Nick Saban explains importance of comeback win over Tennessee for Georgia, Gunner Stockton
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Nick Saban is well aware of how important the quarterback is to the overall makeup of a team, and when a team believes in its quarterback it can accomplish most anything.
That’s what the legendary Alabama head coach thinks happened for first-year starter Gunner Stockton when he helped lead No. 5 Georgia to a thrilling comeback win in overtime at Tennessee in Week 3. It’s great that the Bulldogs loved their quarterback going into that showdown in Knoxville, but it’s even better that they all believed in Stockton coming out of the game.
Stockton and the Bulldogs were down 21-7 after the first quarter on Sept. 13 at Neyland Stadium, and somehow it didn’t faze Stockton. He helped Georgia score the next 20 points to take a 27-21 lead, and after Tennessee twice snatched the lead back from the Bulldogs, Stockton continued to go to work and led Georgia to a tying drive late in regulation.
When the Vols took the lead with a field goal in overtime, Stockton did them 1 better, leading Georgia to a game-winning touchdown. It was a landmark win for the program and Stockton, and on Saturday night there’ll be another statement moment awaiting Stockton when the Bulldogs host No. 17 Alabama in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC.
Saban believes Stockton will be ready again for another huge moment.
“I’ve always liked Gunner because he’s a great competitor. People can talk about maybe he’s not a classic passer, but he’s a great athlete, he can beat you with his feet, and I think he’s gonna do nothing but get better and better,” Nick Saban said during Friday’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
What Stockton did with that Week 3 win in hostile territory meant everything to his teammates, Saban added.
“I think the team loves him. Now, I think the team believes in him,” Saban told McAfee.
Here is the full clip of Saban breaking down Stockton and Georgia going into the Bama showdown:
Stockton can add another layer of confidence in himself and among his teammates with another big victory on Saturday night against a program that’s seemingly always been in Georgia’s way. And Saban would know a little something about that, too.
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.
