Scouting Texas A&M: Deserving of No. 5
Following a big 29-21 win at home over Texas last weekend, the Gators hit the road to face Texas A&M and try to build on their 1-1 SEC record. Florida has a tough challenge Saturday, facing one of the best teams in the country in the Home of the 12th Man, Kyle Field.
The Aggies defeated Mississippi State 31-9 in front of 108,572 fans in College Station last weekend to go 5-0 for the first time since 2016. After beating Notre Dame, Auburn and the Bulldogs, Texas A&M received its highest ranking in the AP’s Top 25 Poll since 2021 in Week 7.
Quarterback Marcel Reed is one of the nation’s best, earning recognition this week on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top-25 List, an award for upperclassman quarterbacks. Shedeur Sanders won it in 2024.
Reed also earned two SEC Freshman of the Week honors last year when he led the conference quarterbacks with 4.7 yards per carry and was second among freshmen with 22 touchdowns.
Reed defeated the Gators last year, completing 11 for 17 for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the air. He ran 83 yards and one touchdown with an average of 6.4 yards per carry to lead his Aggies.
This season, Reed has a 60% completion rate for 1,256 yards and three interceptions. His 11 passing touchdowns rank him 22nd in the NCAA. Reed also has the third most rushing yards on the team (149) and two touchdowns on the ground.
Leading the Aggies receiving game is sophomore Mississippi State transfer Mario Craver. Ranked seventh in the NCAA with 557 receiving yards, he tallied five touchdowns this year. Against Notre Dame, he had a season-high 207 receiving yards. NC State transfer and wide receiver KC Concepcion has 401 yards in the air and six touchdowns this season, including one on a punt return.
In the run game, Texas A&M produced 299 yards against Mississippi State. Senior running back Le’Veon Moss has 343 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season, three of them against Notre Dame. Redshirt sophomore Rueben Owens II is the second guy for the Aggies, rushing 276 yards on 39 carries. Over half came against Mississippi State.
SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Cashius Howell leads Texas A&M and is second in the NCAA with seven sacks. The redshirt senior defensive end is the first Aggie to achieve multiple three-plus-sack games since Washington Commanders linebacker Von Miller in 2009.
Junior linebacker Daymion Sanford also received an SEC honor for his performance against Mississippi State, where he had an interception and nine tackles, including a sack for a loss of 10 yards. The Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week now has 19 total tackles this year and 4.5 tackles for 28 yards lost.
One of the more exciting plays in last week’s contest came on the first play of a Mississippi State drive in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Jordan Shaw forced the Bulldogs wide receiver to fumble, and it landed in the arms of junior safety Dalton Brooks, who ran for 12 yards after making the snag.
Junior linebacker Taurean York and junior safety Marcus Ratcliffe lead the Aggies in tackles with 34 and 28, respectively. Senior cornerback Will Lee III has the most solo tackles for Texas A&M with 19 and a total of 23. Defensive tackle Albert Regis follows with 22.
The two players on the Aggies’ weekly SEC injury report are on defense. Safety Jarred Kerr is out after playing in all five games this season, tallying eight total tackles and a forced fumble.
After playing at Florida for three years, senior linebacker Scooby Williams made the move to College Station ahead of last season. He is now listed as questionable after sustaining an injury in the first half against Notre Dame on Sept. 13. The injury came after recording an interception and kept him out of competition since then.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN and 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC
