Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Coach Kirby Smart praised fans' impact and urged the best ever Sanford Stadium atmosphere for the upcoming Ole Miss game.
- Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss has been effective since becoming starter, earning praise as a “really good football player.”
- Gunner Stockton has grown in confidence as Georgia’s starter, leading key comebacks and contributing both passing and rushing touchdowns.
- Defense highlights: CJ Allen’s leadership and key plays, plus secondary inconsistencies facing strong SEC passing attacks.
ATHENS, Ga. (WSAV) –- Georgia Football Head Coach Kirby Smart, quarterback Gunner Stockton and cornerback Ellis Robinson IV took to the podium Monday in Athens to discuss the win over Auburn and the upcoming game against No. 5 Ole Miss.
Smart began his press conference by thanking the Bulldog fans who made the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
“There were times late in the game, I really thought that we had an impact in terms of that end zone,” Smart said.
Smart then transitioned to this week’s upcoming home matchup.
“We need the best atmosphere we’ve ever had in Sanford Stadium,” Smart said.
Ole Miss is 6-0, 3-0 in SEC play, and is coming off a 24-21 win over Washington State.
Trinidad Chambliss, the starting quarterback for Ole Miss, has totaled 1,286 passing yards, seven touchdowns and only one interception since taking over the starting role on Sept. 13 against Arkansas.
The former Division II national champion at Ferris State has also rushed for 281 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
“[Ole Miss] should get the greatest award there is for finding [Chambliss]…he is a really good football player that they went out and got and did a tremendous job,” Smart said.
Stockton, meanwhile, has thrown for 1,264 yards, six touchdowns and one interception through six games for the Bulldogs, adding 220 yards and six touchdowns rushing.
In his first season as the full-time starter, Stockton said, “I think having some games under your belt, definitely away games, will help, and it’s grown my confidence a lot.”
Georgia has now had multiple comeback wins this season against No. 11 Tennessee and Auburn, and narrowly fell short of another against No. 6 Alabama.
“This team, we never quit, and we’re hard to put away. I think that’s the best part about our offense,” Stockton said.
Georgia had only 78 yards of offense at the half, trailing 10-3, but outscored Auburn 17-0 in the second half with 218 second-half yards of offense. Stockton scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that sealed the game, putting Georgia ahead 20-10.
Smart addressed the play of Georgia’s secondary, which currently ranks No. 60 in the nation in passing yards allowed per game at 215.5 yards. In SEC play, Georgia allowed 371 passing yards to Tennessee, 276 yards to Alabama, 225 to Kentucky and 137 to Auburn.
“Some good and some bad…in this league, you’re going to be challenged every week, these guys have got great wideouts and a quarterback that can get them the ball, a quarterback that’s very accurate, so the challenge will be every week to step up and play,” Smart said.
Robinson said, “Playing [defensive back], you always have to have a short-term memory.”
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen was active in the win over Auburn, recording 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
“When you go back and watch the tape, it’s one of the better games that I’ve seen him play,” Smart said.
Robinson, a redshirt freshman, emphasized Allen’s leadership on defense and said Allen is a great leader and a teammate for the unit.
Allen played a role in a pivotal fumble at the 1-yard line that prevented Auburn from going ahead 17-0 late in the first half. Georgia held Auburn to only 40 yards of offense in the second half.
Georgia, ranked No. 9, is now 5-1, 3-1 in SEC play, and returns home to Sanford Stadium to host the No. 5-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
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