Kirby Smart dismisses Stockton concussion speculation as Georgia prepares for Florida

ATHENS — Georgia has a weekend to catch its breath. Kirby Smart intends to make sure the Bulldogs also regain their footing.

Following Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Auburn, Georgia entered its open week looking to heal battered bodies, sharpen its execution and correct mistakes before facing Florida on Oct. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

That process includes separating concerns about quarterback Gunner Stockton’s health from the plays that helped cost Georgia its first loss.

“He has not had any concussion symptoms,” Smart said Tuesday.

Smart acknowledged that Stockton suffered a shoulder stinger, but pushed back against speculation that a head injury explained his performance. Stockton threw two interceptions against Auburn, although Smart emphasized that the quarterback also made plays that kept Georgia in contention.

Receiver London Humphreys offered a similar assessment.

“He gave us a shot to come back in a game like that,” Humphreys said.

Stockton found Humphreys for the fourth-quarter touchdown that helped pull Georgia even. The Bulldogs couldn’t finish the comeback, but Humphreys said the offense never abandoned its confidence in its quarterback.

“Everyone trusted the whole offense, and we still believed we were in the game,” he said.

Auburn ultimately settled the outcome when Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired, snapping the Tigers’ nine-game losing streak against Georgia.

The Bulldogs now must turn that disappointment into productive work.

Smart scheduled practices Tuesday through Thursday before giving players a break, tailoring the demands to what each needs. Veterans logging heavy snaps require recovery. Players farther down the depth chart need repetitions, conditioning and opportunities to develop.

“We have different guys in different spots that all need different things,” Smart said.

Across those individual assignments, several team priorities stand out.

Georgia must tackle more consistently. Smart said missed tackles have climbed above the program’s levels in previous seasons, allowing opponents to extend plays and gain extra yards.

The Bulldogs also need to tighten their red-zone defense, where missed opportunities to finish plays have proved costly. On special teams, Smart wants better placement on punts intended to trap opponents near their goal line.

Those corrections give the open week a purpose beyond resting for another rivalry game.

Florida awaits in a setting that will give the familiar matchup a different backdrop. The teams will meet at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 31 on ABC, moving from Jacksonville because of renovations at EverBank Stadium.

The rivalry shifts to Tampa in 2027. This season’s game will mark its first appearance outside Jacksonville since 1995.

Before Georgia makes the short trip to Atlanta, however, Smart’s attention remains on the work in Athens: getting players healthy and fixing the mistakes that left the Bulldogs vulnerable against Auburn.