Texas A&M (1-1) will take on the Florida Gators (1-1) in the swamp on Saturday afternoon. This is the first SEC matchup for both programs this season, and the Aggies enter the game with a conference road losing streak dating back to the 2021 season.
As the game nears, Thursday’s news that Texas A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman is now questionable to play in the game has thrown a wrench in the Aggie lineup, as the injury report also included starting cornerback Tyreek Chappell and safety Trey Jones, who is now listed as out.
Nevertheless, two teams will take the field on Saturday, and one team will come out victorious, so to prepare you for what to expect from the Florida Gators, here are three players to watch ahead of the critical matchup.
RB Montrell Johnson Jr.
Senior running back Motrell Johnson Jr. brings experience and a hard-nosed running style that could spell trouble for the Aggie run defense, currently ranked 109th in the country. Possessing above-average vision and speed, Johnson could get hot if A&M fails to shut him down early.
LB Shemar James
James entered his junior season as one of Florida’s more productive defenders, amassing 55 tackles and one sack last season, and currently leads the Gators in tackles (9) in two games. Texas A&M OC Collin Klein will look to establish the run early after racking up 333 rushing yards last weekend, while Conner Weigman or Marcel Reed pre-snap to avoid him wrecking the play.
QB DJ Lagway
Florida head coach Billy Napier will introduce a two-quarterback system on Saturday, featuring veteran signal-caller Graham Mertz and freshman phenom DJ Lagway. Last weekend, Mertz missed the game due to a concussion, while Lagway made his first career start, throwing for an impressive 458 yards and three touchdowns. While Mertz provides a steady hand, Lagway may be too skilled not to earn more snaps against an Aggie secondary that is now missing two starters.
Texas A&M will travel to Gainsville to take on the Florida Gators on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.
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