Gunner Stockton completed 15 of 16 passes, threw three touchdowns and led Georgia to the end zone on all five of his possessions. His completions reached nine receivers as the Bulldogs built a 63-3 win over Tennessee State, and Georgia scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions.
That was an excellent afternoon without being a definitive one. Tennessee State offered little resistance, so the opener told us more about who earned opportunities than about how those players will fare against SEC defenses. Kirby Smart’s own review was similarly measured. Georgia met its standard in the first, third and fourth quarters but played sloppily in the second.
Georgia vs. Western Kentucky
Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Georgia has a 97% chance to win.
Georgia should keep the run game at the center of the offense while asking the passing rotation to become less anonymous. The Bulldogs ran for 272 yards on 27 attempts and passed for 388 yards on 33 attempts against Tennessee State, producing long touchdowns in both phases. That fits Mike Bobo’s stated plan. Preserve Georgia’s commitment to running the ball while becoming more explosive and deciding who earns the available touches.
Fifteen Bulldogs caught passes in the opener, and Elyiss Williams, Talyn Taylor, Jaden Reddell, Kaiden Prothro and Jeremy Bell caught touchdowns. Against Western Kentucky, Stockton should keep distributing accurately while two or three targets separate themselves through difficult catches, downfield plays and dependable work with the starting offense. Georgia does not need to abandon its depth; it needs to learn which players deserve the important snaps when the rotation inevitably tightens.
The same applies at edge. Tennessee State managed only 10 net rushing yards, while Georgia recorded three sacks and freshman PJ Dean supplied 1.5 of them. But Chase Linton missed the opener with a lower-leg injury, Amaris Williams was unavailable, and Gabe Harris started and produced an opening-possession pressure. Dean’s production was encouraging; another afternoon of disruptive snaps from Dean, Harris and the available edge group would make the depth chart more trustworthy.
This is Georgia’s last game before opening its nine-game SEC schedule at Arkansas. A comfortable final score is the baseline. Georgia should leave the game with a clearer group of dependable pass catchers and an available edge rotation that can create pressure, all while remaining explosive on the ground. Follow the full set of modeled outcomes in the interactive Georgia guide.
Utah State at Washington: root for Utah State
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN. Utah State has a 7% chance to win, and the upset is worth 2.0 percentage points to Georgia’s playoff odds. The odds are 73.2% if Utah State wins, compared with 71.3% if Washington wins.
A Utah State upset would remove a ranked Washington team from the unbeaten crowd and give Georgia a little more playoff room; it would not affect SEC standings or schedule strength. It is a fun long shot, not something the Bulldogs need. The methodology explains how those conditional outcomes are calculated.