Offensive Player of the Game – Gunner Stockton
Every action movie needs a hero. First there was Rambo, then there was the Terminator, and now there is Gunner! Saturday night in the SEC Championship game Gunner stepped into the lead role and led the Dawgs to another great overtime win. It may not be the way that you want to enter the game after Carson Beck injured his arm; nonetheless, Gunner entered the game and captured the whole stadium with his performance. The team reacted right off the bat coming out in the second half with a touchdown drive where Gunner delivered. The sophomore from Tiger, Georgia went 12-for-16 for 71 yards with one interception. More importantly, he showed great character and leadership to a team that certainly responded to him in the game. We’ll see what the future of this season brings with Gunner continuing to play, but he is certainly our quarterback moving forward!
Defensive Player of the Game – The WHOLE Defense
The DEFENSE… That’s right, the entire defense, every last dog that played defense Saturday in the SEC championship deserves this week’s player of the game. This award covers two games against the number one Texas Longhorns and the number two Texas Longhorns. Georgia’s defense was absolutely dominant in the two games. The Junkyard Dawg defense totaled 13 sacks, 25 tackles for losses, and allowed 60 yards rushing on 55 attempts for an average of 1.1 yards per carry. The Dawgs’ defense took the ball away from the Longhorns and made them work really hard to get in the end zone one time in the SEC Championship. This defense is certainly a tenacious, nonstop unit that lives on the edge with speed and team tackling.
Special Teams Player of the Game – Peyton Woodring
Once again, Peyton Woodring came through with crucial points in a very tight and hard fought SEC championship. Sometimes an extra point that keeps you going in overtime could be considered the biggest kick. This year has been a tremendous year for Peyton and the special teams. In any season, points are points and Peyton has come through time after time when we needed those crucial points. I’m not cutting the fake punt short, it was a huge play and a great pass by Bobo, but, simply put, points are points.
Unsung Hero of the Game – Jeff Dantzler
This week‘s Unsung Hero goes to my partner of 16 years, Jeff Dantzler. Jeff is a product of Dan Magill, Vince Dooley and Larry Munson rolled into one. His nervous and sometimes odd demeanor before a game is unmatched in college football. If you think something can go wrong Jeff can double down on that bet. but there is no more loyal Bulldog in the world than Jeff Dantzler. He keeps me going, and he keeps the Bulldog Nation up to date with everything that’s happening within the University of Georgia Athletics. He is a superstar, and boy, does he drive me crazy? Damn Good Dawg!