A two-score loss to open conference play doesn’t usually signal the beginning of the end for the Florida Gators, but it’s hard to find any optimism in Gainesville after a 33-20 defeat at the hands of the Texas A&M Aggies.
Things were ugly from the start.
The Gators put together eight total yards of offense in the first quarter and trailed by 20 at the half. Things were actually okay in the third, but [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] put the wrong quarterback in during the fourth and blew any chance of pulling things within one score.
And all of this happened with a backup under center for Texas A&M.
Sure, the rain in the first half played some part in the sloppy play, but the Aggies didn’t seem to mind the wet conditions in The Swamp at all.
It’s unfair to say that there are no positives coming out of the game, but the negatives far outweigh whatever little good did come about on Saturday.
The defense is (once again) a problem
Florida’s defense has been problematic dating back to the [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] era, and there’s no sign that it’s going to improve soon. Three big third-down conversions in the first quarter set the tone for the evening. The Aggies were going to do whatever they wanted to and try to make the Gators look silly in the process.
With a mobile quarterback under center, Texas A&M figured to run the ball often, and Florida regularly appeared unprepared for it. Redshirt freshman Marcel Reed attempted just 17 passes all night, but seven Aggies rushers — including Reed — combined for 310 yards.
Reed threw a pair of touchdowns, including a 73-yarder for a quick score after Florida started to show signs of life, and he also ran for 83 yards and found the end zone as a rusher.
Total domination of the Florida defense. Keeping Texas A&M under 500 total yards seems like a miracle considering the way they moved down the field.
Florida knew its secondary would be banged up coming into this game, missing Asa Turner, Devin Moore and others. Losing Trikweze Bridges to a questionable targeting call in the first drove the nail into the coffin.
DJ Lagway isn’t ready
For all the controversy surrounding Florida’s quarterback situation coming into the game, starting [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] was far from the biggest mistake Napier made as the primary offensive playcaller.
Lagway looked unprepared to face an SEC defense, which is expected of a true freshman, but throwing him into the fire after a rough couple of drives led by Graham Mertz proved costly. He threw two picks to Mertz’s one and completed just six of 13 passes for 54 yards.
That isn’t to say Lagway should be on the sidelines moving forward, but he needs to be eased into things. Lagway led a successful drive in the third quarter after a pick-six out of Mertz’s hand, but entering a 33-7 game after throwing an interception in the first half isn’t exactly high pressure.
Mertz looked better overall on Saturday, even if there are some glaring holes in his game. He’s not a deep ball guy. He’s a game manager. The problem is that it’s hard to manage a game when the defense digs a big hole early.
There aren’t any good solutions for Florida here. Lagway’s going to be green for a while, and Mertz doesn’t appear capable of navigating a schedule that’s only going to get tougher from here. Florida State and Kentucky feel like the only winnable games — UCF is better than Florida right now.
What a disastrous time for Montrell Johnson Jr. to no-show…
The six paragraphs above would never have been written if Florida’s RB1 did anything other than average minus-one yard per touch over seven carries.
Montrell Johnson Jr.’s longest rush went for two yards. Sophomore Treyaun Webb and redshirt junior Ja’Kobi Jackson combined for 60 yards on a day that Florida netted 52 on the ground.
With Mertz coming back from concussion protocol, Lagway still very inexperienced and the team’s top receiver out with injury, Florida needed Johnson to step up. He didn’t.
Veterans such as Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger stepped up in the passing game to make things palatable, but Johnson holds a significant amount of blame on his shoulders. He’ll bounce back, but Florida needed him on Saturday.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.