In a hard-fought defensive battle, the #11 Florida Gators went to Kyle Field and came out victorious vs. the #10 Texas AM Aggies.
The Aggies opened the scoring on their opening drive with a meticulous game plan that ended with a punch-in by Aggie RB Reuben Owens.
The Gator offense could not respond with a quick drive resulting in a punt. CB Cormani McClain returned a pick for 6 to even the score on the Aggies next drive and that was the final TD of the half as the Aggies kicked a FG and the Gators missed a FG to close out the half.
The second half was again more defense as both offenses couldn't find their footing. Freshman QB DJ Lagway was not bale to command the offense as he has in the first two games resulting in 3 picks. However, the Florida defense stood on its head outside of a long 71-yard TD pass they gave up.
The Florida defense harassed the Aggie run game with a total of 9 TFL, DL Tyreak Sapp accounting for 5 TFL and 1.5 sacks by himself.
A costly interception by Lagway with 4 minutes left, down 6, on the opponent's 35, had Gators fans biting their nails. But the defense stood tall forcing a 3 and out.
With 3 minutes left, Lagway drove the Florida offense down the field with 2 huge passes to TE Arlis Boardingham, who had 6 catches for 109 YDs and a TD on the day. The drive was capped off by a one-yard plunge into the endzone by Montrell Johnson Jr.
Before the Aggie offense took the field, Coach MC looked at his stable of DBs and said that the game was on their shoulders. Florida came out running a heavy man scheme on the final drive which resulted in the game-sealing
pick by Nickelback Devin Moore, his second of the day.
As the clock hit 0, UF rushed the field. Coach MC was quoted as saying, This is what it's all about, they picked us to finish 11th in the SEC. The disrespect was real, but my boys, they fight hard. The offense wasn't there today but the defense stepped up, especially our secondary. Coach Six gashed our zone so we had to switch up to man and the boys responded. Jason, Cormani, Devin, they showed me what it means to play defensive back at the University of Florida.
Florida is in Gainesville next week against the visiting Mississippi State Bulldogs and looks to go 2-0 in conference play.
Same Old Story—Defense Shows Up, Offense Lets Down
Well, Aggie fans, buckle up, because it looks like we’re already hitting the bumps in the road. Texas A&M drops their first SEC game of the season, falling 21-20 to the 11th-ranked Florida Gators. And let me tell you, if you thought the offense was finally going to pull it together, you were sorely mistaken. The defense came to play (again), but apparently, the offense forgot there was a game scheduled today.
Let’s be real—this game was winnable. The defense did everything short of scoring points themselves, holding Florida’s high-powered offense to just 21 points and stuffing their run game to the tune of 41 yards. They forced three interceptions, with Scooby Williams snagging two of them, but what did the Aggie offense do with those gifts? Not much. If there’s a theme developing for this season, it’s that the defense sets the table, and the offense shows up late with cold leftovers.
Offense: The Real Problem
Conner Weigman? Yikes. Three interceptions, including two absolute backbreakers—one in the end zone when the receiver had a step, and another at the end of the game when the receiver had three steps and a wide-open path to the end zone. Instead of a game-winner, Weigman tossed a flat, underthrown ball right into the hands of a trailing DB. And just like that, the Aggies snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Rueben Owens did what he could with 68 rushing yards and some tough catches, but let’s be honest: the run game was underwhelming. And when Noah Thomas leads the team with 69 receiving yards and no touchdowns, it’s clear the offense just isn’t firing on any cylinders. The red zone struggles continue, as A&M managed only one touchdown and had to settle for field goals far too often.
Defense Deserves Better
Once again, the defense was the silver lining in this gloomy Aggie cloud. They held Florida to 296 total yards and completely smothered the run game, forcing the Gators into mistakes and keeping A&M in the game. Scooby Williams had two clutch interceptions, and the defense as a whole played lights out. But no defense can win games alone, especially when the offense insists on making life harder than it needs to be.
Coach Gonzales Speaks Out
Coach Gonzales didn’t sugarcoat things after the game:
"We had many chances to win this game and put it away, too many times we were settling for field goals or making costly mistakes. On offense, we are struggling—we aren’t running the ball well, we’re becoming stagnant in the red zone, and we’re making costly mistakes in the passing game. The defense is out there playing their asses off, and we are letting them down on the other side of the ball. We must do better. We failed our first big test of the season today and need to be better."
At least he’s not wrong. This offense is a mess, and if they don’t figure it out soon, it’s going to be a long season in the SEC.
Debbie’s Final Take
The truth is, games like this are the difference between teams that win in the SEC and teams that don’t. Florida didn’t blow anyone away today, but they took advantage when it mattered. A&M, on the other hand, seems allergic to success. The defense is pulling its weight and more, but the offense just can’t seem to get out of its own way. If they keep this up, the only thing they’ll be playing for come bowl season is pride.
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You watch the defense play their hearts out, only to see the offense trip over its own feet. If this is how the Aggies are going to handle big tests, it’s hard to see them making any real noise in the SEC this year. Coach Gonzales says they need to be better—well, no kidding. Let’s hope they figure it out soon, or this season might spiral out of control faster than you can say “rebuild.”
Enjoy the week, Aggie fans—just don’t expect any miracles unless this offense wakes up.
Debbie Downer, NDL Media and Associated Press, beat writer
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE:
WHOS ONLINE:
JustGiver31 and 13 Guests in the last 5 minutes Legend: NDL Admin | Conference Commish | Media Team | NDL Coaches
NDL Hall of Fame:
661 Coaches Newest Member: jhubbard83
HOME
Discord