Georgia backup quarterbacks show skills in-game as battle for second string continues

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s season opener on Saturday has come and gone, and with it there’s plenty of judgement on those that took the field. No position is that more true for than the quarterbacks.

Carson Beck made his first career start and after getting out of the gates slowly, he finished the night with an impressive stat line (21-of-31, 294 yards, two total touchdowns). He then gave way to the Bulldog backups Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton late in the third quarter and watched from the sideline in the fourth.

Vandagriff went three-and-out on his first drive, albeit without much help from the offensive line that was in the game. Austin Blaske was called for holding on a Vandagriff completion that had picked up 19 yards before Micah Morris was flagged for the same thing two plays later on a 29-yard Vandagriff scramble.

His second drive went much smoother. The former five-star from just down the road found Mississippi State transfer Rara Thomas on a deep shot down the field for a gain of 56 yards before connecting with Oscar Delp for a 21-yard scoring strike on the very next play. For Vandagriff, the Thomas completion was the first of his Georgia career – thus making the Delp touchdown also a first for him.

.@BrockVandagriff ➡️ @DelpOscar

Watch live on SEC Network+#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/jdExJnf3eI

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 3, 2023

Stockton on the other hand only saw one drive. It was the first career action for the redshirt freshman out of Rabun County, and he too showed signs of what could be to come. He took off and scrambled for a gain of 14 yards on his first play before completing two straight passes for first-downs. The second of those gained 20 yards to Yazeed Haynes. Stockton would move the chains once more with a completion to Cole Speer.

There were plays during the brief appearance that it was apparent Stockton hadn’t seen any live action before. He relied heavily on his feet, but being able to move the ball into the UT-Martin red zone before stalling, Stockton was able to put up points in his only drive thanks to a Peyton Woodring field goal.

“It was important to let them play and not sit there and hand the ball off,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “Gunner’s group didn’t execute as well as they should have. He made some plays running with his feet. Brock’s group got holdings and that cost him one series that he played well. Just kind of self-inflicted wounds around him we can’t have. Then he came out and had another good series. Both of those guys look guys, they continue to get better. I am so pleased with their progress and what they’re doing. We’re at such a good position there. You only saw 6 or 7 plays of them. I’ve probably seen 20 or 30 of them. I feel really good about each day they get better.” 

Point being in Smart’s comments, the battle for the backup job is ongoing. He said so after naming Beck the starter following the second scrimmage, and his postgame press conference comments back that up. The game reps of Saturday, and any other times that the backups are able to get in, will play a part in that decision process right along with practice performance.

“We’ve got a battle at two. We need to see who is going to play if something happens to Carson,” Smart said. “Those two guys are neck and neck and we want to give those two guys the opportunity to play. Last year was a little different because Carson needed to come in and play and Brock didn’t always get those opportunities. We want to see Brock and Gunner both go in and play and play within the offense because that’s where you see their mistakes and flaws or their strengths and their weaknesses.”

Next week against Ball State could present a similar opportunity for Vandagriff and Stockton. Georgia opens as 39-point favorites over the Cardinals, who lost their opener to Kentucky 44-14, according to Circa Sports.