3 reasons why Billy Napier's Florida Gators lost to Texas A&M Aggies in Week 3
The Texas A&M Aggies improved to 2-1 in the 2024 college football season as they beat conference rivals Florida Gators by a final score of 33-20. The Aggies entered the week coming off a 52-10 blowout victory against the FCS-level McNeese State Cowboys. The Gators also blew out an FCS-level opponent, beating the Samford Bulldogs 45-7.
Texas A&M entered the season with lofty expectations after hiring Mike Elko this offseason. Meanwhile, Billy Napier may be on the hot seat if things do not improve for Florida. Both teams face a challenging, if not daunting, task in a loaded SEC.
Take a look at three reasons the Aggies went into The Swamp and emerged victorious.
3 reasons why Billy Napier's Florida Gators lost to Texas A&M Aggies in Week 3
#1: Marcel Reed
Texas A&M Aggies starting quarterback Conner Weigman has been less than impressive in the early portion of the 2024 season. The five-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class has thrown for just 225 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while completing only 52.3% of his pass attempts through two games. He was sidelined on Saturday, opening the door for Marcel Reed to get the start.
The four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class responded with a big game. He completed 64.7% of his 17 pass attempts for 178 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Reed added 83 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. Most importantly, he played mistake-free football leading the Texas A&M Aggies to a tough road victory.
#2: Both of the Florida Gators quarterbacks struggled
Quarterback play was a much different story for the Florida Gators. Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway both played, but neither the sixth-year senior nor the true freshman played particularly well. Mertz completed 80% of his 15 pass attempts for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Lagway completed just 46.2% of his 13 pass attempts for 54 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
#3: The Aggies' running game
The Aggies' running game played a big role in the road victory. While they only scored one touchdown on the ground, they ran for 310 yards on 55 carries as the Florida Gators failed to stop the rushing attack throughout the game.