Georgia’s Gunner Stockton gets blasted by Ole Miss defender, still makes key third-down throw
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Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton showed his knack for finding the end zone with his legs on Thursday night, scoring twice on the ground to help the Bulldogs take a 21-12 lead over Ole Miss at halftime of the Sugar Bowl.
Stockton’s 12-yard touchdown run early in the 2nd quarter finally put Georgia on the scoreboard, and after the Rebels grabbed the lead back, Stockton did it again, scoring on a 1-yard run with 4:05 remaining in the first half. The Dawgs went up 14-12, and it sure turned the momentum of this all-SEC showdown that was also an all-or-nothing College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
But let’s rewind a bit here. Because while that 2nd Stockton touchdown provided all the cheers and gave Georgia the lead it took into halftime, it was the mesmerizing play right before the TD that spoke volumes about Stockton’s toughness. With the Bulldogs facing a 3rd-and-12 at the Ole Miss 27-yard line, a field goal wouldn’t have thrust Georgia back into the lead.
So, Stockton took matters into his own hands, dropping back to pass, escaping pressure and finding Cash Jones for a 26-yard completion all the way down to the Ole Miss 1-yard line. Stockton scored on the very next play, but let’s talk about that previous play, because Stockton took a crushing shot a split second after letting go of the pass to Jones.
It came courtesy of senior linebacker Tahj Chambers, who lit into Stockton and made him pay for his elusiveness in that moment.
That was one view of the incredible show of toughness by both players, and here is the angle from the back:
Stockton made a lot of players during the first 30 minutes and scored those 2 touchdowns.
But it was this play, this ability to take a big hit and keep on going, that helped Georgia forge its way into the lead in New Orleans.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
