Bettors being upset with Gunner Stockton taking a knee is peak 2025 college football

While it was the smart, tactful and gracious thing to do, not everyone was happy with Gunner Stockton taking a knee to seal the game down in Jacksonville. Georgia was up 24-20 on a third-and-medium with an opportunity to ice it in reach. Stockton kept it on a read-option and was wide open heading toward the goal line. He wisely took a knee at the one-yard line to enter victory formation.

The reason bettors are up in arms over this is it allowed Florida to cover the 6.5-point spread, as Georgia only won by four. Had Stockton hit pay dirt on the ground near the end of regulation, Georgia would have easily covered the 6.5-point spread by a multi-score margin. Football is a game of injury. Forcing Florida and Georgia to play anymore competitive downs with the game out of reach is dumb.

Here is the play in question where Stockton did the football savvy thing by taking the knee up late.

Of course, not everyone who was watching the game with financially-vested interest saw it that way...

College football bettors reacted accordingly to Gunner Stockton's knee

Yes, people were big-time mad about the result of the game in question. They are beside themselves.

Of course, there were other people doing cartwheels in the streets after Florida covered the spread.

In the end, Stockton learned from the "mistake" he made at Auburn only a few weeks ago. He went Superman right in front of Cam Newton to ice the game over the rival Tigers with his trip to pay dirt. It may not have been the most sportsmanlike thing to do, but The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is played between two hated foes. Stockton may have gotten lost in the moment, but not this time vs. Florida.

To be quite frank, Stockton did more than enough to merit his inclusion in the Heisman Trophy race.

Gunner Stockton continues to be the driving force for Georgia offensively

In a season where one highly-touted quarterback falls to the wayside, Stockton has not only shown he has staying power among the best signal-callers in college football, but he is learning and getting better with each week. We always knew he could tuck it and run it, but he has become even more dangerous as a passer. He has to throw with a bit more touch, but he is great at spreading it around.

The best part about Stockton's game is his situational awareness seems to be more and more on point. It is in the crucial spots, known as winning time, where he locks in and delivers what Georgia needs. To be totally honest, he is one incompletion or two vs. Alabama from being the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. It does feel like Stockton is a far better player than he was in that close ballgame.

Overall, betting on Georgia is never for the faint of heart. The Dawgs have rarely covered under Kirby Smart. This is because Georgia is often given too large of a point spread to cover with people wanting to see the Dawgs win in a blowout every week. That is not how Smart and his team operate. They would rather win the game with great defense and running the football with conviction every contest.

For now, Georgia enters its ultimate trap game at Mississippi State on Saturday before Texas arrives.