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Following a week off, the Florida Gators are set to take on the UCF Knights in primetime at the Swamp.
The Gators are coming off a tough win over Mississippi State while the Knights dropped their first game of the year against Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes.
The following is our staff’s predictions for Florida vs UCF.
Brian Fox: The Gators opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but in less than 24 hours, the line completely flipped. Florida is now a 2.5-point underdog against in-state UCF. The Knights will have KJ Jefferson under center. The former Razorback performed really well against Florida last November in a 39-36 Arkansas win. On the day, Jefferson completed 20-31 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 92 yards and a score on the ground. Florida will have to stop a really solid ground attack from the Knights, which hasn’t exactly been a strength for the Florida defense. UCF, 31-20.
Ryan Friedwald: This has been the toughest pick of the year and probably will be for the remainder of the season. If the Gators can maintain the run game, they will win this football game. Unfortunately, the Gators defense has allowed 833 total rushing yards in four games, averaging around 208 rushing yards per game. I assume (and hope) that Armstrong has prepared his scheme for the run game because that is the main source of yards coming from the Knights offense. The Knights are also winless in the swamp, historically speaking. I think the Gators get it done after a well timed bye week coming off a dominant victory against Mississippi State. Gators to win, 31-17.
Aiden Wacksman: UCF is coming off a rough 48-21 loss to Colorado in which its defense allowed 418 total yards. In that game, though, the greatest issue for the Knights was their four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions). Colorado’s defense has enough potency to stay ahead in the turnover battle, but I’m not sure Florida’s can say the same. The unit has fallen behind in the turnover battle in just about every game this season, and without forced turnovers, I don’t see how the Gators can escape with a win. The front seven, which allowed over 200 rushing yards to Mississippi State, will need a miraculous revival to stop UCF’s fierce rushing attack. I hope to see Florida’s defensive front achieve its best performance of the season, but I don’t think it will happen this Saturday. UCF, 37-31.
Florida and UCF are set to kickoff from Gainesville at 7:45 PM. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
The Florida Gators (2-2, 1-1 SEC) seek to build upon its first victory in SEC play against Mississippi State with a home matchup against rival UCF (3-1, 1-1 Big 12) on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Gators’ 45-28 road win over the Bulldogs on Sept. 21 was monumental in getting the squad back in the right headspace. The offense accumulated over 500 total yards, 226 of which came on the ground.
Montrell Johnson, Treyaun Webb and Jadan Baugh earned 40+ rushing yards on the day. The Gators’ offensive line dominated the outmatched Bulldogs in the trenches after a slow first quarter. A successful rushing attack led to an equally effective play action attack, and the Florida offense was seemingly unstoppable.
Mississippi State, though, has one of the worst defenses in the country. The unit allowed 35.5 PPG to non-FCS opponents heading into its matchup against Florida.
Regardless, the win was a huge momentum boost heading into a bye week, which came at a critical time. The team has been riddled with injuries to start the season, but one key player who did not appear in the Mississippi State game may be able to return for this weekend’s matchup.
Eugene Wilson III, who did not play in the Gators’ first two bouts of SEC play, took reps in practice on Wednesday afternoon, according to head coach Billy Napier. However, it is still unknown if he will start against UCF this weekend.
Florida returns to its challenging schedule on Saturday as UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson attempts to exploit the Gators’ defense for a second straight year.
Jefferson, who transferred to UCF from Arkansas in the offseason, made his first appearance in The Swamp last season. He gashed Florida’s defense for 300 total yards and three touchdowns, leading Arkansas to a 39-36 overtime win. The loss effectively shut the Gators out of bowl eligibility in the long run.
The 6’3, 247 lbs quarterback is surrounded by elite talent on offense. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson is a player to keep an eye on this Saturday. The fifth-year senior was a 2023 All-Big 12 honorable mention and recorded six catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns in UCF’s 35-34 week three win over TCU.
Running back RJ Harvey is UCF’s most versatile offensive athlete. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games and had nearly 100 receiving yards in the Knights’ loss to Colorado. The senior from Orlando, Florida, is also averaging seven yards per carry.
