ATLANTA — Georgia coach Kirby Smart didn’t think Carson Beck would return to the field in Saturday’s SEC championship game against Texas after his starting quarterback injured his right arm on the final play of the first half.

However, Beck had to come back on the final play of overtime after backup quarterback Gunner Stockton was forced out of the game when he lost his helmet on an 8-yard gain by Longhorns safety Andrew Mukuba.

All Beck had to do was take the snap and hand the ball off to Trevor Etienne, who fell into the end zone and scored a 4-yard touchdown, giving the No. 5 Bulldogs a 22-19 victory over the No. 5 Bulldogs No. 2 Longhorns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“This team never says no and has a never-say attitude, man,” Smart said. “They were so fired up at halftime. The offensive was in full swing.

It was Georgia’s second straight overtime win – they needed eight overtime periods to beat rival Georgia Tech 44-42 at home on Nov. 29 – and the win gave the Bulldogs their third SEC title under Smart.

Equally important, Georgia will be among the top four seeds and receive a first-round bye when the field is announced on Sunday in the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

That means the Bulldogs probably won’t play again until New Year’s Day (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) in the CFP quarterfinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

“It means peace of mind for our team that (SEC Commissioner) Greg Sankey and his staff have sent on the road all year,” Smart said. “We can take a little break and get ready for the College Football Playoff. This team needs some mental rest, needs a little time out. We’ll maybe celebrate this game for 48 hours because it’s a big one.

That extra rest could be important since Smart said Beck couldn’t grip a soccer ball in the locker room and was in pain. Smart did not know the extent of Beck’s injury, saying only that he had an upper extremity injury and needed to undergo an MRI.

On the final play of the first half, Georgia faced first-and-5 at the Texas 42 with one second to play. Instead of taking a knee, the Bulldogs made one more play. Beck dropped back and Longhorns linebacker Trey Moore hit his right arm as he threw.

Beck fumbled the ball and linebacker Anthony Hill recovered it.

Beck completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards with a sack before leaving.

Stockton, a rarely used third-grader from Tiger, Georgia, gave the Bulldogs a much-needed boost on offense after they trailed 6-3 at halftime. He had attempted just 16 passes in two games this season before being forced into action.

Stockton led Georgia on a 75-yard touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half, threw a 12-yard pass to Arian Smith on third-and-2 from the Georgia 33 and ran for 3 yards on third-and-1 Texas 40.

On first-and-10 from the Texas 18, Stockton gained 8 yards with a targeted quarterback run. Etienne scored on a 10-yard run on the next play to give the Bulldogs their first lead, 10-6.

“This kid is a winner,” Smart said of Stockton. “This child is special.”

Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards. He threw one interception and was sacked twice. He led the Bulldogs to two touchdowns and two field goals after halftime.

“Gunner comes in and works his butt off every day,” Georgia safety Dan Jackson said. “He is always prepared. I see him staying in the film room for a long time for this opportunity. He gets this opportunity. He definitely made the most of it. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

After Texas tied it at 13 with 13:54 left in the fourth quarter on Quinn Ewers’ 41-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr., Stockton led Georgia with a 16-play drive that lasted nearly 9½ minutes lasted before the end.

Peyton Woodring hit a 21-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 16-13 lead with 4:32 left.

“He’s resilient, man,” linebacker Jalon Walker said of Stockton. “I mean, he waited three years for his chance and when he got it he stayed strong and capitalized. That’s what this team has done all year long.”

Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette intercepted Ewers’ pass to Matthew Golden at the Texas 29 on the next possession. It appeared the Bulldogs were ready to finally dislodge the Longhorns.

However, after Georgia was aided by a holding call, Stockton made his first big mistake on third-and-13 from the Texas 31. With linebacker Colin Simmons pressuring him, Stockton made an ill-advised throw toward the right sideline. Cornerback Jahdae Barron intercepted the pass.

The Longhorns got as close as the Georgia 13-yard line in the final minute, but had to settle for Bert Austin’s 37-yard field goal that tied the score at 16 with 18 seconds left in regulation.