That cliche about the quarterback being a point guard, distributing to his playmakers? That’s Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stockton’s 111 pass attempts that don’t cross the line of scrimmage are the third most in the country. Zachariah Branch is Stockton’s top target, with 73 catches for 744 yards. Forty-one of Branch’s receptions were behind the line of scrimmage.
Georgia averages 4.83 yards after the catch, eighth best in the nation. That type of offense puts a ton of pressure on defensive backs and linebackers to tackle in space.
Notably, offenses tend to attack the Ole Miss defense this way: The average depth of target against the Rebels is 8.95 yards, 106th in the nation, and they allow 3.64 yards after the catch, which ranks 79th in the country.
Defensive backs Chris Graves and Sage Ryan have been shaky tacklers, with above 20 percent miss rates, according to PFF.
Stockton is not going to take many deep shots, especially in the middle of the field. But here’s the twist: In the first meeting between the teams, a 43-35 come-from-behind victory by Georgia, Stockton had one of his best games of the season when he did go downfield, going 3-of-5 for 98 yards on passes that went more than 15 yards downfield.