What's next for Florida after loss against TAMU? Closer look at Gators' Week 4 matchup
Florida is off to one of the worst starts in the history of its football program. The Gators lost 33-20 to Texas A&M on Saturday and dropped their record to 1-2 this season. Although Billy Napier and his team have not been mathematically eliminated, making the college football playoffs is now slimmer.
The Gators need to start winning in Week 4 if they want to have a chance of making the playoffs — and it starts on Saturday against Mississippi State. It is a winnable game for the Gators, but with how the team has been playing, it is far from a guarantee.
What went wrong for Florida against Texas A&M?
After the loss to Texas A&M, Billy Napier told reporters there are no excuses for his team's performance this season, but he doesn't seem to have answers either. The Gators lost to the Aggies in a game that should have been winnable because Texas A&M unexpectedly missed starting quarterback Conner Weigman.
With Weigman out, the Aggies started backup QB Marcel Reed. He had a good performance, as he threw two touchdown passes and scored a rushing TD. Aggies coach Mike Elko praised his backup QB for being calm and confident.
The Gators allowed a backup QB to steer his team to a 20-0 lead in the first half. Florida's defense could not stop the Aggies' offense and the Gators could not generate any offense themselves.
Slow starts have been a recurring issue for the Gators this season. It caused them to lose against Miami, and it was a major reason again this week. The offense was able to get going in the second half as they scored 20 points. However, the Gators had zero points in the first half.
Looking ahead to Florida's Week 4 matchup against Mississippi State
Florida (-6.5) is a small favorite over Mississippi State. Both teams have 1-2 records and are tied at the bottom of the SEC standings. This will be the Gators' second in-conference matchup of the season and the Bulldogs' first.
The key to the game for the Gators will be for the offense to start strong. They have been able to generate offense late in games this season, but the first half has been a struggle. If Napier gets his team to come out of the gate hot, Florida can bounce back with a win over Mississippi State. If not, it will be another huge blow to their playoff hopes.