Carson Beck injury update after SEC Championship Game: Kirby ...

ATLANTA — Georgia football's Carson Beck sustained an upper extremity injury vs. Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, per coach Kirby Smart.

The injury came during the end of the first half of the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Bulldogs defeated Texas in overtime, 22-19. More than a half dozen staff members swarmed him on the field after the play as he laid on his side on the turf.

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The play resulted in a sack by Texas' Trey Moore. Beck fumbled the ball and it got hot-potatoed around until it ended up with offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild.

The placing of the injury and the extent of it were not specified by Smart. Upper extremity could mean fingers, hand, arm, shoulder or elbow. Beck was seen with ice on his elbow on the telecast during the third quarter.

Smart said Beck he was unable to throw or even grip the ball when he was checked out in the locker room at halftime.

"It was a little bit painful for him," Smart said. "We need to find out exactly what's going on."

Beck will have an MRI Sunday at the earliest for a diagnosis.

As a senior, and this being his last SEC Championship Game if he decides to make himself eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft, Beck returned to replace backup Gunner Stockton for the final play of the game to hand off the winning touchdown to running back Trevor Etienne.

Smart said Beck only did that because offensive coordinator Mike Bobo had drawn up a good play on a quick decision. Stockton had to leave the field because his helmet was knocked off on the previous play.

Georgia had had something similar happen earlier in the season, when a player appeared to be targeted by an opponent and his helmet flew off. Officials on that play had said the player could stay in if the call was targeting.

That memory immediately came to mind for Smart when it happened to Stockton. This time though, it wasn't targeting.

"I saw the play and realized he led with his shoulder, and we were going to have to take a snap with another quarterback," Smart said. "We were prepared to put (third-stringer) Ryan Puglisi in. He knows the system, he knows what to do, but we felt ... Carson could take a snap. So, he did."

Georgia (11-2) advances to the College Football Playoff. The bracket will be set Sunday when the selection committee releases its final rankings.