Take Five Breakdown: Florida-Texas A&M Preview

Florida is .500 entering the first game of SEC play in the 2024 season. While the Gators may be dealing with some position battles, the focus today is on who the Orange and Blue will be facing on the gridiron. To get a better feel for the Aggies, Inside the Gators caught up with DJ Burton of The Battalion for a full preview.

Five Texas A&M Aggies to Know

Conner Weigman, Quarterback, Sophomore

• Under center for the Aggies is Preseason Heisman candidate Conner Weigman. The sophomore struggled against Notre Dame to open the season completing just 12-of-his-30 passes. He threw for 100 yards, two picks, and no touchdowns, but did use his legs to rush for 26 yards. He turned it around against McNeese throwing for 125 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for 39 yards. “He showed a willingness to run that we haven’t really seen before,” Burton said. The Gators have struggled against mobile quarterbacks, so it will be interesting to see if Weigman takes full advantage and runs the ball.

Terry Bussey, Defensive Back/ Running Back, Freshman

• Texas A&M has a Swiss Army Knife in Freshman Terry Bussey. The Texas native has played as a defensive back and running back. He is also a dangerous return man. “If you blink while he’s on the field, you might miss him,” Burton said. This season, Bussey has two carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Florida needs to keep an eye on him, as he even played quarterback in high school.

Nic Scourton, Defensive End, Junior

• Purdue transfer Nic Scourton is returning home to College Station. He picked up 50 total tackles, 10 sacks, three passes defended, and one forced fumble last year, earning second-team All-Big 10 honors. At the end of last season, Scourton decided it was time to pick up his bags and play down the street where he’s from. The Junior was named to the ESPN Pre-Season All-American First Team and has not disappointed. He made three tackles including one sack in his debut against Notre Dame. “He’s the type of guy that likes to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback,” Burton said. The Gators offensive line has a tough task ahead no matter who is behind them taking the snaps.

Le’Veon Moss, Running Back, Junior

• The only bright spot offensively against Notre Dame was running back Le’Veon Moss. The Junior had 20 carries for 70 yards and a house call. Against McNeese, he was even more electric with 84 yards on just nine carries, scoring two touchdowns. Moss was not the No. 1 running back to start the season. That honor belonged to Rueben Owens who suffered a significant lower leg injury in a scrimmage before the season causing him to miss the rest of the year. “Moss has not made us miss a beat,” Burton said. “He runs hard, he’s fast and he likes to create his own holes.”

Will Lee III, Defensive Back, Junior

• Kansas St. transfer Will Lee III has been a ball hawk so far this season for the Aggies. He earned his first interception of the season against McNeese last Saturday and led the team with nine tackles and a pass breakup against Notre Dame. “He came to Aggie land and has definitely embraced it. Aggie land has been embracing him.” It’s safe to say that he is a bit of a fan favorite.

Five Fast Facts

• The last time Texas A&M won an away game in SEC play was back on October 16, 2021, against Missouri.
• Texas A&M finished first in the 2022 recruiting rankings according to 247Sports yet finished 7-6 in 2023, losing every game in which they played a ranked opponent (5).
• The first time these two teams met was in 1962. It was a blowout with UF winning 42-6 at home.
• Whichever team wins on Saturday will lead the all-time series. It is currently tied at 3-3; 2-2 since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
• Jaydon Hill and Scooby Williams transferred from the Florida Gators to Texas A&M this past offseason.

Five Game Day Storylines

DJ Lagway was heavily pursued by Aggies

• Texas A&M heavily pursued five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, even after he had committed to Florida. Lagway is from Willis, Texas, just an hour away from College Station. Aggie fans believed that the then-Florida commit would change his mind and go to A&M, but as we know that never happened.

Mertz vs Lagway

• Graham Mertz is expected to start under center for the Gators on Saturday against the Aggies. DJ Lagway is still a part of the game plan though as head coach Billy Napier stated on Saturday’s post-game press conference that his five-star signee will make appearances against Texas A&M. Many in the Gator Nation want the true freshman to take control of the team, but Napier doesn’t want his young quarterback to be thrown in too soon.

First Game of SEC Play

• Both teams enter the Swamp with a 1-1 record. The Gators and the Aggies lost to ranked opponents in week one but smoked FCS schools the following week. Not only will the winner of Saturday afternoon’s game be 1-0 to start SEC play, but they will have a boost heading into the challenging weeks to come.

Mike Elko

• After two seasons at Duke, Mike Elko decided it was time to return to Texas A&M and take the head coaching job. He did great with the Blue Devils, going 9-4 in 2022 and 8-5 in 2023, winning bowl games both years. College Station is expecting big things from their football program this season and wasn’t too happy after the Notre Dame loss. “People seem more optimistic after the McNeese game, but of course, you go on X and there are lots of fans that it seems you can never make them happy,” Burton said.

Can the Gators Stop the Run?

• Texas A&M has plenty of quality in the ground game. A running back that’s has 154 yards with three touchdowns on the season, a swiss knife that can cause trouble, and a quarterback that is starting to get comfortable creating his own plays. Also, the Aggies were able to return players on the offensive line and beefed it up with transfers from the portal. Florida’s defense must stop the run, or it’s going to be a very long season.

Prediction

• Joseph Torviso: Florida 20-17
• DJ Burton: Texas A&M 24-17

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