No. 2 Georgia is resting its national championship hopes on backup quarterback Gunner Stockton, but the Bulldogs have done this before.

Stockton took over for Carson Beck in the second half of the SEC championship game against Texas and will make his first start for Georgia today in the Sugar Bowl against No. 7 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Beck has started every game of the 2023 and 2024 seasons for Georgia, going 24-3 as a starter. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over the Longhorns.

Stockton will attempt to join a short list of quarterbacks who have been promoted from backup jobs to win national championships.

The list includes Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, who began the 2021 season as the backup to JT Daniels before taking over the starting job in October. Trevor Lawrence took over for Kelly Bryant during Clemson’s 2018 championship season.

The best comparison to Stockton’s challenge during the CFP era may be Cardale Jones on the 2014 Ohio State national championship team. Jones’ first start was the Big Ten championship game following an injury to J.T. Barrett, who began the preseason as the expected backup before Braxton Miller’s injury.

Stockton led Georgia to a touchdown on his first drive against Texas and has had extra practice time during the Bulldogs’ break after receiving a first-round bye in the playoff. Stockton, a sophomore, completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas.

He signed with Georgia as a highly recruited in-state player from Rabun County High School, where he broke Lawrence’s state high school record for most career touchdown passes and Deshaun Watson’s state record for combined rushing and passing touchdowns in a career.

“To see his growth since he’s been here, he’s been waiting patiently, he’s been sitting and putting his time in and he’s been working while he was waiting,” Georgia safety Malaki Starks said Friday. “And now he gets a chance to go out there and prove what he can do. And, you know, I believe in him 100%.”

Starks, who is from Jefferson, Ga., often faced Stockton’s Rabun County teams in high school.

“He’s always been, you know, that guy, you know, since I’ve been growing up,” Starks said.

“He’s an easy guy to follow. I mean, Gunner is a great guy, you know, very respectful, great parents. I mean, he’s the guy that you want to lead. And a lot of guys have confidence in him. And I think you saw it during games in the SEC (championship game), how much the guys believed in him.”

The Fighting Irish advanced by beating Indiana 27-17 in the first round on Friday night. Smart said Stockton and Georgia can focus on Notre Dame.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Stockton will require adjustments by his defense.

“You evaluate, obviously, what they’ve done all season and you have a separate tape of what Stockton has done,” Freeman said Monday. “I think we have 80-something plays of him. He can run their offense. He does things a little bit differently. He can extend plays with his legs, he’s a good athlete. The thing I probably noticed most about him, he’s an ultra-competitive individual.”

Stockton’s job may get a little easier with Notre Dame defensive tackle Rylie Mills out. Mills will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury he suffered against Indiana.

Mills had 37 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks this season and anchored the interior line while All-American Howard Cross II missed the final three regular season games with a high ankle sprain. Cross returned against Indiana.