Gunning for glory: Georgia QB can cement legend with SEC title win over Alabama

ATHENS — Gunner Stockton has an opportunity to do what no Georgia quarterback has done before him Saturday: beat Alabama in the SEC championship game.

“Everybody knows the history of Georgia-Alabama,” Stockton said in the days leading up to the 4 p.m. clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Indeed, the Tide is 4-0 against the Bulldogs in SEC championship game matchups, including a 41-24 in the 2021 league title tilt before Georgia avenged that loss with a 33-18 win in the CFP championship game in Indianapolis.

It would seem only fitting for Stockton to cement his legendary status with an SEC championship game win, as it was in the same building a year before where his collegiate career truly took off.

Georgia fans — and Texas fans — remember how Stockton came off the bench at halftime after the Longhorns had knocked starter Carson Beck out of the game on the final play of the second quarter with an elbow injury.

The Bulldogs trailed 6-3 as they took the field for the third quarter, and here came Stockton, with all of 16 passes attempted up to that point in the season, those coming against Tennessee Tech and UMass.

Safe to say, the Texas defense lined up across from him, ranked atop the SEC most all of that season, had a different look.

But then, so did Stockton, as after misfiring on his first pass attempt of the game he completed the next three to lead Georgia on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that gave the Bulldogs a 10-6 lead an inspired confidence in all of his teammates en route to the 22-19 win.

As surprising as Stockton’s performance was then, it would be just as unsurprising if he were to lead Georgia to another championship game victory against Alabama on Saturday.

After all, Stockton is right there with Tide quarterback Ty Simpson — another first-year starter — among the top eight Heisman Trophy favorites.

To be clear, both Stockton and Simpson are “Plus-30,000” long shots to win the coveted award. But a top-four finish and trip to New York City as a finalist would not be out of the question should Stockton perform well in leading Georgia to a victory over Alabama.

That’s how former Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett found his way to Heisman Trophy finalist status in 2022, ripping apart LSU in a 50-30 victory.

Stockton’s numbers at this stage of the season aren’t too far off where Bennett was entering the SEC title game in 2022, and he’s already working on following in Bennett’s footsteps where the Manning Award is concerned.

Bennett won the Manning Award in 2022, and on Friday Stockton joined a long list of former UGA quarterbacks who also reached finalist status for that award: Carson Beck, Jake Fromm, Aaron Murray, Matthew Stafford, D.J. Shockley and David Greene.

There’s no doubt, Stockton is a member of that elite club, having delivered with timely scrambles and clutch throws in six come-from-behind SEC wins this season.

“I’ve grown my confidence as the season’s gone on,” said Stockton, whose brevity belies his voluminous contribution to the offense.

“As a competitor, I can’t stand to lose.”

That’s what Kirby Smart has seen in Stockton from the first time of many that he referred to him as “a winner” in postgame interviews.

“(Stockton) is probably the sole person that makes the most decisions outside of the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator during a game,” Smart said. “You want to get the right guy from a mental makeup (standpoint).”

SEC Network anchor Peter Burns correctly predicted that Stockton and Simpson would receive Heisman Trophy consideration throughout the season, even if neither would win it.

“There has to be somebody that’s the engine,” Burns said. “We don’t appreciate fully enough what Gunner has done …. “

If Stockton beats Alabama, all that changes in one afternoon.

Here’s a look at how Stockton’s season through 12 games compares to Bennett’s 2022 campaign through 12 games:

Stockton vs. 2022 Bennett

(Through 12th game of seasons)

Passing

Stockton: 231-of-329 (.702), 2,525 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT

Bennett: 246-of-366 (.672), 3,151 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT

Rushing

Stockton: 103 carries, 403 yards, 8 TD

Bennett: 45 carries, 190 yards, 7 TD

Leading receivers

Stockton: Zachariah Branch, 68-691; Colbie Young 23-336; London Humphreys 18-276

Bennett: Brock Bowers 46-645; Ladd McConkey 46-606; Kenny McIntosh 35-437

Leading rushers

Stockton: Nate Frazier 145-809; Chauncey Bowens 94-493