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The moments leading up to Florida’s matchup against Texas A&M were full of uncertainty. After Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway excelled in his first collegiate start against Samford — throwing for 456 yards and three touchdowns — there was speculation he’d won the starting quarterback job.
However, those rumors were put to rest Friday when Florida head coach Billy Napier announced sixth-year signal caller Graham Mertz as the starter and Lagway as a chance-of-pace option.
Despite utilizing both quarterbacks, the offense remained stagnant against Texas A&M on Saturday. Florida (1-2, 0-1 SEC) failed to tally more than 75 offensive yards heading into halftime and was held to 301 yards overall in their 33-20 loss to the Aggies (2-1, 1-0 SEC).
Inside the Gators‘ Instant Analysis takes a quick look at how the game unfolded.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: TAMU backup redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed tossed a 73-yard touchdown to junior wideout Cyrus Allen to extend their lead to 26-7 in the third quarter.
It took 36 minutes for the Gators to score. Mertz found senior wide receiver Elijah Badger in the back of the end zone for Florida’s first touchdown of the game.
The crowd, which was half the size of when the game began, finally started to come back to life. However, 49 ticks later, Reed found Allen for six. The momentum was lost and never regained by UF.
THEY STOLE THE SHOW: The Aggies defensive line entered Saturday ranked as one of the worst run-stoppers in the SEC, surrendering 189 rushing yards per game. Against an experienced runner in Gators senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr., it was expected Florida’s running game could do some damage. However, that was far from reality.
The Gators totaled just 7 rushing yards on eight carries heading into halftime. Florida finished the game with 52 yards on the ground.
THESE STATS DON’T LIE: In two games versus FBS opponents, the Gators have surrendered 7.3 yards per play and 30 BIG plays (passes of 15+ yards and rushes of 10+ yards).
Florida hasn’t beaten an FBS team since Oct. 14 when it defeated South Carolina 41-39 in Williams-Brice Stadium. Over the Gators’ last seven FBS contests, they’ve surrendered 38 points per game and 488 yards per game.
THIS MATCHUP PROVED KEY: Gators transfer wide receiver Chimere Dike collected a majority of targets due to the absence of UF wideout Eugene Wilson. Dike carved the Aggies’ secondary and finished the game with six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown.
WHAT A PLAY: There weren’t many impressive plays from Florida’s offense. The Gators averaged less than 5.5 yards per play.
Florida’s biggest chunk-play of the game was brought back on a holding penalty by Johnson. Mertz hit Badger on a short curl route, which he nearly dropped. Badger bobbled the ball in his hands several times before gathering it and turning upfield for a 54-yard score.
The penalty brought back the Gators to the 26-yard line, and Mertz was eventually able to hit Badger later in the drive for a 14-yard touchdown.
UP NEXT: Florida (1-2, 0-1 SEC) will play on the road for the first time this season and face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1) at noon Saturday.
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