Following a 31-9 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, Oct. 4 that clinched a fifth-straight victory and the No. 5 spot in the AP Top 25 List, coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M football now face a new emerging challenge in the Florida Gators. While A&M’s offense has been on fire this season, Florida is coming off a top-10 win against the Texas Longhorns that saw it force two interceptions and hold them to under 350 yards of total offense.
After averaging almost 36 points per game through their first four games of the season, the Aggies’ offense turned up the heat in the second half against Mississippi State in front of over 108,000 blacked-out fans in Kyle Field.
Following a slow start to the game that saw the offense put up just seven points in the first half, redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed finally broke free following halftime, converting on a two-yard passing touchdown to junior wide receiver KC Concepcion in the third quarter before splitting the defense to earn a seven-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth to put the Maroon and White up 21-3.
“We got into a much better rhythm in the second half,” Elko said. “We were able to finish drives with touchdowns, we had three straight drives with a score. That gave us a chance to pull away and win this one.”
Reed is looking to have similar success as he did last year in his first-career collegiate start against the Gators. In that matchup, Reed converted on 11-of-17 throws for 178 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 13 rushing attempts for 84 yards and a touchdown to lead the Aggies to a 33-20 victory in the Swamp. With a season of starting experience and a full offseason under his belt, Reed will look to evolve in the rematch and torch the Gators’ defense once again.
“For Marcel to go in there as a first time starter, play the way he did, win the game the way we did, really brought a lot of confidence into him and into us as a team,” Elko said.
The running game has been a huge reason behind the success of A&M on offense, tallying an absurd 299 rushing yards against Mississippi State, led by redshirt sophomore RB Rueben Owens II’s 143 yards and Reed’s 34 yards, while also giving carries to Concepcion and sophomore WR Mario Craver.
With a rock-solid offensive line, aggressive passes down field, incredible athleticism, route running and catching ability across the offense, the Gators’ defense will be faced with a tough challenge in Kyle Field.
The foundation of this Florida defense sits between the tackles in order to create pressure and rattle the opposing QB. The play of sophomore inside linebacker Myles Graham and redshirt senior edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. has paid dividends for the Gators as the duo have combined for 30 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. They will attempt to counter the A&M run game early and disturb Reed, utilizing their aggressiveness, strength and speed off the ball.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Cormani McClain and senior DB Devin Moore will test the Aggies’ star-studded receiving duo of Craver and Concepcion. While both receivers have proven to be trouble for opposing secondaries all season, McClain and Moore have shown their worth on the outside, each securing an interception while combining for 27 tackles.
“I think Florida is by far and away the most talented team we have played this year,” Elko said. “They have played a very competitive schedule including two top-10 road environments already. They are coming off of a huge top-10 win this last weekend so they will be full of confidence and very excited to come in here and give us their best shot.”
For A&M, the road to victory will be an uphill battle as Florida’s top-35 ranked defense is only allowing its opponents to score on 33% of their possessions. The Florida defense has already played in a pair of hostile environments this season, so the Gators will be equipped and ready for the 12th Man at Kyle Field. A&M’s offense is facing its toughest test defensively, so Reed’s decision making and A&M’s run game will play a crucial part in the outcome of the game on Saturday, Oct. 11.
