The Gunner Stockton era began by getting back to old school Georgia football. The Bulldogs were determined to reestablish its command in the run game, and they did just that in Saturday’s 45-7 win over Marshall. Georgia brought a rugged, ground-based approach to Sanford Stadium and tallied 239 rushing yards against the Thundering Herd.
The Gunner Stockton era began by getting back to old school Georgia football.
The Bulldogs were determined to reestablish its command in the run game, and they did just that in Saturday’s 45-7 win over Marshall. Georgia brought a rugged, ground-based approach to Sanford Stadium and tallied 239 rushing yards against the Thundering Herd.
It was a committee of runners who sparked the rushing attack, including Stockton himself, who carried the ball 10 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Dwight Phillips Jr. tallied five carries for 60 yards and Nate Frazier ran the ball 11 times for 47 yards.
With Frazier in line for a boost in production, Phillips’ day was a bit of a surprise. Phillips scored the game’s first touchdown on an impressive 17-yard rush. The Bulldogs will continue to seek improvement on the ground after finishing 15th in the SEC in this department a year ago.
Stockton had a solid day through the air as well, completing 14 of 24 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
What it means
Much of the post-game focus will be on Stockton and for good reason. What should get more attention is the fact that the defense looked like the kind of unit the program fielded during its back-to-back national title run. While the Bulldogs faced a Sun Belt opponent in Marshall, there were rarely any runs that sprung open and the defensive backs were in position on almost every passing play.
Marshall found next to nothing on offense and switched quarterbacks midway through the first half to find an answer. In recent years, Group of 6 opponents would break some head-scratching big plays, with the 2022 game against Kent State and the 2024 game against Massachusetts coming to mind.
Georgia’s starting defense held Marshall to only 57 total yards, with the bulk of the Herd’s 207 yards not coming until the first string was pulled.
A question that needs answering
Will Georgia be able to open up the downfield passing game?
The Bulldogs want to get back to running the ball downhill, which should be their identity and something they were unable to do a year ago. The reality is that against tougher opponents, Stockton is going to need to be able to push the ball down the field and the receivers are going to need to make contested catches.
While impressive Saturday, Georgia’s offensive line didn’t look like the 2012-14 groups that could telegraph a run and execute to near perfection anyway. The Bulldogs are going to need better balance on offense moving forward.
That said, Stockton was accurate on short and intermediate throws. Let’s see if the Bulldogs can hit some vertical plays next week to gain some confidence before visiting Tennessee.
Three important plays
Old-school option: Facing fourth-and-2 on Georgia’s first drive of the game, Stockton took the snap and ran the option to the left. The defense overcommitted, which allowed Stockton a wide-open lane to run 14 yards to extend the possession. On the next play, Phillips scampered for a 17-yard touchdown.
Blocked punt: In the second quarter and leading 14-0, Georgia’s defense got yet another stop and forced a Marshall punt. KJ Bolden blocked the punt, with Terrell Foster recovering it at the Marshall 20-yard line. Three plays later, Stockton scored an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Game-changer: On first-and-10 in the early third quarter, Stockton delivered a quick throw to receiver Zacchariah Branch that was an otherwise typical play. Branch then used his speed to beat the Marshall defense to the corner to score a 47-yard touchdown. Branch looked like the game-changer on offense that the Bulldogs have missed in the past couple of seasons.
Other important games to note
No 3 Ohio State 14, No. 1 Texas 7: Are we sure Arch Manning is related to his famous uncles? Sheesh. That was an awful way for a preseason Heisman frontrunner — who has achieved anything to date, mind you — to start a season. While it’s only one game, the sudden Bronny James vibes have destroyed his Heisman candidacy.
No. 24 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26: Tennessee got up 17-0 and appeared to be cruising to a blowout. The Orange battled back and cut a 24-point lead to 12 in the fourth quarter, before falling by 19. One thing to consider is Fran Brown, who used to coach under Smart, is likely to offer his former boss some unique insights about this game when the Bulldogs prepare for the Volunteers in two weeks.
Grading Georgia
Offense: A-
The only thing holding this grade back from an A is the fact that Georgia had a couple of drives in the second quarter where self-inflicted mistakes forced two punts. Otherwise, the unit was sharp and got back to its tried and true identity of running the football.
Defense: A
Georgia’s starting defense looked like the kind of units that took the field in 2021 and 2022. Yes, the Bulldogs faced a Marshall team that welcomed 76 new players to the roster and won’t be like the squads they will face in the SEC. But the defense was laser-focused and didn’t let the Thundering Herd get loose in the run game.
Special teams: A
Branch is going to be a weapon in the return game. His 14-yard punt return where he made a split decision to field a roller showed his explosiveness. Drew Miller proved to be a nice surprise with two punts over 50 yards. He’s filling in for Brett Thorson, who is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the SEC Championship last season.
Season grades to date
Offense: A-
Defense: A
Special teams: A
Category: General Sports
