For the third week in a row Georgia cruised to an easy victory, this time against Arkansas 45-17. Gunner Stockton once again shined against an overwhelmed defense, but this time he showed off his legs for the first time this season.
Stockton finished the game with a team high 97 rushing yards which included a 63 yard run on his first designed run of the season. This was a play that looked like it would end in a touchdown when he first broke free, but Kirby Smart playfully pointed out after the game that he ran out of gas which allowed him to get caught.
“I just knew he was going to run out of gas,” Smart said via dawgpost.com. “I mean, he was - He got tired there at the end. We had guys blocking for him, and he got ran down. But (he) made some good cuts and, and honestly he never got touched on that play, so it was very well blocked.”
Kirby Smart’s playful jab has more meaning behind it
In a game against Arkansas it didn't really matter if he scored on this play or not. The Razorbacks never stood a chance at winning this game, and that was the case even though Stockton didn't score on this run.
The same however might not be true against some teams in the future. This is a play the best quarterbacks in the country score on, and if Stockton wants to be viewed in the same light as them he needs to finish the play in the end zone to add to his highlight reel.
So even though this was a funny joke made by Smart they will likely review this play later this week and discuss why he needs to score in that situation next time.
Gunner Stockton’s first true test of the year is coming next week
Stockton’s impressive start to the season has to be taken with a grain of salt because of the level of competition they've played. Even Arkansas wasn’t much of a challenge as they could be the worst team in the conference this season. Stockton, and all of Georgia for that matter, will face a far more difficult challenge next week.
Up next for Georgia is a showdown against Oklahoma. The Sooners may not be as strong as everyone thought a few weeks ago, but their defense is elite. They’ve given up just 7.6 points per game this year and that is a level Stockton and Georgia’s offense haven’t faced yet this season.
The good news is that Stockton faced elite defenses last year, so this won’t be anything he hasn’t seen before. This year’s offense though as a whole haven't faced a defense like Oklahoma, so it’s impossible to know how Georgia will do against them.
Stockton though has shown through three games that he’s a capable passer and runner this year, and Saturday against Oklahoma will be his chance to prove he can do it against a good defense.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 pm EST on Saturday, Sept. 26.
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