Gators Drop to 2–4 After Loss to Aggies in College Station
Florida falls to 2-4 with a 34-17 loss to No. 5 Texas A&M in front of 105,086 fans in College Station Saturday. The Gators defeated Texas in The Swamp last week, but they could not continue that momentum in their fourth straight game against an AP Top-10 team. This is the first time since 1968 where a team had this streak.
Despite a matchup close to home for quarterback DJ Lagway, the Willis, Texas, native could not follow his 21-for-28 performance last week, throwing just a 57% completion rate for 245 yards. The sophomore started with a 6-for-6 passing game for 58 yards and a touchdown, but it was all downhill from there. The Aggies got to Lagway easily, recording three sacks. Defensive end Cashius Howell, the No. 2 sack leader in the country, was a problem for the Gators all night, adding pressure to both the offensive line and Lagway.
Eleven of the 13 Gators on the initial injury report were marked out for the game. Because of this, Florida was thin at the running back slot, missing redshirt senior Ja’Kobi Jackson, freshman Duke Clark and redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb. Sophomore Jadan Baugh recorded 65 yards on 18 attempts on the ground with redshirt freshman KD Daniels tallying a career-high 28 yards on three carries as the No. 2 running back for the Gators.
Texas A&M’s lead rusher Le’Veon Moss went down early in the second quarter after putting up one touchdown and 46 yards on five carries. He needed help getting off the field but limped by himself toward the locker room ahead of halftime. This presence was hardly missed, as the Florida defense gave up 417 total yards on the night.
The Gators got going quick and early, succeeding at a “no-third-down” mentality. Redshirt freshman tight end Amir Jackson got the call with junior Tony Livingston out this week. Lagway threw Jackson his first-career touchdown on a one-yard pass, taking less than four minutes off the clock in the opening drive. Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed responded immediately with a score in two plays and less than a minute later.
However, that mentality coach Billy Napier had for his team did not last long. The Gators went 0 for 6 on third down in the first half and 1 for 11 all game. On the other side, Texas A&M converted 9 of 17.
Freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson had the one other touchdown catch for Florida, making a six-yard reception to continue his breakout performance last week. He caught 3 of 8 targets, recording 20 yards in the second game of his career.
The Gator defense looked elementary in the first half, giving up 21 points and misreading receivers. Despite forcing two 3-and-outs in the third quarter, Florida ended with zero tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp, a leader for the Gators, only made one tackle all game after tallying six last week. The brightest moment for the squad came in the beginning of the fourth quarter when defensive back Jordan Castell made a pick in the end zone.
Penalties continue to be an issue for the Gators, as they committed six for 54 yards. Napier also struggled with play calling again in addition to time management at the end of the first half. He is now 21-23 in his tenure with Florida.
Moving forward, Florida returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium next week for homecoming, facing Mississippi State with a 4:15 p.m. kickoff. Texas A&M loses its advantage from the Home of the 12th Man for the next five weeks, heading to Arkansas next.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC
