Georgia football had as good of a first half as anyone could have hoped for. Sure their opponent is Marshall, but a 24-0 halftime lead proves UGA is handling their business and leaving no doubt that they are a true contender this season.
While there are a lot of Bulldogs who could be highlighted for playing extremely well in the first half, it is Gunner Stockton who is front and center and proving that he may be a legit threat to contend for the Heisman Trophy this season.
Gunner Stockton shines in first half of UGA's season opener
Stockton helped the Georgia offense get off to a fast start the moment they took the field. Georgia and Stockton marched down the field on their first drive of the game, going 70 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead. Stockton looked great on that drive, but it was the next few drives where Stockton exploded onto the scene.
Georgia's very next possession ended in a 13-yard run from Stockton to extend UGA's lead to 14 points. Fast forward to the second quarter and Stockton once again found the end zone with his legs, this time from 11 yards out to put Georgia up 21-0.
Stockton finished the first half completing 11 of 19 passes for 117 yards. It was his legs though that carried UGA's offense as he ran the ball seven times for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
Could this be the year that Georgia has another Heisman Trophy winner?
To be fair, this is a crazy question to ask, but Stockton's emergence in the first half of this game has increased the chances that actually happens. Back in July Stockton had the 18th best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, but that likely will be on the rise if he continues to play well in this game and throughout September. It also doesn't hurt that a few other players with better odds, like Texas quarterback Arch Manning, had poor performances in their season openers.
Georgia fans will be just fine with this version of Stockton whether it leads him into the Heisman conversation or not, but it's hard to not dream big after the impressive start to this season.