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Kirby Smart wants to see the same Gunner Stockton on game day as practice

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe09/07/25JakeMRowe
Gunner Stockton Georgia
Sep 6, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) drops back to pass against the Austin Peay Governors in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia put a lackluster offensive product on the field Saturday in its 28-6 over FCS opponent Austin Peay. The Bulldogs lost two fumbles, failed to score from the one-yard line at the end of the half, and averaged just 5.5 yards per play. Gunner Stockton‘s overall numbers don’t look bad, but those don’t tell the whole story.

The Georgia quarterback struggled in the second quarter, attempting 12 passes and picking up just 49 yards. If not for a surge during the two-minute offense at the end of the half, the numbers would look even less efficient.

The Bulldogs didn’t show much of a downfield or even intermediate passing game. It was screen after screen with a few short, outside throws beyond the line of scrimmage mixed in. When Kirby Smart spoke with reporters after the game, he acknowledged that Georgia’s passing attack will have to be more diverse as it enters SEC play. But he also expressed confidence in Stockton because he has seen him do it.

“I actually need to see what he does in practice in the game,” Smart said. “That’s the biggest thing because we take a lot of periods. We took a lot of periods last week to do throwing periods with rush and pressure-pass periods. You know, where you have to play in the pocket and win things in the pocket. So we did a lot of that last week in practice. A lot of play-action shots, working — we’re trying to add up and do things. So he did a really nice job of those things all week. He’s just got to continue to grow, get better at that, and get comfortable with it.”

Now in his 10th year at Georgia, Smart has placed a heavy emphasis on practice since he got to Athens. In some way, he mentions the importance of it in just about every one of his meetings with the media.

Stockton ultimately completed 26 of 34 passes for 227 yards in the game. The Bulldogs had seven pass plays that went for more than 10 yards, but the longest was a 19-yard pickup by Talyn Taylor in the first quarter.

Some of that can be attributed to how the Governors were playing Georgia, dropping guys deep into coverage and giving the outside receivers a large cushion. The Bulldogs took advantage with a high number of screen passes that kept them ahead of the chains and even moved the sticks, but, as Smart indicated after the game, explosiveness was missing.

Taking what the defense gave was part of the game plan. With that said, the Georgia head coach has been at it plenty long enough to know that better, more talented teams will play the Bulldogs differently. He said as much in his post-game press conference.

“We had some really easy throws,” Smart said. “And, you know, we call it an extension of the run game. When you play in our league, those aren’t there. Nobody’s giving you that. So, if they don’t give you that, then you’ve got a chance to hit your shots. And it’ll be interesting to see as people creep up in our league, are we able to throw it beyond them?”

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