The quarterback competition at Georgia continues on this offseason as Kirby Smart is yet to name a starter for their week one contest against Marshall on Aug. 30. The likely winner of this battle is veteran Gunner Stockton, but Ryan Puglisi isn't going down without a fight.
No one knows when Smart will announce a starter, and no one knows what Smart is doing during fall camp to help him and his staff decide who the starter should be. But if Stockton and Puglisi are as close in this battle as it seems like they are, then Smart may have no choice but to employ a unique tactic in Georgia's first game of the season later this month.
Kirby Smart could play both QBs week one
Smart typically is not a coach who will play two quarterbacks in the same game. Throughout his tenure at Georgia, Smart prefers to announce his starting QB and then role with them for the rest of the season. But if he is unable to decide if Stockton or Puglisi should be the starter, then he may be left with no choice but to play them both against Marshall week one.
Smart could decide to play Stockton during the first half against Marshall then take him out for Puglisi who could play the entire second half. This would give each player a chance to plead their case for why they should be the starting quarterback in an actually game when pressure is as high as it gets.
There are certainly some downfalls Georgia will have to live with if Smart chose to do this. This would give Georgia's eventual starter one less half of in-game experience that is crucial for their development throughout the season. But UGA's second game of the season is just as easy as their first as the Bulldogs take on Austin Peay on Sep. 6, so Georgia's eventual starter would get a full game of experience then before Georgia's SEC schedule begins.
It seems unlikely that Smart will use this strategy, but if he truly can't decide who the starter should be before Aug. 30 then he may be left with no choice.