Nothing will be easy for Gunner Stockton against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals on New Year's Day.
The third-year sophomore will play behind center for Georgia and will look to prevent an upset at the hands of the Fighting Irish.
After Carson Beck suffered an elbow injury in the SEC Championship Game on December 3, Stockton took over as quarterback for the Bulldogs and miraculously led the team to a 22-19 come-from-behind victory over Texas and a spot in the playoffs. I got a ticket.
But Stockton's numbers belie this feel-good story.
For nearly half of the plays, Stockton threw just 71 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
With 12 connections through the air, Stockton averaged just 5.9 yards per completion, relying mostly on dump-offs and throws straight down.
Although this game was against a stout Longhorn pass defense, his task on Wednesday will undoubtedly be just as tough, and this time his opponent will have a second-year backup in the game for several weeks. It turns out.
Notre Dame ranks third in college football in passing yards per attempt (5.6) and passing yards per game (162.3).
The Fighting Irish held off a powerful passing attack in the first round of the College Football Playoff earlier this month.
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Indiana's Curtis Rourke threw for just 215 yards against Notre Dame, despite averaging over 250 yards per game in the regular season.
It's safe to say that Stockton isn't as talented as Rourke, who finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Play: Gunner Stockton threw for less than 177.5 yards (-115, Caesars Sportsbook)
