With the 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl, Georgia finished the season with an 11-3 record and an SEC Championship. Many fanbases would be thrilled with a season like that, but not the Bulldog Nation.
Georgia fans were hoping for better. While maybe the end of the Bulldogs' season wasn't that unexpected, this is a fan base who has come to want more.
The feeling among Georgia fans right now is understandably sullen. There's blame being thrown around, virtual hugs being sent between fans, and messages of support in the midst of despondency.
While many fans and analysts are already looking to "fix what's wrong" with Georgia, there's an important fact being overlooked that should mean the world to this program.
The Bulldogs have themselves a quarterback in Gunner Stockton, and his ceiling in 2025 may be even higher than his predecessor.
Consider the situation for Stockton. Zero starts, only some game play in mop-up duty prior to the SEC Championship Game, where he came in and salvaged the game for the Dawgs against a tough Texas defense.
He's then asked to step in and start the biggest game of the year for Georgia against one of the best teams in the country, with a defense that ranked as the No. 5 passing defense in the nation and the No. 8 overall defense.
All he did was throw for 234 yards (67 more yards than Notre Dame gave up per game on average) and a touchdown, despite his receivers continuing the season-long trend of dropping passes that hit them right in the hands.
Yes, he had a couple of fumbles forced when sacked, but those plays were more due to offensive line issues (or questionable coaching decisions) than his mistakes.
But if you watched Stockton's poise and confidence throughout a game that would have had many quarterbacks rattled, he looked like a guy who was ready to take over and lead this team. He had no quit in him, and showed some flashes of brilliance.
If that's not something to get Georgia fans get excited about the future, then what is?
Carson Beck had big shoes to fill stepping in for two-time national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett, and while coaches and players said all the right things there was always a feeling of "does he really have this locker room?". Beck's quiet demeanor and stoic presence always seemed at odds with a fired up and emotional team.
Stockton looks the part. He's the everyman quarterback. The guy who fist-pumps and celebrates with his team. The vocal leader offensive players want to see. He brings the intangibles to the table that Beck may have been missing.
So, chin-up, Dawg fans. The season may not have been as successful as hoped, but the Bulldogs have a quarterback who's ready to bring this team back to the top of the SEC and possibly the nation. Many teams who are still in the playoff won't have that luxury.