Well, we have now witnessed Texas A&M lose 5 straight games for the first time since the 1980 season, falling to the Florida Gators 41-24 in a game in which the Aggies led at halftime, as head coach Jimbo Fisher will be searching for answers left and right as the Aggies now sit at 3-6 and 1-5 in the SEC, their worst record under Fisher in his 5th season with the program.
In the spirit of fairness, the Aggies were dealt a terrible hand just hours before their kickoff vs. the Gators, as it was reported that six players, including three starters, specifically quarterback Conner Wiegman and starting left guard Kam Dewberry would miss the game, combined with defensive starters Antonio Johnson and Fadil Diggs due to injury. All in all, the Aggies were without a total of 31 players due to injury, sickness, or suspension.
So, in came backup quarterback Haynes King, who would be starting his 5th game this season with yet another chance to try and prove his worth as a signal caller for the maroon and white, but the real offensive focal point being running back Devon Achane produced early and often, opening the game with an impressive 65-yard run, which would then set up a 5-yard touchdown run a couple plays later.
As the Aggie defense continued to struggle, specifically in run defense against Gator’s dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson, who scored twice with his legs (10-yard, 60-yard run) in the first half, the Aggies would counter with two more on the ground and through the air from Devon Achane (5-yard pass, 2-yard run), and take a 24-20 lead into halftime with all the momentum they could hope for.
Then, the second-half collapse that we’ve sadly grown accustomed to this season began to creep in, as the Aggies opened the 3rd quarter with a quick three and out, which immediately led to a quick Florida touchdown, the first of three consecutive by the Gators in the half. The Aggie offense was virtually non-existent the rest of the game, and as deceiving as the rushing and receiving stat line was (Devon Achane, 16 car, 122 yds, Moose Muhammad III 7 rec, 99 yds, Evan Stewart, 8 rec, 120 yds) they couldn’t move the ball passed to the 50-yard line to save their life.
To make matters worse, head coach Jimbo Fisher announced that defensive star Fadil Diggs, as well as cornerback Deuce Harmon, would miss the rest of the season due to injury, adding more fuel to an already blazing fire. With that, here are 5 things we learned from Texas A&M’s 41-24 loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday night: