Why the Georgia vs. Florida rivalry is personal for Gunner Stockton and his family

The "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" takes place in Jacksonville this week, as the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs take on the Florida Gators at EverBank Stadium. This edition of the rivalry may not be as emotional as past matchups given that Florida is 3-4 and has already fired Billy Napier, but for Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, this game is incredibly important to his family. 

Back on Oct. 30, 2010, Stockton's grandfather, Lawrence Stockton, died of a heart attack at 63 years old in a Jacksonville parking lot outside the stadium following Georgia's 34-31 overtime loss to Florida. 

"He said something about Todd Grantham and collapsed," Suzanne Frederickson, Lawrence's widow, said via ESPN. 

Gunner would only have been about six years old, and the incident obviously left a lasting impression on Gunner's life. "He had a heart attack there at the stadium," he told ESPN. "Every time we go to Florida, I really want to beat them bad in Jacksonville."

Lawrence graduated from the UGA School of Pharmacy, and enjoyed spending time with his grandson in the north Georgia mountains hunting and fishing. "He lived on the lake, and he always treated us so good and spoiled the grandkids," Gunner said. "He was just a great granddad."

Now, Stockton will have a chance to beat Florida in Jacksonville for the first time as a starting quarterback. 

In his last start, Stockton won SEC Offensive Player of the Week following a 43-35 comeback victory over Ole Miss. He completed 26 of 31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed 10 times for 59 yards and another score. 

According to CBS Sports Research, Stockton completed 12 of 12 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the second half of that game, making him the first FBS quarterback to go 12 for 12 or better in a half against an AP top five team since Aaron Rodgers did it for California against No. 1 USC back in 2004. 

This will likely be Stockton's only chance to beat Florida in Jacksonville. Due to upcoming stadium renovations at EverBank Stadium, the 2026 matchup will be played in Atlanta, and the 2027 game in Tampa before the rivalry returns to Jacksonville in 2028. Since 1933, the matchup has been played in Jacksonville every year except in 1994 and 1995.

The Bulldogs have won four straight against the Gators, with each victory coming by at least 14 points. However, back in 2002, we did see an unranked Florida squad defeat a top five Georgia team.