NEW ORLEANS — Gunner Stockton knows the assignment, and this time, he knows exactly how to execute it.

“It’s crazy how much I’ve grown in a year,” Stockton said at the Sugar Bowl media day at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.

Stockton’s growth has been the most consistent storyline for the Georgia team (12-1) that will take the field at 8 p.m. on Thursday to face Ole Miss (12-1) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

Stockton played in this same Caesar’s Superdome last year in a CFP quarterfinal matchup with Notre Dame, making his first career start in a 23-10 season-ending loss to the Irish.

Stockton and his UGA teammates already beat Ole Miss once this season, 43-35, in a come-from-behind victory that saw the Bulldogs outscore the Rebels 17-0 in the fourth quarter.

As he has been all season, Stockton was magnificent in the clutch, a perfect 12-of-12 passing for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the second half of that win over Ole Miss.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has preached the narrative that this meeting with the Rebels represents an entirely different game, as both teams have changed since their first meeting in Athens, on Oct. 18.

“You can’t transfer a win or anything like that, so it’s a whole separate game,” Stockton said, echoing his head coach’s sentiments.

“It’s a whole separate season because it’s a one-game season now. So I’m excited to play in it.”

Part of that excitement, no doubt, comes from Stockton’s command of the offense and feel for the game.

Stockton, who left Rabun County High School as the state record holder for career passing touchdowns (177), total touchdowns (254) and total yards (18,024), has a season’s worth of starts in an offense designed around his skills.

As Stockton noted, it’s “crazy” how much different Georgia looks at quarterback entering into the Sugar Bowl than last year.

“Just the confidence — I feel like I help the team in that way compared to last year, I didn’t have that much confidence or many games played under my belt,” said Stockton, who finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

“So just going through a full season and getting to play in this venue, it’s going to be an unreal experience.”

Stockton’s teammates have fed off that confidence and have a sense of what to expect each outing.

“You get a guy that is the same every day,” Georgia right tackle Earnest Greene lll said. “He’s consistent, never too high, never too low. Not a roller coaster ride with Gunner. That’s the recipe for success, the recipe for growth.”

Monroe Freeling, UGA’s left tackle, said the confidence Stockton inspires is uncanny.

“He’s a field general,” Freeling said. “I mean, when you get to games, completely different person. I mean you see probably like 30, 40 percent of it in practice.

“But you get to the game, you flip the switch, and he’s a general out there yelling at anybody and everybody.”

Stockton can do so with a deeper tone in his voice, having a been-there, done-that track record at the collegiate level that simply was not in place last year.

Ole Miss coach Pete Golding confirmed as much leading up to the Sugar Bowl.

“He’s a veteran guy, he’s got a lot of competitive character, you can see it on tape,” Golding said. “You can tell the guys around him play really hard for him. He’s got a really good demand of the huddle, so yeah, it’s going to be really tough.”

Stockton made it clear he’s just ready to take the snap and get his Sugar Bowl underway, with all nostalgia and build-up cast aside.

“I’m just glad we’re playing in the playoffs, really,” Stockton said. “It didn’t matter where it was …. I’m just excited to be here.”