Quarterback controversy: Gunner Stockton or Haynes King? Experts debate

ATHENS — Georgia and Georgia Tech are on a collision course to make history, with a quarterback controversy of sorts at the center of it.

The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets haven’t met as top 10 teams since 1942, but if Gunner Stockton and Haynes King keep coming up big enough in the clutch, that’s what will happen when the teams meet at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The current Heisman Trophy odds, per DraftKings.com, have both Stockton and King in the top 10, too. Stockton is No. 6 (+1800) and King is No. 8 (+2500), ahead of such preseason favorites as Carson Beck (+6500), John Mateer (25,000) and Garrett Nussmeier (+30,000).

There’s plenty of football left before the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets clash; No. 5-ranked Georgia (6-1) has four games leading up to the showdown, while No. 8 Georgia Tech (8-0) has three opponents left to contend with before taking its next swing at beating the Bulldogs.

Georgia has owned the bragging rights in the so-called “Clean Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry the past seven meetings, and if Kirby Smart leads UGA to a win this season, it will be noted as the longest win streak in the series’ history.

It’s considered a given the game will be a good one, as Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key has ignited the competitive fires in his players when it comes to facing the Bulldogs, taking Georgia to eight overtimes last season before falling, 44-42, in Athens.

King and his Yellow Jackets lost the battle, but not before earning a measure of respect that has carried over into this season, to the extent at least one Georgia legend, in addition to national media members, are giving Georgia Tech the edge at the quarterback position.

“Haynes King’s better,” former ESPN analyst and three-time UGA All-American David Pollack said on his “See Ball, Get Ball” podcast, after saying Stockton’s dual-threat style reminds him of the Georgia Tech quarterback.

“(King) does it at a higher level on the ground, at a higher level passing, right now,” Pollack said. “I don’t think Haynes King has around him what Gunner Stockton has around him. I don’t think he has the (supporting) talent, so I think Haynes King stirs that drink.”

The statistics bear out that King has more on his shoulders, having carried the ball 113 times, while Stockton has rushed it on 58 occasions:

Passing yards: Stockton 1,553; King 1,480

Completion pct.: King 72.3; Stockton 70.5

Passing TDs/INT: Stockton 10/1; King 7/1

Times sacked: King 4; Stockton 8

QB rating/efficiency: King 151.3; Stockton 151.2

Yards per completion: King 11.13; Stockton 11.01

Rushing yards: King 651; Stockton 279

Rushing average: King 5.8; Stockton 4.8

Rushing TDs: King 12; Stockton 7

College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit understands the physical challenges a dual-threat quarterback faces and emphasized the importance for King to stay healthy.

“Haynes King, that guy, knock on wood because of the style of play this kid stays healthy,” Herbstreit said on his “Nonstop” podcast, explaining why he has the Yellow Jackets ranked in the top 5.

“This quarterback, when you are right at that spot, you’ve got hope, and you’ve got a chance, and Haynes King gives Georgia Tech a chance. … If Haynes King goes down, they’re done.”

SEC Network host Peter Burns has described Stockton as the “engine” of the Bulldogs’ offense while discussing his Heisman candidacy.

“We don’t appreciate fully enough what Gunner has done, but you go back and look at the throw (against Tennessee), that was a Heisman moment that he had on the throw to London Humphreys at Neyland,” Burns said during the “On The Beat” podcast on DawgNation.com last week.

“Then he ends up playing damn good in that last game against Ole Miss, and won them that game, 12 for 12 in the (second half), he was perfect.”

Former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, meanwhile, has King No. 1 among the five candidates he listed, with no mention of Stockton.

The On3 Week 10 Heisman Trophy Poll ranks King sixth, and Stockton 10th, out of the 10 candidates listed.

ESPN has King ranked sixth, adding that “he’s massively undervalued compared to production,” and the “Most valuable player in college football,” concluding, “Beat Georgia and that’s his ticket.”

Indeed, Stockton already has two rivalry wins, and the rest will get sorted out on the field when the teams meet in their respective regular-season finales.

Until then, there’s plenty of football to be played while the fans and analysts talk the talk.

“Can Georgia Tech beat Georgia?” Herbstreit asked rhetorically. “They gave them everything last year, what was that, seven or eight overtimes, and it was a shock Georgia escaped with a win.”