What just happened: Dawgs hand Vols ninth straight Rocky Flop
Gunner Stockton answered every question.
Could he throw the ball deep? Would he be able to deliver a big play in the toughest moment? Did he have it in him to lead this team to a win on the road in a hostile environment?
Stockton came through in every facet throughout Georgia’s remarkable 44-41 overtime victory over Tennessee. Stockton threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns and added 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Stockton saved his prettiest throw for the Georgia’s biggest moment. On fourth-and-6 from the Tennessee 28-yard line with less than three minutes to play, Stockton placed a perfect ball on the right side of the end zone for receiver London Humphreys. Humphreys caught the ball and kept his feet inbounds to cut Tennessee’s lead to 38-36. A subsequent 2-point conversion tied the game.
Tennessee had a chance to win the game with a 43-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in the game. However, Max Gilbert missed, giving the Bulldogs life for overtime.
Tennessee opened with the ball and settled for a field goal to go up 41-38. Georgia then kept the ball on the ground, with running back Josh McCray punching in the game-winning touchdown.
What it means
Georgia improved to 3-0 and gets a quality win for the playoff resume. This game also showed that Georgia’s offense has a lot more potential than it showed a week ago against Austin Peay. Stockton proved all of the doubters and naysayers wrong with his stellar performance Saturday.
A question that needs answering
Is Georgia’s defense going to struggle like this against Alabama?
If you recall, Georgia had a terrible time against Alabama a year ago. There were a lot of similarities with what happened then (spotting Alabama 28 points) and what happened against Tennessee (three consecutive drives for 21 points). Although he hit a lull midway through the game, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar had his way with the secondary in the first quarter and then again beginning late in the third quarter.
In two weeks, the Bulldogs face a rejuvenated Crimson Tide team that’s looking to show it’s better than its Week 1 performance against Florida State. Georgia can’t let history repeat itself.
Three important plays
Third-down stop: Following Georgia’s possession that ended with Zachariah Branch’s 38-yard touchdown in the second quarter, Tennessee picked up a first down before facing a third-and-7 from the Tennessee 44-yard line. Aguilar found Radarious Jackson over the middle, with the play showing potential for another first-down pickup. However, safety Joenel Aguero hit Jackson hard and stopped him 2 yards short of the marker. The Volunteers thought about going for it but decided to punt. The Bulldogs converted that stop into three points on the ensuing drive.
Playing it too safe: Following KJ Bolden’s interception in the third quarter with Georgia leading 24-21, the offense decided to play it safe from the Tennessee 37-yard line. The Bulldogs went with two consecutive runs that were telegraphed right into the Vols’ defensive line. Georgia settled for a field to only lead 27-21, with Tennessee jumping back ahead on the next possession with a deep touchdown to Chris Brazzell II.
Missed field goal: It can only be described as a choke job. That wasn’t a difficult kick for Gilbert and he inexplicably missed it. Ultimately, Georgia was able to steal a win due to Tennessee’s special-teams misstep.
Other important games of note
Georgia Tech 24, No. 12 Clemson 21: The national media wanted nothing more than Clemson to be back. It’s not. The Yellow Jackets ran a total of, maybe, five different plays repeatedly on offense and the Tigers couldn’t stop Haynes King on any of them. Georgia Tech’s remaining schedule is not that difficult, which could potentially set up a rivalry game with playoff implications in November.
No. 19 Alabama 38, Wisconsin 14: Georgia will face the Crimson Tide in two weeks, with Alabama looking much better its season-opening loss against Florida State. It was bombs away for Ty Simpson, who threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns against the Badgers. Ryan Williams was the biggest beneficiary, catching five of those passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 24 Auburn 31, South Alabama 15: Don’t be fooled by this score. South Alabama isn’t a bad team. The Jaguars gave Tulane everything it could handle a week ago. Auburn looks like a team that is going to be a bit tougher than in previous seasons, with a strong running game that totaled 195 yards on the ground Saturday.
Grading Georgia
Offense: A-
Georgia played well offensively, especially after falling behind 21-7 early. The Bulldogs put up 502 total yards, with Stockton’s 304 through the air and 198 on the ground. Stockton did a great job spreading the ball out as nine players caught passes.
Defense: F
It was a horrendous start for the defense, which allowed 21 points on three consecutive drives to open the game. Aguilar completed his first 14 passes and saw nothing but wide-open receivers and all the time in the world. The defense was able to adjust midway through the game before falling apart beginning in the late third quarter. The Georgia defense allowed Tennessee to run all over it in the final 2:32 of regulation for what could’ve been a game-ending field goal. Gilbert’s miss bailed the unit out.
Special teams: A
Peyton Woodring hit a much needed 48-yard field goal in the third quarter. Punter Brett Thorson landed two punts inside the 20 and had a long of 52 yards. The special teams units proved valuable once again.
Season grades to date
Offense: B-
Defense: C+
Special teams: A