Gunner Stockton’s legs may be the cleanest answer Georgia has this week if Oklahoma brings the kind of defense it usually does.
The Sooners are built to be disruptive. They come after people, they live in the backfield, and they pile up tackles for loss and sacks.
Kirby Smart made that point clear in his weekly press conference, calling Oklahoma “very fundamentally sound, aggressive, attacking. You know, they lead the country or they're top of the country every year in tackles for loss and sacks.
I don't think people give their coaches and their kids enough credit for how they play.”
That style can be a problem for plenty of offenses. Against Georgia, though, it also opens the door for Stockton to hurt them on the ground.
Georgia’s rushing attack already showed what it can do last week against Arkansas, piling up 254 yards. Stockton was a major part of that production, finishing with 97 rushing yards himself.
The idea isn’t to turn him into a full-time runner or put him in harm’s way over and over. But this matchup could call for a different kind of pressure release, and his ability to escape and attack with his legs may be the most direct way to make Oklahoma pay.
That possibility gets even more interesting because the Sooners are walking into Athens with some major defensive issues. Linebacker Kip Lewis is out, or at least limited, and that’s a big blow.
He’s been Oklahoma’s best sideline-to-sideline defender, a key piece in chasing down mobile quarterbacks before they can turn the corner and a strong presence against the run between the tackles. He also leads the team in tackles in 2025.
Then there’s defensive lineman David Stone, another important absence for the front. Without him, Oklahoma looks thinner and more vulnerable in the middle, and the depth behind him is one of the weaker parts of the roster.
That leaves Brent Venables and his staff in a tough spot. If they try to patch the middle by bringing linebackers closer to the line and stacking the box, Georgia can answer through the air. Mike Bobo has the personnel to do it, with some of the best tight ends and slot receivers in the nation ready to take advantage of the space.
If the Sooners choose to load up against Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, they risk creating the kind of single-man looks that can get exposed quickly, especially with Stockton able to get outside and punish overcommitment.
The alternative isn’t much better. If Oklahoma drops into zone coverage to protect against Georgia’s passing game and try to keep Stockton from racking up rushing yards, it may only invite the Bulldogs to lean harder on the ground game and on designed quarterback draw plays that Stockton handles well.
Either way, the Sooners are stuck choosing between bad options, and Georgia has the kind of offense that can make that decision feel even worse.
In Other News...
Georgia Gets An O-Line Boost Just In Time For Oklahoma
Georgias offensive line is getting a timely boost as the Bulldogs prepare for Oklahoma, with Drew Bobo finally set to play without the protective club on his left hand for the first time since suffering a hand injury in fall camp. The update matters for a front that has had to lean on depth and durability, and it comes with head coach Kirby Smart continuing to emphasize the kind of toughness Bobo has brought while working through the injury.
Bobo has talked about his own growth as a player and the mindset that comes with staying on the field even when he is not at full strength. For Georgia, that sort of grit is especially valuable this week, when every bit of stability up front can shape how the offense handles a high-level opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Just Lost A Georgia Series Fans Really Wanted
One of the more anticipated nonconference matchups on Georgias future schedule is off the board, as the Bulldogs and Clemson have mutually agreed to cancel their planned home-and-home series for 2029, 2030, 2032 and 2033. It is the kind of scheduling change that has become increasingly common in a sport still adjusting to shifting playoff formats and a more crowded calendar, and both Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney sounded resigned to that reality rather than surprised by it.
For Georgia fans, the disappointment is less about losing a game and more about losing a series that carried real national appeal, especially with the recent history between the programs still fresh. The Bulldogs have managed to keep a challenging mix of nonconference opponents on the books in coming seasons, but this one had the feel of a showcase event, a chance to test themselves against a familiar SEC-adjacent rival and add another marquee date to the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Offense Faces A Real Depth Test Ahead Of Oklahoma
Georgias trip toward Oklahoma comes with a little more uncertainty on offense than the Bulldogs would like this late in the season. Running back Nate Frazier and wide receiver Isiah Canion were both listed as questionable on the SEC availability report after leaving the previous game against Arkansas, adding more weight to a unit that has already had to manage a handful of absences.
The timing matters because this is the kind of matchup where every available option can shape how Georgia wants to attack. With several other Bulldogs already listed out and Oklahoma also dealing with its own injury note on defensive tackle David Stone, the pregame picture has become one of matching depth as much as matching talent. [Read more 🡒]