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David Pollack says âGeorgia has no chance to win a nattyâ if Gunner Stockton doesnât improve
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David Pollack says âGeorgia has no chance to win a nattyâ if Gunner Stockton doesnât improve
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I usually agree with DP, but not on this. Sure, we all want every player to improve, and that includes Gunner. However, Gunner played well enough for us to win the SEC. He also played well enough for us to beat Ole Miss in the playoff game. The D and a lull in play calling lost the playoff game, not Gunner.
Yes, there is room for Gunner to get better. Obviously, that would be great. But for the Dawgs to win a natty the D must improve more than Gunner. Creating havoc, as Kirby says, is an absolute necessity. Pressuring the QB and making tackles for a loss is sorely needed. The 2021 natty wasn’t won by SB, it was won by a magnificent defense, arguably the best defense I’ve ever seen. Plus Monken was a better play caller than what we had last season. That was one heck of a combination.
Quite a commentary on Pollack's lack of confidence in our QB1 and QB coach. Where's Puglisi's potential in all this? What about the rest of the QB room? We've got some great young talent in that room.
David is absolutely correct. We can't keep using screen passes and 5-10 yard dinks as our favorite offensive pass play. That ain't gonna cut the mustard if we want to contend further than we have the past 2 seasons. Remember, the competition is getting better all around, but so are the Dawgs. Gunner is going to have to improve the downfield ball and actually use it effectively. Kirby wants bigger, explosive plays, and he's been frustrated more than once on this subject.
Honestly, Pollack has been spot on over the last several years when it comes to the Dawgs. His comment about "I see a bunch of very good players, but not a lot of great" when it came to the Dawgs was correct. I'm still seeing that mostly when it comes to this team. But, it's the best "very good" group of players that we have had in several years, so like I said before, we need to take advantage of this opportunity.
@JBMDawg46….Sorry, I have to disagree with you. Our defense should be better this season - especially the front 7 - and I expect that pass rush will improve. While, defenses do win Championships (2021 Natty is a solid example) and is a key for the Dawgs to make a run, Gunner is as much part of the success equation as a better havoc-minded defense. We won't have Branch this season who was the king of the screen pass and yards-after-catch. That was our bread and butter go-to pass play ad nauseum last year. Gunner has got to be confident and improve his downfield ball for us to go further. Kirby was extremely frustrated last season at our lack of big, explosive plays. That needs to change, and Gunner & Bobo need to come up with a plan to use our VERY BIG TEs more and large, fast targets like Canion and Taylor.
Our best offensive game last season was 510 yards in a win against that same Ole Miss team that beat us in the playoffs. Almost 100 yards of passing to TEs on (9) completed passes. Where that kind of offense went after that game I have no idea…Bobo bottled it up and threw it away.
Ole Miss beat us last season in the playoffs for several reasons, but one was that Chambliss played a much better game than Stockton. Chambliss threw for 159 more yards than Gunner, and he had a QB rating of 90. Gunner's QB rating was 75. Yes, Gunner MUST improve for the Dawgs to contend for a Natty.
that popcorn fart of an opening second half drive leads me to believe otherwise. If the offense chews up 6 minutes while scoring a TD the game is over. Defense can just go get Chambliss fully rested and get the ball back. Offense and defense could’ve helped each other out in that game.
Word out of practice is that Stockton is working on layering the ball over the middle 10 to 15 yards over the linebackers and in front of the safeties that are staying back such as much of that playoff game. If the Dawgs take the next step in the run game and get it back to where it was in the Natty years, then the safties will not be staying back so much anyway, so it's moot. If you look at the Bama (SEC game), and Texas games where the Dawgs ran the ball really well, Gunner had no trouble finding someone to throw to downfield, and looked comfortable doing it. They did not run the ball very well in the playoff game, and more was put on Gunner's shoulders. IMO, there should not be games that UGA can't run the ball well. That's also part of it. I also think the defense will be very stout from the get go, not 2/3 into the season.
