Gunner Stockton’s grandfather provides motivation for Georgia QB vs. Florida
Saturday’s Georgia-Florida game has special meaning for quarterback Gunner Stockton. It will be his first time as Georgia’s starting quarterback against the Gators, a game that has long defined Georgia signal-callers.
But deeper than that, this game carries significance for Stockton. He shared with ESPN’s Mark Schlabach that his grandfather, Lawrence Stockton, died in a parking lot following the 34-31 loss to Florida in 2010.
“He had a heart attack there at the stadium,” Stockton told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. “Every time we go to Florida, I really want to beat them bad in Jacksonville.”
The 2010 contest saw Georgia rally from a 21-7 halftime deficit to push the game into overtime. Georgia was intercepted on its first drive, setting up a 37-yard game-winning field goal from Florida’s Chas Henry.
“He said something about (then-Bulldogs defensive coordinator) Todd Grantham and collapsed,” Suzanne Frederickson, Lawrence Stockton’s widow, told Schlabach.
Georgia gave up 450 yards to the Gators, while the Bulldogs turned it over four times.
Since that game, Georgia has owned the rivalry against Florida. The Bulldogs have gone 10-4 in the series starting with the 2011 game.
Stockton is in his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback. He’s having a breakout season for the Bulldogs, tossing 10 touchdowns to one interception, while rushing for another seven scores.
This will be Stockton’s lone opportunity to start for Georgia in Jacksonville, as the rivalry will move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for next season’s game.
The Georgia quarterback will look to make the most of this opportunity, as he has done all season.
“I want to see him continue to grow, take what the defense gives him, understand what we’re trying to do,” Smart said. “We give Gunner a lot of latitude and options, in terms of the play call. It’s more about putting us in the right play to be successful based on what they’re in defensively. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that decision-making process.”
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
