Gunner Stockton receives great news after dominant performance vs Ole Miss

The Georgia offense had no margin for error against Ole Miss on Saturday.

They had to watch the Rebels march up and down the field over and over again without fail, to the tune of five touchdowns on their first five possessions. Everyone knew going into the game that Ole Miss was one of the country’s best offenses and could score some points. But it was frustrating to allow a near-perfect three quarters of offensive football, and it could’ve become deflating. And maybe it would’ve been, if not for who Georgia had on the other side.

Gunner Stockton answered the call against Ole Miss

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton answered the bell time after time, responding with a 26-for-31 day through the air that produced 289 yards, four touchdown passes and zero turnovers. He added 59 yards on the ground and another score for good measure in a performance that earned him SEC Co-offensive Player of the Week honors after UGA’s comeback victory.

Head coach Kirby Smart said after the game that Stockton was playing through an oblique injury that held him out of practice Monday and Tuesday. Georgia was originally worried he wouldn’t be able to play, then planned to avoid using him as a runner. 

He wasn’t having it.

“His oblique, the shots he took at Auburn, he's beat up,” Smart said via 247Sports.com. “And we're like, ‘Okay, we won't use you in the quarterback run game. We'll get to you.’ 'Uh-huh, coach, I want to run it. I want to run it. My team needs to see me run it.' And he did. And, I mean, we were concerned he wouldn't be able to go."

This was the second game of the season where Georgia’s defense got gashed early and the offense had to pick up the slack. They had done it in a 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee. Here, there was no extra football necessary.

Gunner Stockton helped save Georgia’s defense

Stockton was surgical all day, hitting throws down the sideline and keeping the Rebels honest with his legs. He got things started early with a 36-yard strike to Colbie Young on the game’s first possession, although the drive fizzled out for a field goal. When Ole Miss went up 7-3, he took the Bulldogs 75 yards down the field and found tight end Lawson Luckie for what would be the first of three touchdowns between the pair.

“Lawson's the one that had the quote last year in the Texas game,” Smart said. “I hope you believe in you as much as I believe in you,'” Smart said. “They've got a great rapport with each other. And I think that helped.”

If they weren’t already, 90,000 Sanford Stadium attendees on Saturday might have joined Luckie as Stockton believers. After the third quarter resulted in two more Ole Miss scoring drives and one from Georgia, the Bulldogs trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter, their first two-score deficit of the day. Stockton remained unflappable.

The Bulldogs pounded the rock and converted a fourth down on the ground before Stockton found Zachariah Branch for a 26-yard gain. He hit Nate Frazier for a touchdown a few plays later. 

The Ole Miss offense finally looked mortal and punted for the first time all game. But Georgia wasn’t ready to follow suit. Stockton drove them down the field again and connected with Luckie to take the lead. If Ole Miss wanted a shootout, they had one.

The Bulldogs’ defense held again, which gave Stockton and the offense a chance to put it away or at least pad the lead. Then, Stockton unleashed his best throw of the day. A perfect ball down the sideline for Dillon Bell, who did a great job tracking it and flashing the late hands to haul it in.

“Let's give credit where credit's due,” Smart said. “He's wired for these type moments because he's tough and his team believes in him.”

Georgia added a field goal and went on to win 43-35.

Gunner Stockton led Georgia to victory, but he had a lot of help

It was a complete offensive performance. Stockton had plenty of help and is far from the only one deserving of credit. Georgia rushed for 221 yards as a team. The pass protection was great. The receivers made great plays before and after the catch. But at the center of it all was their quarterback, who played with an energy his teammates couldn’t help but feed off.

“The offensive line? I mean, they see it. They see how that kid plays. They want to play for him,” Smart said. “They want to compete for him. The backs, too, the receivers, they love Gunner.”

Georgia still has plenty to figure out. The defense looks as vulnerable as it ever has under Smart. The offensive line is still riddled with injuries. Their best receiver, Young, is likely done for the year with a broken ankle. 

There’s a lot of football left to play, and a lot left to overcome. But when Georgia has a quarterback who can give a punch right after taking one, they can stay in a lot of games. And that appears to be what Georgia has.