The World’s Largest Cocktail Party might not have carried the emotional charge as the bygone years for the Georgia Bulldogs, with Florida Gators limping in at 3-4. Even though Georgia went home with a 20-24 win, A strategic play by Gunner Stockton left the betting audience bitter.

With Georgia clinging to a four-point lead late in the game, Stockton found himself with the ball on a crucial third-and-short inside the Florida 10-yard line. On November 1, br-betting posted a short clip of Stockton’s feat against Florida during the fourth quarter, critiquing him for kneeling at the one-yard line when he could have easily extended his team’s lead by scoring the touchdown. 

Georgia was the favorite by 6.5 points in betting terms. That means bettors who picked Georgia needed the Bulldogs to win by at least 7 points to cover the spread and win their bet. Smart’s team glided through the line, picked up the first down. Apparently, things looked fine, hoping Stockton would meet the end zone, an easy touchdown waiting to happen. And what happened next? 

The quarterback chose to do the bare minimum. Stockton hit ‘pause’ at the 1-yard line, choosing clock management over clout as Georgia closed out Florida 24-20. So, Georgia won the game, but didn’t cover the spread. But to Stockton, all that mattered was the fact that they got the victory. After all, the Bulldogs have struggled in the first half in many games this year, and the Cocktail Party left the same bitter taste. When the half-time whistle blew, the score was a tie, and the Gators took a 17-10 lead in the third quarter. However, in the end, things turned in Stockton and Co.’s favor. 

At the start of the final quarter of the game, the Gators had the lead by three points. But then, a seven-play drive got the Bulldogs in the lead once again. The Bulldogs caught a huge break in the quarter when Florida just missed on what could’ve been a game-changing deep ball. Their quarterback, DJ Lagway, had J. Michael Sturdivant wide open on third down, but his throw came up short. Sturdivant nearly saved it with a diving grab, but after a long review, the pass was ruled incomplete. That missed connection might’ve been the moment the Gators let their chance slip away.

Stockton scored a total of two touchdowns and acquired 223 passing yards. However, there have been dud moments for Stockton in between. After Florida claimed a 3-point lead, quarterback Stockton was sacked on third down, resulting in a quick punt on an important drive. Not how he had envisioned ending a special night.

A Jacksonville tragedy still looms in Gunner Stockton’s heart

Filling into Carson Beck’s shoes, Stockton seemingly found his rhythm. Smart had focused on building his quarterback’s confidence during practice. As the Georgia head coach said, “We’ve really tried to take an approach to our practices for developing him… Okay, let’s make practice that way so that we can get the benefits of this kid, who is a good athlete, an accurate thrower, and smart. Let’s grow him.” But it did not really pay off.

Stockton still chose to play it safe, even when he had a clear path to score, with no defenders in the way. Meanwhile, during his face-off against Florida, the quarterback had to make someone feel special. On Oct. 30, 2010, heartbreak hit the Stockton family as the quarterback’s grandfather, Lawrence Stockton, suffered a fatal heart attack in a Jacksonville parking lot moments after Georgia’s 34-31 overtime loss to Florida.

Back then, Gunner Stockton would have been about six years old, and the incident obviously left a lasting impression on him. “Every time we go to Florida, I really want to beat them bad in Jacksonville.” So, did the fire to honor his late grandfather’s memory seem to fade when it mattered most?