Life was never easy for Gunner Stockton. From battling a three-way tussle for Georgia’s QB slot in his freshman year to being Carson Beck‘s backup to stepping up on the SEC Championship game against Texas—he has done it all. You have to give it to him. He waited for the right time and pounced on it. But a stiffer challenge awaits him in Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl as he makes his first start. It seems the newly stationed QB will have to weather a storm, as the Fighting Irish have devised a rallying game plan for him.

Georgia OC Mike Bobo discussed the coming game with Notre Dame, as appeared in a conversation with ‘Focused on SEC‘. The American coach talked about Stockton in detail and was even asked how the QB would tackle the Fighting Irish’s tight defense. In addition, the reporters asked him about Notre Dame’s tactic to rattle Stockton because of his inexperience by running more blitzes on third down.

The 50-year-old, expecting to face anything and everything, shed light on Notre Dame. He said, “They’re very good defensively. One of the best defenses in the country. One of the best defenses we’ve seen, you know, on tape. They play with high energy, they’re very opportunistic getting takeaways. They do that through coverage, they do that through pressure packages that they have.”

Numbers back Bobo’s claim, too. If you look at the defensive records, you will find the Fighting Irish at the top. First in team passing efficiency defense (96.94), first in turnovers gained (29), and first in defensive touchdowns (6). These are daunting numbers for a QB, especially one who is going to start his first game. How could Georgia shield its QB and keep Notre Dame at bay? By getting Stockton off the spot and rallying. That’s the game plan.

You can expect it a little more, too. Why? Bobo admitted, “Because, you know, Gunner’s a first-time starter.” But is the usual calm Stockton prepared to turn around the game like he did against Texas when he was subbed on?

Is Gunner Stockton ready for the tough job at Sugar Bowl?

When Stockton left the gridiron, he was 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception. That performance helped Georgia beat Texas 22-19 in overtime. That game gave a glimpse into his high school exploits, as he had registered 3,652 passing yards with 177 touchdowns and 4,372 rushing yards. Since his becoming a senior, you will see an eye-popping 71.3% attempt completion for 4,134 yards with 55 touchdowns and one interception. That’s an incredible number for someone who has only taken the field four times this season.

But this also poses a unique challenge to Notre Dame. How do you prepare tactically for someone you have never seen play or whose taps are not available? Notre Dame’s defensive tackle Howard Cross III also disclosed they had difficulty planning for Stockton. He said, “I mean, we have limited film. It’s kind of like having every piece of the puzzle except for one.”

So they are not even aware whether Stockton is a passing or a running QB. Meanwhile, they will try to put pressure on him and expose his inexperience by running blitzes on him. It remains to be seen whether Stockton will step up once again in what could be his career-defining game.