Georgia hit their first road bump of the season as they fell to Auburn at home 27-24. From a Georgia fan's perspective it is hard to find anything to be happy with after this game, but when looking at the quarterback position there was a bright spot and it has nothing to do with Gunner Stockton.
Stockton had his moments throughout the game to help Georgia climb all the way back and tie Auburn. He however threw two interceptions and had a costly fumble that set Auburn up to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal. His backup Ryan Puglisi however got a chance to come into this game and he ended up being the bright spot at quarterback for Georgia.
The officials forced Stockton to come out after the first play of the game so he could be evaluated for a potential concussion. This sent Puglisi into the game for three plays before Stockton returned, and he shined in those three plays.
Most of the time when a backup quarterback comes in the team's offensive coordinator will call a few run plays or simple passes to help get them in rhythm and make sure they don't scerw up. That did not happen with Puglisi as he immediately showed off his arm from the moment he came in the game.
All three plays Puglisi ran were pass plays, and he completed all three balls he threw. He began with a short four-yard completion before connecting with Craig Dandridge on a 41-yard bomb on third and short. He then found Nate Frazier through the air for a 10-yard gain before Georgia scored on the next play on the ground when Stockton came back in the game.
Kirby Smart clearly trusts Ryan Puglisi
Puglisi did about as good as he could do with the three snaps he got against Auburn. That fact alone is a big deal for Georgia in case he is ever needed long term this season, but most importantly Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo made it clear how much they trust him.
As mentioned it would not have been surprising if Georgia ran he ball when Puglisi was in the game. They have a good enough run game so that would've been a wise choice all things considered, but instead they trusted Puglisi with the ball and he delivered.
Now anytime Puglisi has to come into the game the rest of this season he will confidence in himself because he did well in these three plays. His teammates and coaching staff will believe in him as well which will increase his confidence in himself even more.
The future is bright with Ryan Puglisi
This is Gunner Stockton's final season at Georgia, so heading into next year there will be an open competition to be UGA's starting quarterback. It's possible for anyone on the roster to win this job, but at this point it seems like it's Puglisi's win.
Puglisi not only has been No. 2 on the depth chart for two years now, but he has played well when given a chance. Saturday against Auburn though was the greatest example of how good he can be because it was the first time he had to play in a meaningful moment in a game and he shined in three plays.
Georgia won't have time to focus on him right now as they look to bounce back with Stockton going forward, but the future is bright with Puglisi heading into next season assuming he wins the starting job.
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