Georgia’s season has been a rollercoaster ride so far. More so for their QB, Gunner Stockton. Even after leading the #10 Bulldogs to a 4-1 start, he has had his fair share of doubters. One among the many is the Georgia legend David Pollack. He has been critical and has cast doubt over Gunner’s ability to perform consistently, especially after the Alabama loss. So has Greg McElroy, but recently the two veterans sat together, and McElroy has an interesting take on the QB.

McElroy joined Pollack on the See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack show yesterday to discuss the Georgia vs. Auburn game, among other things. When asked about Gunnar, Greg McElroy stressed that Stockton isn’t at fault for Georgia’s inconsistent offense; rather, it’s the Bulldogs’ OC Mike Bobo.

“I mean the passing game, their offense in general, from a route scheme concept. I’d like to see more, frankly, in a few more spots. I like Bobo’s stuff; it’s just I feel like he hasn’t been as aggressive as he probably needs to be or wants to be. Moving forward, I think it’s a process of feeling out and trusting his guy.”

McElroy isn’t entirely wrong. Earlier this season, Mike was criticized by Paul Finebaum. Talking on his show, he said, “We are not talking about your pedestrian, run-of-the-mill program,” said Finebaum. “We are talking about Georgia. When Mike Bobo went there, Georgia was the best team in college football. They were elite. People feared them. Does anybody fear Georgia right now?”

Although Kirby Smart has defended him over and over again, calling his staff the best in the nation. But Mike is guilty of underutilizing the offense, as the Bulldogs’ average offensive points fell from 40 points per game in 2023 to 31.5 points per game in 2024. It is at 34.6 so far this season. There were similar offensive issues when Carson Beck was leading the offense last year. The receivers failed to get open, and at times, it looked like the scheme was pedestrian.

At the same time, Gunnar’s numbers aren’t exactly bad this season. He has thrown for 1047 yards with 6 TDs and only 1 interception, with a QBR of 89.6. However, the issue is what he’s asked to do by the OC. Joel Klatt particularly didn’t like his outing against Austin Peay. “Guys, if Julian Sayin or Dante Moore had thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would’ve scored 873,000 points.” Then, his performance against Alabama brought the “hesitant” talk back into focus. 

Pollack, a doubter earlier in the season, had praised Gunner after his Tennessee performance with the “hold my beer” remark. That changed after the Alabama game. And now we have Auburn.

Deep South’s oldest rivalry looms large

ESPN’s FPI gives Georgia a 72% chance to win against Auburn. The Bulldogs are 14-point road favorites despite recent struggles. Auburn’s offense ranks near the bottom nationally in several categories. Yet Jordan-Hare Stadium creates chaos for visitors regularly. Stockton has never played in this hostile environment before. His ability to handle crowd noise will determine Georgia’s offensive success. A strong showing could silence his critics completely

The Bulldogs lead the head-to-head, along with an 8-game winning streak in this rivalry. Auburn is 2-4 but would be hopeful playing at home. Hugh Freeze’s Tigers need to win this if they hope to save their season. Georgia needs to win this to prove their playoff contention.

Will this be the game where Bobo trusts Stockton and his receivers? Will Gunnar Stockton get rid of the “Hesitant” tag, proving his doubters wrong?