There are a lot of key matchups that will determine the outcome of Georgia's game against Auburn Saturday night. But the one everyone is talking about the most is the quarterback battle between Gunner Stockton and Jackson Arnold.
Stockton and Arnold are very similar in the sense that they both have been effective with their arms in the passing game and with their legs running the ball as well. However, the winner of Saturday's game likely will come down to which quarterback has the biggest moments and outperorms the other throughout the game.
And according to ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, Stockton is the player most likely to win this quarterback battle because of his legs.
“His legs are a really, really good weapon,” McElroy shared via dawgnation.com “Especially in the red zone and on critical third downs. He’s rushed for nearly 200 yards and five touchdowns this year. And depending on the game, he might be the team’s leading rusher.”
Greg McElroy gives the edge to Gunner Stockton because of his legs
As McElroy mentioned, Stockton has run the ball for nearly 200 yards and five touchdowns this season. Scoring one touchdown per game on the ground is almost unheard of for a quarterback, but Stockton has proven he is a dominant runner time and time again this season.
While McElroy believes Stockton has the edge over Arnold because of his legs, he also believes he is a better passer than fans give him credit for as well.
“As a passer, I think he’s been very efficient as well,” McElroy continued. “I think he’s a better thrower than people realize. And while the numbers won’t necessarily jump off the page, he’s pretty accurate, he can stretch the field and he does have six touchdowns to his credit. He’s been clutch as well.”
Many college football fans might assume Arnold has been the better passer this season, but that isn't the case. Arnold has thrown for 846 yards and five touchdowns this season while Stockton has gone for 1,047 yards and six touchdowns. Stockton does have one interception compared to Arnold's zero, but that is hardly a negative stat for Stockton.
Anything is possible Saturday night when these two teams take the field, but McElroy believes the edge goes to Georgia because of Stockton's abilities. The hope now is that this moment won't be too big for Stockton and that he will go out and prove he is the better quarterback and lead Georgia to their ninth straight victory over Auburn.