Texas A&M football beats. Florida in Week 3: Results recap

The Texas A&M football team dominated Florida in its first SEC game of the season.

Saturday’s game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was delayed due to weather, but that didn’t stop the Aggies from winning 33-20, although it wasn’t even a close game.

The Aggies got their first SEC road win (literally) on Mike Elko’s first chance.

Texas A&M recorded its first win of the season against McNeese State last week, soothing the sting of the Aggies’ season-opening loss to Notre Dame. Florida will likely return two quarterbacks Saturday; six-year veteran Graham Mertz and freshman phenom DJ Lagway.

SEE TEXAS A&M VS. FLORIDA

SUMMARY: Three Lessons Mike Elko Learned From What Jimbo Fisher Had a Problem With

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman was listed as questionable and did not start. Marcel Reed started in his place. Lightning strikes delayed play as the first quarter ended.

Here are the updates ahead of Texas A&M’s game against Florida:

Texas A&M vs. Florida Match Score Updates

After Mertz avoided a fumble on the sideline, the Gators were able to contain the ball with a 2-yard run by Ja’Kobie Jackson to make it 33-20. Florida’s two-point attempt failed.

Lagway was shaky for most of the game, but he seemed to find some semblance of rhythm late in the third quarter. He didn’t force anything, throwing short passes and taking what was open, eventually finishing with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike. Texas A&M leads 33-14.

The Gators’ best offensive plays came when Mertz was on the field, with 147 yards passing to Lagway’s 12-yard line. However, a third down pass is intercepted and caught by running back Bryce Anderson for a touchdown. Texas A&M leads 33-7.

A testament to how good Reed was is the fact that Tyler White didn’t kick the ball the entire first half. He finally runs onto the field on fourth down in the third quarter, and Texas A&M has its first three-and-out today.

The freshman quarterback can’t find his rhythm. Texas A&M’s defensive line disrupts his pocket and on third down they finally get to him for his first sack of the day.

After the first down, Reed rolls left and throws the ball to Cyrus Allen, who runs 73 yards for another touchdown. The young quarterback is completely unfazed by the moment. The Aggies lead 26-7 after a failed two-point attempt.

Florida comes out of the half with a bang, Mertz passes to Elihah Badger for a 54-yard touchdown that’s called back for a holding. The Gators stay in Aggie territory and drive to the 5-yard line thanks to a Texas A&M face mask.

A false start puts Florida at the Aggie 10-yard line, and Scooby Williams blows a run play for a 4-yard loss. Mertz passes to Badger on the next play for a 14-yard gain, giving the Gators life in the Swamp. The extra point and Texas A&M still leads 20-7.

Texas A&M has 302 yards of offense, while Florida has 73. It was an impressive first start for Reed, who has two touchdowns, 105 yards passing and 49 yards rushing. His numbers are attractive, but the real story of the game lies in the trenches. The Aggies’ offensive and defensive lines were absolutely dominant.

The Aggies convert fourth-and-1, but two penalties on the next play set them back 25 yards. Trikweze Bridges is penalized for tackling after a tackle on Noah Thomas that pushes Texas A&M to the Florida 23-yard line. After a holding penalty on Florida, Reed takes the ball, runs with it to the 1-yard line, and slides inside for another touchdown.

A downpour engulfs the Swamp. The Gators seem unfazed, however, and Mertz returns to quarterback and leads his team into Texas A&M territory for the first time today. The drive stalls at the opponent’s 37-yard line, and the Gators pin the Aggies at the one-yard line with the ensuing punt.

The offensive line began to impose its will on the Florida defense. Moss, Daniels and EJ Smith all took the ball and led Texas A&M all the way to the Gators’ 26-yard line. Reed was stopped just before first down as the game entered a two-minute break.

On third-and-5, Reed makes his first big mistake of the day, throwing the ball into the chest of a Gators defender who drops an easy interception. The quarterback looked like he expected Muhammad to turn and catch the ball, but the receiver seemed shocked by the pass. Texas A&M settled for a 49-yard field goal by Randy Bond.

