Stockton vs. Manning: Georgia QB superior in statistical deep dive

ATHENS — Gunner Stockton and Arch Manning come from different worlds, but Saturday they’ll be sharing the same field and playing the same game.

The scoreboard will read 0-0 when the game kicks off Saturday night in Sanford Stadium, but make no mistake about it, Stockton has been scoring more points with his fan base.

A season that was supposed to be all about Manning and preseason No. 1-ranked Texas has instead reflected Georgia as a “hard to kill” contender led by an underdog quarterback.

Indeed, Stockton was nowhere to be found on any preseason All-American or all-conference lists, and there were questions as to how far the redshirt junior could take the team.

The Bulldogs enter Saturday night’s contest 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, ranked No. 5 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings.

Manning, meanwhile, entered the season with great hype — through no fault of his own — and has been under the microscope since losing 14-7 against defending national champion Ohio State.

Both Stockton and Manning have had to work behind rebuilt offensive lines that each lost four starters.

It has shown more at Texas, especially in a 29-21 loss at Florida when Manning was sacked six times.

Manning had led the Longhorns to four wins in a row since then, albeit two of those victories needed overtime periods at Kentucky (16-13) and at Mississippi State (45-38) — teams Georgia handled in regulation.

The Gators are the other common opponent, with the Longhorns losing in Gainesville while the Bulldogs pulled out a 24-20 neutral-site victory.

Here’s a comparison of how Manning and Stockton did passing and rushing against common opponents heading into the game week leading to the pivotal SEC showdown:

Total vs. SEC common opponents

Passing

Stockton 53-81 (.654), 683, 6 TD, 2 INT

Manning 57-102 (.559), 741, 5 TD, 3 INT

Rushing

Stockton 25 attempts, 90 net yards, 2 TD

Manning 36 attempts, 42 net yards, 1 TD

By game

Georgia 24, Florida 20, Nov. 1, Jacksonville

Stockton 20-29, 223 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

13 att., 11 net, 28 gained, 17 lost, 0 TD

Florida 29, Texas 21, Oct. 4, Gainesville

Manning 16-29, 263 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

15 att., 37 net; 74 gained, 37 lost, 0 TD

Georgia 35, Kentucky 14, Oct. 4, Athens

Stockton 15-23, 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

6 att., 48 net, 48 gained, 0 lost, 2 TD

Texas 16, Kentucky 13, OT, Oct. 18, Lexington

Manning 12-27, 132 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

11 att., -1 net; 25 gained, 26 lost, 0 TD

Georgia 41, Miss. St. 21, Oct. 8, Starkville

Stockton 18-29, 264 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

6 att., 31 net, 31 gained, 0 lost, 0 TD

Texas 45, Miss. St. 38, Oct. 18, Starkville

Manning 29-46, 346 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

10 att., 6 net, 35 gained, 29 lost, 1 TD

Here’s a comparison of Stockton’s season statistics and Manning’s season statistics

Completion percentage

Stockton .694

Manning .627

Completions per game

Stockton 19.89

Manning 18.67

Passing efficiency

Stockton 153.43

Manning 146.91

Passing touchdowns

Manning 18

Stockton 15

Passing yards

Manning 2,123

Stockton 2,040

Pass yards by completion

Manning 12.64

Stockton 11.40

Rushing yards

Stockton 75 attempts, 344 yards, 7 TDs, 2 fumbles

Manning 59 attempts, 292 yards, 6 TDs, 3 fumbles

Times sacked

Stockton 10

Manning 18