Records are subjective in the NCAA. Though both the Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes boast 2-0 starts to the season, the two programs look very different. Kirby Smart and Gunner Stockton have yet to get in stride, while Carson Beck has hit the ground running in Coral Gables.
The Dawgs defeated the Austin Peay Governors—as expected. Still, a 28-6 scoreboard isn’t enough for Smart and Georgia’s aspirations. Beck and the Hurricanes also faced an inferior opponent in Week 2, but the Canes left no doubts on the table.
Fans in Athens can’t help but look back at the former quarterback who is now thriving in Miami. Beck is among the Heisman favorites, and though it’s too early for the award to be decided, the QB situation in Georgia is starkly different. Stockton has yet to establish himself, and Smart didn’t mince words about it.
“I actually need to see what he does in practice in the game,” Kirby Smart admitted postgame, per On3. “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. He’s just got to continue to grow, get better at that, and get comfortable with it.”
It’s in the details
Stockton finished the evening with a completion percentage of 76.47%, passing for 227 yards and no touchdowns. It was a deflating outing for the Dawgs’ offense overall. And once again, the new signal-caller on campus has left a sour taste in everybody’s mouth.
“They did a good job of stopping us a little bit, and we just need to be a little better in the passing game,” Gunner Stockton told reporters. “It’s just about being better… When you’re on the one-yard line and you get that many chances and you don’t score, that wasn’t what we wanted, but you learn from it and get better.”
The weather conditions and the long suspension due to lightning in the area definitely didn’t help Georgia find its footing. Regardless, those claims hold no merit in court when the Dawgs faced an NCAA Division II opponent. Smart expects better, and so do Stockton and company.
And so the fun begins
Up next, the Dawgs will face their first SEC challenge when they travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. It will be the first true test to Smart’s program in the 2025 college football season.
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Both programs will enter Neyland Stadium next week with a 2-0 record, but only one will walk out unscathed. If the recent showings are any hint, Georgia must turn the tide immediately to survive a tough visit in a hostile environment.