as a 3rd different perspective in the case building up against Carson Beck. “Styles make fights. Gunner Stockton actually might be better fit for that fight, because you become a run-centric team. You become a check-down team. Versus a Carson Beck-led team that is looking to push the ball down the field. Which is where Texas’ strength is- in the secondary.”  The Longhorns’ defense had given up 3 points total across their last 6 quarters of football before Stockton stepped in.

With Georgia now locked into a top 4 seed, they’ve been afforded a bye-week. This gives time for Carson to rehabilitate. At the same time, it also gives time for fans and the media alike to cook a QB controversy. The discourse stemming out of Athens is hardly going to dissipate anytime soon.