ATLANTA, Ga. — Can we admit something here for just a brief second?
When Gunner Stockton trotted out to start the second half of the SEC Championship game Saturday night for Georgia against the big, bad Texas Longhorns (yes, sarcasm), who didn’t feel a sudden case of the serious “uh ohs” about the Bulldogs’ chances?
Stockton had played in exactly two games all season, and both were in serious mop-up duty vs. Tennessee Tech and UMass. He logged exactly ZERO minutes in an SEC game.
For the magnitude of the moment, sudden doubt creeping in was certainly warranted. No one would fault you.
However, if you know anything about the former Rabun County star, you also would have known the kid has done nothing but win throughout his career. He set, and still holds, the state’s all-time prep record for career TD passes with 177 in his four years with the Wildcats. (Jacksonville Jaguars star Trevor Lawrence is 2nd all-time with 161; Gainesville’s Deshaun Watson, now with the Cleveland Browns, is 4th with 155 for reference.)
Stockton is tied for 3rd all-time for TD passes in a season with 55 during the 2021 campaign. He tossed 45 in 2020, 43 in 2019 as a sophomore, and had 34 as a true freshman in 2018. His total body of work speaks for itself.
But tight end Oscar Delp, from West Forsyth himself, proclaimed what deep down many of us from northeast Georgia have known for quite a while: high school football in these parts is pretty good.
“He’s a DAWG! Rabun County, baby!” Delp screamed into the mic during the postgame celebration after Georgia’s thrilling 22-19 overtime win over the Longhorns.
The winning score came on a 4-yard TD run from Trevor Etienne that followed an electrifying 8-yard first down sprint by Stockton that put the Bulldog faithful into a frenzy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He was leveled by Texas safety Andrew Mukuba at the Longhorns’ 4, knocking his helmet off on the play.
He popped up after the bone-crunching hit, eliciting a roar from the Georgia crowd as he ran to the sideline.
Stockton, all smiles after the game, could not hide the fact that his lifelong dream of playing for the Bulldogs in a meaningful moment had just come true. He played the entire second half for the injured Carson Beck (arm and shoulder), except the final play of the game. He finished a very productive 12-of-16 passing for 71 yards (1 INT) and had 8 rushes for 8 yards, which included being sacked once.
“This is pretty awesome! Just special to do this with the guys I’m with. The seniors were great and everyone supported me at halftime,” the mild-mannered redshirt-sophomore said in a very brief postgame interview with ESPN.
But Gunner wasn’t the only local area kid playing in the SECCG. Northeast Georgia high school football was on full display Saturday night during the showdown -- on both sides.
Former Jefferson standout Malaki Starks has been in the national spotlight for his entire three seasons in Athens. Dan Jackson, a former walk-on who has become an integral part of the Georgia defense, played at North Hall. There’s Delp and defensive back KJ Bolden (Buford), who both saw significant action on Saturday.
Starks led Georgia in tackles (8) while Bolden had 5 and Jackson recorded 4 stops to make up three of the Bulldogs’ top six tacklers on the night. Delp had 3 catches for 23 yards.
For the Longhorns, former Buford standout Isiah Bond had just 1 catch for 22 yards but is the third leading receiver for Texas (33 rec., 532 yards, 5 TD) on the season after transferring from Alabama.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart had this to say about his backup quarterback:
“He was incredible. The players believe in Gunner. They love Gunner. The juice that he brought and the passion and energy. It gave us an added boost of energy,” he said. “(The team) was fired up. They were trying to keep him composed.
“I mean, the kid played just tough as nails. He hasn't gotten to play much this year. But can't say enough about his toughness, character, whatever you want to say. The guy is a phenomenal leader. He made some good plays. I think everybody else rose up around him.”
Offensive lineman Tate Rutledge added this:
“Yeah, I think Gunner did a great job stepping up like he had to. Him coming in the game, I think it made everybody realize this is a new juice we got to come out in the second half with,” Rutledge said.
The Bulldogs now move on to the College Football Playoffs and are assured of a top 4 seed and a first round bye. They’ll need the extra time to get healed, especially Beck, who will have three weeks to get his arm back in shape -- if he can.
They may have to call on Stockton again in the season’s most critical stretch as they chase a third national title in four seasons.
Only Ohio State (2014) has been able to pull off a title run with a backup quarterback (Cadelle Jones) leading the entire way in the new-age of college football, so it will be long odds for sure for the Bulldogs if they have to lean heavily on Stockton in the playoffs.
But after what we witnessed on Saturday night in as pressure-packed a situation as they come, he held up remarkably well up for not having faced that kind of quality opponent first-hand in his career. He gave Georgia fans plenty of hope moving forward if Beck is unable to go.
What we do know is what Smart told ESPN immediately following the win about Gunner:
“He’s a winner!”
That’s good enough for me.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/12/1275854/column-stockton-starks-bolden-bond-show-nation-nega-hs-football-can-play