No. 2 Georgia is resting its national championship hopes on backup quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Coach Kirby Smart said Monday that Georgia is preparing Stockton to start in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against No. 3 Notre Dame. Stockton took over when starter Carson Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half in the Bulldogs' 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.
Georgia's first-round bye in the playoffs has given Stockton, a sophomore, more time to prepare for his new starting role.