Solomon Deshields goes for a third-and-11 blitz, tripping Lagway until he finally falls for a 15-yard sack. Reed comes back into play, converting another third down on a pass to Jabre Barber.

Lightning has caused a delay in play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Play will be suspended for at least 30 minutes.

It appears the Gators have decided they should also bank on their rookie, and Lagway will be on the field.

Florida runs with Graham Mertz at quarterback over former top recruit and freshman DJ Lagway. The Aggies defense forces a punt after Mertz sends a high pass on third-and-13 that Marcus Burke can’t stop.

LeVeon Moss starts the next drive with a 27-yard run. On another third down, Florida sends a running back on the defensive line, who Reed recognizes, sending the ball to Amari Daniels for a 22-yard run. The Aggies try for 4th-and-5, and Reed’s pass is incomplete. However, Florida’s decision to hold leads to a first down.

Then on second down, Reed threw the ball downfield for a 29-yard touchdown to Melin Ohrstrom. The redshirt freshman caught the Gators off guard early on.

The backup introduced Swamp on 2nd-and-21 with a 31-yard run to the Aggies’ 45-yard line. Reed also appeared on 3rd-and-10, completing a pass over the middle to Moose Muhammad III for 20 yards. Then on third-and-13, the starter showed composure, rolled to his right and completed a 15-yard pass to put the Aggies on the Florida 12-yard line.

Reed makes another third-down conversion for a touchdown, which is negated by a block and a return. The Aggies settle for a field goal, but the bottom line is that Reed looked confident and competent.

Even with quarterback Connor Weigman warming up, Elko has opted to use backup Marcel Reed because Weigman is dealing with a lingering shoulder issue. The freshman is a dual-threat quarterback who provides a presence in the running game. Elko did mention that Weigman could eventually get some plays.

It’s time for Texas A&M vs. Florida

Date: Saturday, September 14th.
Time: 14:30
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

Saturday’s Aggies game will begin at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.

WATCH TEXAS A&M VS. FLORIDA ON ESPN

More: Texas A&M’s Mike Elko: Florida quarterbacks DJ Lagway and Graham Mertz face unique challenges

What channel is Texas A&M vs. Florida on tonight?

TV channel: See also: ABC, Cable and Satellite TV
Streaming: SEC Network, Fubo.
Radio: Gator Sports Network with LEARFIELD (Station List)SiriusXM 374

Texas A&M vs. Florida will be broadcast on the SEC Network streaming service. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will host the conference game. FUBO is offering a free trial to new subscribers who want to watch college football.

Texas A&M vs. Florida Football History

Series record: 3-3
Texas A&M’s Last Victory: 41-38, October 10, 2020

Texas A&M and Florida last played in 2022, although the Aggies’ last win came in 2020. Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond and Gators quarterback Kyle Trask went head-to-head, with Texas A&M winning on a last-second field goal. With Florida ranked No. 4 at the time, Texas A&M surged in the polls following the victory.

More: Austin American-Statesman sports coverage is growing. Here’s what you can expect from us

Texas A&M vs. Florida Predictions

The College Football News consensus is that Texas A&M will leave the Swamp with a win. CFB-HQ at Sports Illustrated ran the game through an analytical model that gives the Aggies a 56 percent chance of winning. 247Sports writers Chris Hummer and Brad Crawford both have Florida as the home team. The Dallas Morning News has Texas A&M on track to win on the road.

Texas A&M Football Schedule 2024

August 31: Notre Dame 23, Texas A&M 13
September 7: Texas A&M 52, McNeese 10
September 14: in Florida* | 2:30 p.m. | ABC, ESPN+ (Fubo)
September 21: vs. Bowling Green | 18:30 | ESPN+, SEC Network+
September 28: vs. Arkansas* (Arlington, Texas)
October 5: vs. No. 10 Missouri* | 11 a.m.
October 12: GOODBYE
October 19: at Mississippi State*
October 26: vs. No. 19 LSU*
November 2: in South Carolina*
November 9: GOODBYE
November 16: against the state of New Mexico
November 23: in Auburn*
November 30: vs. No. 3 Texas

*Denotes SEC game.