NEW ORLEANS — Pete Golding knows his Ole Miss Rebels have their work cut out for them, and it starts with containing Gunner Stockton.
Ole Miss plays Georgia at 8 p.m. on Thursday in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal at Caesar’s Superdome.
Stockton completed 12 of 12 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the second half of Georgia’s 43-35 win over the Rebels earlier this season, and Golding aims to slow him down.
“It’s really key for us on base downs to not allow him to extend plays with his legs,” Golding said. “You’ve got to create some third and longs by creating negative-yardage plays early so you can have a plan for him.”
Golding explained how Stockton’s mobility limits the number of effective pressure packages.
“You’ve got to be really smart of how you rush him and make sure we’re trying to contain him,” Golding said, “which takes away some of those things up front from the bigger guys that are really getting after him.”
Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles, who has 4.5 sacks this season, is one of the Rebels’ defenders who will be in pursuit.
“Their offensive line is good at picking up movement, and they’re very big,” Echoles said. “I think the biggest part of their offense which makes them so good, are their tight ends. They move them around, and they’re pretty good, big physically.”
Rebels’ linebacker Princewill Umanmielen said alignment will be a key to stopping Georgia.
“They know how to spread the field for sure, (and) they make your eyes be disciplined,” said Umanmielen, who leads Ole Miss with nine sacks. “Motions, spread outs, just different ways to get players in different positions that they want to put them in.”
Umanmielen said he has been impressed by Stockton.
“I feel like he’s got some grit to him,” Umanmielen said. “He’s a tough quarterback. As long as he’s rolling, everybody’s rolling.”
The same could be said for Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who was asked if Georgia has the fastest defense he’s seen this season.
“I wouldn’t say the fastest, (but) I would just say most physical and well coached,” Chambliss said. “They’re a very disciplined team, they’re gonna do what they’re coached to do.”
Chambliss was particularly complimentary of the Georgia linebackers.
“It’s just their physicality, coming downhill on the ball,” Chambliss said. “Then whenever they spy, or if I get out of the pocket, their pursuit is really good.”
Here’s a look at how Georgia and Ole Miss compare statistically:
Scoring Offense
Ole Miss 37.5 points per game
Georgia 31.9 points per game
Scoring Defense
Georgia 15.92 points per game
Ole Miss 19.31 points per game
Total Offense
Ole Miss 498.0 yards per game
Georgia 406.9 yards per game
Total Defense
Georgia 284.5 yards per game
Ole Miss 339.8 yards per game
Rushing Offense
Georgia 186.6 yards per game
Ole Miss 185.6 yards per game
Rushing Defense
Georgia 79.2 yards per game
Ole Miss 147.8 yards per gam
Passing Offense
Ole Miss 312.4 yards per game
Georgia 220.3 yards per game
Passing Defense
Ole Miss 192.1 yards per game
Georgia 205.3 yards per game
