Georgia right guard Tate Ratledge was amazed when he heard quarterback Carson Beck calling the final play during overtime of the SEC championship game against Texas. Initially, Beck had been thought to be out of the game due to an arm injury sustained in the first half, with coach Kirby Smart expressing doubt about his return. Beck’s right arm had been wrapped in ice on the sideline, further fueling the belief that he wouldn’t play again.
However, after Beck’s backup, Gunner Stockton, was knocked out of the game momentarily due to a hit, Beck returned to take the final snap. He handed the ball off to Trevor Etienne, who scored a 4-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 22-19 victory. Ratledge noted the energy in the huddle when they realized Beck was back in the game, and it turned out to be the game-winning play.
Beck had taken a hard hit at the end of the first half, forcing a fumble. Despite being left on the field and needing assistance to walk off, he returned after halftime, though he didn’t warm up and stayed on the sideline while Stockton led the offense to a touchdown.
When Stockton was temporarily sidelined after his helmet was knocked off in overtime, Smart had to decide between putting in another backup or calling Beck back in. Despite his arm injury, Beck was able to execute the final handoff, leading to the touchdown that sealed the win.
While they wait to see who will be able to play them in the All-State Sugar Bowl versus the winner of Indiana and Notre Dame, the Georgia Bulldogs have some time to recover and get a little healthier.
Carson Beck, the starting quarterback for Georgia, is being evaluated following an injury he sustained during the SEC Championship game. Georgia attempted a hail mary with one second remaining, but Beck was struck as he threw and stayed on the ground. After a while, Beck got to his feet and cautiously left the field.
“I’m still working on learning that myself,” Smart said. This morning, he was able to undergo an MRI. Within the next few hours, we should have the results here. We just met as a team. He attended the team meeting, but as of right now, we just know what we knew last night. However, we should soon learn more.
“There is time there, and this situation does give you a situation if that’s what needs to happen. However, we are unable to replicate the value of experience. We are still awaiting information, therefore there is nothing we can do about that at this time.”