HEY EVERYBODY: You wanted Bobo. You got Bobo…. Hope you enjoyed the heyday years: 2021-2023…. They ain't coming back as long as Bobo is on the payroll.
I agree with beachwagon….play calling more so than the kid @ qb. Work the play calling around whatcha got :-)
You sound like me! Better watch out or the fans here will try to run you out of town on a rail.
Deep shots don’t just happen—they require time. The offensive line has to hold up long enough for routes to develop, especially switch concepts and vertical patterns where separation takes multiple beats. If you want explosive plays downfield, protection has to last longer than three counts.
Right now, Gunner hasn’t consistently shown that explosive playmaking ability. (Is that because Bobo doesn't have confidence in him? I'm not sure Bobo has confidence in Bobo.) And if Kirby truly wants more vertical aggression, he has to accept the tradeoff—more shots downfield will come with more interceptions. That’s part of it.
The bigger question is whether the entire QB room is getting a real evaluation. Monken didn’t assume—he tested everyone. That’s how we found Bennett. He didn’t look the part, but he won.
Gunner is a winner.
But is he the best winner in that room?
I swear some of you people act like you know what goes on inside the locker room and practice fields more than the people who are actually there. We have absolutely no idea if Bobo was calling those constant screen passes or short yardage plays because he didn't have the trust of Gunner or if Gunner wasn't being given the opportunity to throw the deep passes. Just stop this ridiculous "it's all Bobo's fault" mentality. And let's not forget how horrible our O line played when it came to protection especially earlier in the year when Gunner had absolutely no time to throw deep passes. Everyone needs to just chill out already!
Gunner does need to improve. But I’d like to see improvement across the whole team coaches and players. And I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.
As a individual player QB is the most important so it’s understandable and reasonable for all eyes to be on the QB. But if he and the Offense put up 100 points but the rival puts up 103 we lose !!
Winning a Ntl. Title is gonna get tougher and tougher. So in my view the whole team needs to improve. Everyone needs to be held accountable.
Last year was a good foundation to build on for This year. Though we didn’t get far in the playoffs 12-2 is a Very good year. Now let’s hope they seal the deal This year. Go Dawgs !!
if Gunner improves it’s a rising tide that lifts all boats. Hit those middle of the field wide open pass catchers, the safeties play back. That opens the run game. That means we possess the ball. These days the best defense is less defense. Score and build a lead and it simplifies the game. Gunner plays better then the team will play better.
Lol....there he goes again. Another "can't miss" Pollack Prediction.
What he's not sayin'....is that, the Dawgs could win it all, with just their ground game and an occasional pass. It wouldn't be flashy...but, with Frazier & Co., that o-line and those TE's....very deadly.
Imo...A Fr/So quarterback of some note.…could take this particular Team...all the way. And, UGA has a few of those.
In ~90% of the Dawg Years....Pollack would be right. But, not this year. This is more like the 2017 & 2021 Seasons combined. First year starters, led both of those Teams to Championship Games.
And, if I remember correctly....one of those two quarterbacks,...[SBIV]....also "couldn't win a Natty at UGA". He didn't....He won 2 Natty's at UGA.
I wouldn't get in too big of a twist, over these "Weekend Geniuses", pokin' holes in Kirby's strategy. If they could do it...they would. Lol.…Pollack is "on the outside lookin' in", on this one.
That being said....UGA has nothing to worry about with Stockton. He's gonna prove to be one of the Dawgs', "Best Ever"....or should i say, a "GOAT".
That's my prediction. Or...maybe i'm just sayin' stuff...huh, @Kasey. 🤣
I totally understand now why ESPN fired Pollack 4 years ago. He’s never right - about anything. A first year starting QB, in a run-1st offense, in the SEC, scores 34 TDs, while completing 70% of his passes, 85% in the 4th Quarter and leads a team to 12 wins and the SEC Title, the same team that Pollack declared last year in preseason, has no guys, no stars.” This while playing 10 SEC games. If Pollack is an analyst, I am a nuclear physicist and part time brain surgeon.