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Former Georgia QB suggests how Kirby Smart wants Gunner Stocktonâs mindset
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Former Georgia QB suggests how Kirby Smart wants Gunner Stocktonâs mindset
Perhaps thatâs why former three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suspects Smart approves of â and in fact, might be contributing to â the angst around projected starting quarterback Gunner Stockton and the Bulldogsâ overlooked offense this preseason.
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“I want this guy to play free,” Fromm said, “play relentless, and not feel like he has to do every single thing for the team for the team to have success.”…..if there's one lesson I believe Gunner learned playing Texas….and it was emphasized after the Mukuba hit…..No matter what the scoreboard sez….the way to win is to use every weapon at your disposal….Beck, Stockton, Bobo & Smith, Etienne & Frazier, Delp, Yurosek & Luckie, Everett, Walker & The D, Fairchild, Jones, Thorson and of course…..Woodring…..and always The Fans/DawgNation. Gunner will prove to be the leader who will inspire all to Eliteness.
The narrative about GS is legit. His limited sample size does not guarantee any level of competence this season. However, he will be working with more WR, RB and TE talent than CBeck had around him last year. OL? Better grow up fast.
We were all surprised how well CBeck did in '23. It seemed that CBeck showed a little more game management maturity, composure and accuracy during mop up duty and in spring games prior to taking the starting position. He just seemed ahead of where GS is as a polished QB.
IDK if CKS is pushing the "little ol' us and our new QB" narrative. Seems to me, downplaying and underselling GS would take some of the pressure off him and give him a bit of a pass if he isn't SBIV or CBeck right away. CKS needs GS to play well this year or UGA misses the playoffs.
CKS wants GS's mindset to be " drive the bus, know the O, don't force the ball, play smart w/minimal mistakes".
Unfortunately for our Dawgs last year they had the Most drops in All of CFB. I would hope my fellow Dawgs fans wouldn’t just dismiss that but ponder on it for a moment. In addition to the drops the WRs just didn’t Consistently play very well. Couldn’t separate from defenders, ran wrong routes, not much in yards after catch etc.
Look you can have Tom Brady back there but if the WRs drop balls put right on their hands even ole Tom ain’t gonna look good !!
And the O Line that was highly touted in preseason was Very inconsistent. In one game they’d block well for RBs but couldn’t pass pro in the next they’d flip that script and do the opposite. Then a few times they got it together and played well on both areas.
Like all my fellow Dawgs fans all I can do is speculate and offer opinions.
But and If the WRs run the right routes smoothly, get decent separation ( not perfect just decent) from defenders and CATCH balls that are reasonably accurate. I believe Gunner will thrive. With one more IF and that is IF the O Line performs Reasonably well in both Pass Pro and Blocking for the RBs.
The fundamentals of football, the very basics, don’t change from even Junior HS to the NFL !! Throw ball catch ball run with ball. Those things don’t change. It’s the Speed of the game and all the complicated looks on both O and D that change.
NO QB can do well if the O Line folds like a folding chair and then the WRs drop a ball right in their hands. Dawgs don’t have a QB on their roster that can operate well under those conditions. I’m Not making excuses that’s Reality and we all know that or should.
Now I Hope, I Believe we have a very much improved WRs unit and also a great TEs unit. That’s gonna help Gunner or Pugs or whoever is under center.
I Hope, I Believe the O Line will play better this year. Searls like most Coaches has a reputation and ego to support. He Knows he’s under a microscope. I think we Will see improvement from that unit.
I think our RBs unit might be underestimated by allot of people. NO they probably won’t be like some of the great units from the past. But I think they’ll pleasantly surprise some people.
So to wrap it all up, IF the receivers, TEs, O Line, RBs Do their jobs Gunner Stockton Will do his job. He’s a Very good QB with potential to be great. But he Has to have the right support from his teammates for that to happen.
I’m rooting hard for Gunner. I Believe in him. But if he makes allot of mistakes, especially the Same mistakes, over and over or he fails often and it’s mainly His fault. Then fire him and put Pugs in there.
