In honor of the 1975 Southwest Conference champions, No. 5 Texas A&M football emerged from the tunnel in new throwback jerseys against Florida on Oct. 11. Behind the 10th-straight game with a 100,000-plus 12th Man crowd, the Aggies inflicted a death roll on the Gators and sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, winning 34-17 and starting 6-0 for the first time since 2016.
“It doesn’t mean anything if we don’t finish, it’s been the word of the offseason,” coach Mike Elko said about being undefeated. “It’s the only thing that we’ve talked about. We’re really excited with where we are, but we’re nowhere yet.”
Starting off with the ball first, Lagway wasted no time in hurrying down the field as he found his receivers in the open field and in stride, delivering a touchdown to redshirt freshman tight end Amir Jackson at the end of the eight-play, 75-yard gut-check drive.
But sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver and redshirt sophomore QB Marcel Reed did not need a warm-up half like last time against Mississippi State. Instead, the two connected on a 67-yard bomb for the Aggies’ first offensive play, matching the Gators’ intensity and score after Reed skirted through the defensive front on a 8-yard rushing touchdown.
With no signs of slowing down, the Maroon and White continued to strike fear in the heart of the Gator secondary as Reed torched the squad with another short drive. The Aggies marched down the field in six plays, with three being worth 10-plus yards and the last going to freshman running back Jamarion Morrow on a 22-yard touchdown reception, the first of his career.
Lagway responded with a 26-yard dime right into redshirt senior WR J. Michael Sturdivant’s bread basket, before setting up another impressive throw-and-catch to freshman WR Vernell Brown III.
Florida true freshman WR Dallas Wilson then made a highlight toe-touch grab on the goal line to even the score at 14.
Back on offense, Reed continued to be a reliable gunslinger, but he didn’t have to do it alone thanks to a 22-yard bullying-rush from senior RB Le’Veon Moss, who pushed off defenders en route to the endzone.
A&M’s offense wasn’t the only side starting to click as graduate defensive tackle Albert Regis got to Lagway in the backfield for a 9-yard loss on a sack, forcing the ball out before Florida regained possession.
“Secret is, there is no secret,” Regis said. “You want to stop the run game, you got to be physical. You got to re-create the line of scrimmage every game, every play.”
After being targeted through the air over and over again by Gators’ coach Billy Napier and slammed to the ground on a designed run, the so-far reliable redshirt sophomore cornerback Dezz Ricks was replaced in the second quarter with redshirt junior CB Julio Humphrey.
A&M’s defense continued to hold strong on its next test, forcing Lagway to use his receivers on screens and dump passes while they brought pressure from the linebackers.
Later in the quarter, Ricks came back from the sidelines and appeared to hold his own against Florida’s dynamic receivers. A minute before the half ended, Regis found success again on a stuff against sophomore RB Jadan Baugh, holding the back to no-gain as the defense found steady footing after giving up two scores in the first quarter.
Once again, the defense — seemingly deserving of the Wrecking Crew title — showed up in the second half with more big-time hits.
The first was on Lagway as redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell jumped on his back for the sack before the linebacker duo of junior Daymion Sanford and junior Taurean York forced the ball out with the former causing the forced fumble, and the latter recovering the ball.
“I challenge[nd] the guys at halftime on defense to go out and give us two turnovers,” Elko said. “I said, ‘two turnovers will win us the game in the second half,’ and we were able to go out there and cause two fumbles and recover them both.”
All in all, the defense forced six tackles for loss, four fumbles and recovered two of those in a monstrous day for the group.
Setting up on the Gators’ 29-yard line, the Aggie offense was rearing to go with short field position. But after a handful of incompletions by Reed, the drive stalled and Elko was forced to settle for three points behind the trusty leg of graduate kicker Randy Bond.
Florida traded with A&M by adding its own field goal to push the score to 24-17, following another air-raid attack orchestrated by the former Willis Wildkat. Lagway ended with 245 yards through the air, paired with two touchdowns.
Despite being obviously hindered by what seemed to be a hamstring injury, junior WR KC Concepcion found a short screen and took it 15 yards to set the Aggies up on the Gator 24-yard line.
After the gutsy play, on third and seven Reed went wide and took a shot at the endzone with Concepcion in double-coverage, but the ball ended up in Florida’s hands as junior safety Jordan Castell came down with the interception.
Now in need of just seven points to tie the game, Lagway began his march, but the drive was stomped out after Napier went for it on fourth down and junior safety Marcus Ratcliffe almost came down with an interception on the overthrow.
Although it took 693 days from his first game for the Maroon and White, redshirt sophomore RB Rueben Owens earned a much-needed touchdown to provide separation from the encroaching Gators, 31-17.
“What I’m most proud of is the way they played the game together tonight, and that’s learning how to win, that’s learning how to step up to the moment and the occasion,” Elko said. “And obviously we’ve got to continue to play like that.
Next, A&M will begin the first of three-straight away games, starting with a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face the Razorbacks on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
