Georgia’s path to Ole Miss starts with Gunner Stockton.
That’s the simplest way to frame this one. If Stockton shows up looking like the quarterback who went into Tuscaloosa and carved up Alabama, Georgia has a real shot. If he looks more like the version that showed up against Auburn, the Bulldogs are asking for trouble.
That’s the tension hanging over this matchup. Stockton has flashed both ends of the spectrum lately, and Georgia can’t afford a shaky afternoon against a quarterback like Trinidad Chambliss.
Ole Miss has one of the best passers in the country, and this will be the teams’ third meeting in the past two seasons. The first two turned into track meets, with the winner topping 38 points each time.
Stockton knows what’s coming. When asked about Chambliss, he said, “He's a really good guy, and I have a lot of respect for him and the way he carries himself, and definitely the way he plays,” Stockton said of Chambliss.
“He's a really good football player. Just looking forward to it and the week of prep we have for it.”
The question for Georgia is which Stockton version takes the field.
Against Florida last week, he was steady enough. Georgia won 27-8, and the Gators made enough costly mistakes on their own to take some pressure off the quarterback. Stockton managed the game and kept the offense moving.
Two weeks earlier, though, Auburn pushed him into a mess. Stockton threw two interceptions and later lost a fumble in a fourth quarter that turned ugly fast. Georgia fell 27-24 in a shocker.
Still, it’s too easy to flatten Stockton into a simple good-or-bad label. Even his best outing, against Alabama, came with blemishes. Kirby Smart pointed that out during Georgia’s bye week when discussing how Stockton was viewed after the Auburn loss.
“The guy played really good against Alabama, and he could've really easily had two interceptions right? I mean, he had one, and the other was debatable right?”
he said of Stockton during Georgia’s bye week. “So he played pretty good and had two interceptions.
He still did some really good things in the game.”
That’s the real story with Stockton: the highs are real, and so are the mistakes. Even in the Auburn game, his worst showing this season or at least one of them, he helped spark a comeback. Georgia erased a 10-point deficit and tied the game in the fourth quarter before the fumble undid the rally.
The bigger picture is that Stockton has usually been at his best when the lights are brightest. Last year against Mississippi, he accounted for five touchdowns in the regular season meeting. In the Sugar Bowl loss, Georgia’s offense went quiet for stretches, but Stockton found his rhythm again in the fourth quarter and nearly dragged the Bulldogs over the line.
His best throws this season have come when he’s been willing to be aggressive. He’s attacked the sideline more often, layered passes into the intermediate middle and shown a deep ball that has been sharp all year. At times, he’s looked like a quarterback seeing the field as well as anyone.
When things go sideways, it usually starts with a mistake in accuracy or a missed read, and then the problem snowballs. After a turnover, Stockton tends to get more cautious. The downfield shots disappear, the offense tightens up, and Georgia loses some of its explosiveness.
This week gives him a chance to loosen up again. Ole Miss will force the issue with its offense, but Georgia has some help on its side.
The Bulldogs have one of the country’s best offensive lines and a strong group of running backs to lean on. Their improved defense should also reduce the pressure on Stockton to score every time he touches the ball.
That could create the opening Georgia needs. If Ole Miss crowds the box to slow the run, Stockton should get chances to work one-on-one matchups outside. Those throws may decide the game.
So that’s where this lands: Georgia’s running game can help set the tone, and the defense can give Stockton a little breathing room. But if the Bulldogs are going to win, their quarterback still has to produce a few big plays and avoid the kind of turnover trouble that sank them against Auburn.
It comes back to Stockton. Another Alabama-level performance, and Georgia is in business. Another Auburn-style collapse, and the Bulldogs may be in for a long night.
In Other News...
Georgia Injury Report Raises New Depth Concerns Before Ole Miss
The first SEC injury availability report for Georgias matchup with Ole Miss brought a fresh look at the Bulldogs health picture, and it was not entirely reassuring. Cornerback Ellis Robinson is back on the available list after dealing with a knee injury, which is a welcome sign for a defense that can use all the help it can get as the schedule tightens.
Still, the report also added tight end Elyiss Williams, linebacker AJ Kruah and defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, creating a little more uncertainty in a few spots where depth already matters. There were a couple of encouraging updates, too, with wide receiver Isiah Canion moving up to probable and running back Chauncey Bowens listed as questionable, but the overall picture leaves Georgia waiting to see how much of its roster will be ready when Ole Miss arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Heads To Ole Miss With Key Availability Questions
Georgias first availability report for the Ole Miss game offered an early look at just how much uncertainty still hangs over the Bulldogs heading into a major SEC trip. Wide receiver Isiah Canion was listed as probable, while running back Chauncey Bowens was among six Georgia players tagged questionable on a report that also included outside linebacker Amaris Williams as out.
There was at least some good news for Georgia with cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and running back Dwight Phillips Jr. not appearing on the list after both left the previous game. Ole Miss had its own lengthy injury picture to sort through, with nine players ruled out and several others still in question or trending toward availability, setting up a matchup where depth could matter as much as the top-line talent. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Heads Into A Revenge Game With Playoff Pressure Rising
Georgia gets another shot at Ole Miss on Saturday night, and this one comes with plenty more on the line than just a conference win. The Bulldogs and Rebels are set for a 7:30 p.m. EST kickoff on ABC, with streaming available on the ESPN app and Fubo TV, and DraftKings Sportsbook has Georgia as a 3.5-point favorite in what looks like a tight matchup.
For Georgia, the intrigue is obvious after Ole Miss has already beaten the Bulldogs before, and the pressure only grows with the playoff picture in mind. Gunner Stockton will be at the center of it for Georgia, while Trinidad Chambliss gives Ole Miss another dangerous piece to work with, leaving the Bulldogs facing both revenge and ranking concerns if the night goes sideways. [Read more 🡒]