After riding its defense through two consecutive Southeastern Conference victories, No. 5 Texas A&M charges full-steam ahead into a home clash with the Florida Gators. The Maroon and White defense has been all but impenetrable since starting conference play, holding Auburn and Mississippi State to a collective 19 points.
The combination of stellar play and back-to-back record setting crowds at Kyle Field has done wonders for the Aggies. Leaders such as team captain junior linebacker Taurean York and redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell have stolen the show against A&M’s two previous upset-minded foes.
In the showdown against Auburn, York picked up a crucial late sack to silence the Tigers’ comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, while Howell served the Bulldogs a three-course meal of sacks, as he now leads the SEC and sits in second nationally with seven sacks.
It’ll be a Texas-sized river to cross for Florida, although the Gators might have gotten their swagger back after taking down then-No. 9 Texas in the Swamp. In that game, sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway showed signs of being the Heisman-hopeful candidate he was projected to be at the start of the season.
Against the Longhorns, Lagway maintained composure as he tore into their secondary, racking up nearly 300 yards passing and completing almost 80% of his throws while his two touchdowns corralled the herd.
Lagway’s success was a fortunate side effect of a dominant rushing attack, headed by sophomore running back Jadan Baugh. A Georgia native that made his way to Gainesville, Florida, Baugh was the centerpiece in the thrashing of what was expected to be one of the best defenses in the nation in Texas.
Baugh added 107 yards on the ground while racking up a whopping 27 carries, which means that graduate student defensive tackle duo of Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim will have their hands full trying to stop the young ball carrier.
Luckily for the Aggies, Regis has excelled in the trenches and earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his one-sack, seven-tackle effort against then-No. 8 Notre Dame. As for Onyedim, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound goliath has fit in nicely since transferring from Iowa State, securing the fifth-most tackles for the Aggies.
The Florida offense will be desperate to attack the A&M defense with maximum firepower, as Gator coach Billy Napier’s job security hangs in the balance, sporting just a 5-14 record on the road. The threat that true freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson provides is among the best in the country, as he exploded onto the scene with six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut against Texas.
However, an ice-hot offense requires a blanketing defense, which is something senior cornerback Will Lee III happens to specialize in. Largely made of upperclassmen, the Maroon and White secondary has limited explosive plays since beginning their conference stretch, allowing just a pair of catches over 30 yards in the last two games.
With a lackluster 2-3 record and a coach whose future is uncertain, Florida finds itself with its back against the wall, marching into Kyle Field amid the rousing yells of over 100,000 A&M faithful. Will it be Napier buying himself a little more time in the Swamp, or will the Aggies finally match their 6-0 start from 2016?
Only time will tell in this battle of the hunters and the hunted.