I want to Win, Yall want to Win, KS certainly wants to Win. And Gunner strikes me as the kind of guy that If he’s playing That bad, That often, he’d probably ask KS to pull him himself !! I don’t think he’s selfish. But I don’t think there will be a need for that I think the O will give him proper support and I think he’s gonna make Dawgs fans proud. Go Dawgs !!
Stockton is a player, you all will see. The left tackle position must be shored up, whatever it takes. Searels knows this and I think there will be a tight competition for it. Morris and Calhoun at the guard spots should be pretty good, and most believe that Bobo will be a great center. The D is going to be nasty again in '25 Dawg fans. This will give Stockton field position like Bennett had in '21 and '22. It means everything to a team like Georgia that plays the way Kirby likes to play. Special teams also play a part in this. Look for the return of the punt return this year after disapearing in '24. It's all gonna be better than many think!
THere is so much that goes into having a NC team. You have to have a great team and great players and have lady luck on your side too. But perhaps above all you have to have players who make the big plays when you need them most. SB, BB, LM, AD Mitchell, KEaris Jackson, Blalock and even Mr. Slippery Hands himself Arian Smith made the plays when the game was on the line. THe most dramatic moments never seemed too big for him. What did SB win like 4 MVP postseason awards? He wasn't the prototypical QB or even always the most consistent passer but he could pull the best out of himself when it had to get done. Give me that guy in GS and I'm happy!
We don't need GS to be the highest rated passer in the SEC or throw the most TD's or have the highest completion ratio. We just need him to be good generally and excellent when it's needed most. He gets his 1st chance against BAMA right off the bat. Game 4? We'll know so much more about him after that game and what he's made of.
i would even say his first road game in Knoxville will be the ultimate early test. That place will be rocking for sure.
Yep, Agree. They want revenge something fierce. I just hope we don’t have injuries from that cow pasture they call a field. But as Gunner has cows maybe he’ll flourish there !! 🤣 Go Dawgs !!
going from iamaleava to Aguilar will be a downgrade for them but the home atmosphere will help. Will need to stop their run with six in the box or it could be a long day.
I love the optimism you have and share the same thoughts you have. I could be very wrong but I just believe this 25 Dawgs team is being underestimated. But that’s a Good thing. We want them to have a chip on their shoulder.
Naturally the majority of conversation has been about Gunner and the O Line and those Are indeed the most important factors on the O. But I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna be pleasantly surprised with our RBs !! If the Dawgs can generate a potent and consistent ground game it’d take tons of pressure off Gunner.
Speaking of running the ball I hope there will be some designed QB runs for Gunner, No not To often as we don’t want or need him hurt but it’s part of his game as he was a dual threat QB in HS. I don’t think he’s blazing fast but he’s shifty so a occasional properly timed run could help. Plus it’ll help when he’s in trouble from allot of pressure coming at him.
Our receivers need to do their very best to get open on those last second throws. Gunner can buy time with his legs but our receivers need to help him. And I believe we’re in a better situation in that regard as compared to last year. Just gotta be very careful not to throw a last second INT instead of a completion. Gonna be interesting and exciting to see how things work out. Allot of potential weapons on the Dawgs O just need to make it happen. But until they give me a reason not to I’m like You I’m a Believer !! Go Dawgs !!
I agree. Just the pure size and noise of their home crowd gives them a bit of an edge. Guess we’ll see how our Defensive front does vs the run. Gotta stop them !! And I hope we can do some significant running the ball on our side. That would take allot of pressure off Gunner. I hope they fixed that roller coaster field. If my poor memory serves they were gonna work on it. Allot of SEC and even Non-Conference teams have complained about it through the years.
To be honest I’m only parroting things I’ve read and heard, I’ve never actually been down on their field. But it’s had a pretty bad reputation in the past. The Vols would dearly love to knock us out so we’ll get their best game no doubt. And you’re right as rain whoever controls the LOS will probably be the winner.
i have a buddy who’s a Tennessee fan and he said they redid the field a few years back.
Thx for that info. !! That Is good news maybe the injury risks won’t be as high. Hope we get the W there. All Dawgs W’s are good but a W there in front of a capacity crowd would certainly be a Good W !!