UCF’s offense is heavily dependent upon its strong ground attack, which is led by the two-headed monster of Jefferson and Harvey. It struggled against Colorado due to the offensive line’s inability to get a significant push, resulting in a 48-21 loss at the hands of Deion Sanders.
The key to victory for Florida this weekend will be to stop the UCF’s rushing attack. This, however, will be a notable challenge. The Gators’ defense allowed 240 rushing yards to a Mississippi State team which accumulated a mere 56 yards on the ground against Toledo. Furthermore, the front seven has consistently struggled against the run throughout the season.
Napier announced on Monday that he would continue to utilize both Mertz and DJ Lagway at quarterback. Both will have the opportunity to shine against a reeling UCF secondary that has allowed 252 passing yards per game and seven touchdowns in its last two games.
The No. 15-ranked Florida Gators opened SEC play with a five set victory over conference newcomer Oklahoma. The Sooners claimed sets two and three but Florida proved resilient and won the final two sets to head back to Gainesville with the win.
Florida won the first set 25-21. It was a back and forth first set of play that the Gators actually trailed 19-18 before an Alexis Stucky service ace. Stucky’s service run would last six points and included consecutive aces and left the Gators ahead 23-20. Kennedy Martin completed the set with a kill. The Gators finished with 17 kills and hit at a .414 clip.
S1 | Wait for it… 😏
Back-to-back aces from Alexis Stucky, keeping Florida leading the way in SEC aces!
Oklahoma won the second set 25-19 and maintained an early lead throughout. The Sooners quickly grabbed a 6-2 lead and never led by less than three points (15-12) while leading by as many as nine (22-13). Florida’s hitting percentage was just .077 for the set as the Gators made six errors on 26 swings.
The third set started evenly with the score tied at 10 nearly midway through. However, the Sooners took over from there. An 8-2 run put the Sooners well ahead, but the Gators weren’t done yet. Florida scored four straight with Kennedy Martin serving to close the gap to 18-16. Oklahoma proved to be too much though, finishing the third set on a 7-2 run. The Sooners hit a whopping .480 and made just two errors in the set.
The Gators opened a two point lead early in the fourth set and saw it grow until Florida clinched the set on an attack error from Oklahoma. For the set, the Gators hit at a .367 clip and recorded 15 kills.
With the match even at two sets, the race to fifteen fifth set saw Florida once again prove their resilience. Oklahoma raced out to a 5-1 lead followed quickly by a 7-2 advantage. A Kennedy Martin kill made it a 10-6. A six serve run by Alexis Stucky put the Gators ahead 11-10 before an service error evened things at eleven. Emily Canaan’s service ace made it 13-12 Florida. The Gators completed the comeback with a kill from freshman middle blocker Alec Rothe.
For the night, Kennedy Martin finished with 18 kills while AC Fitzpatrick added 17 and recorded a .448 hitting percentage. Canaan led the Gators with eight digs while Stucky assisted on 44 kills.
Florida improved to 10-2 overall with the win and 1-0 in SEC play. Florida also hands the Sooners the loss in their first conference match as an SEC program.
Florida will face No. 12 Kentucky Sunday at the O’Dome. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
Florida setter Alexis Stucky was named the SEC Player of the Week and the conference’s Setter of the Week following her first weekend back in action after last season’s ACL injury. Middle blocker Alec Rothe earned Freshman of the Week honors, as well.
In Friday’s (Sept. 20) win over North Texas, Stucky played one set and accumulated 14 assists and one kill. On Sunday (Sept. 22), she made her first start of the season and recorded 32 assists while the Gators hitting percentage was an astronomical .442 in a sweep of Buffalo. Stucky also filled up the rest of the stat line in Sunday’s contest: 8 digs, 3 kills, 2 blocks, and an ace.
Rothe finished the week with 11 blocks and a .559 hitting percentage with just one error during the week of play. Against Florida State, she had ten kills and three blocks, and hit at a .600 clip. She recorded a team high five blocks against North Texas.
In The Polls:
Florida has moved up one spot in the AVCA Volleyball Poll to No. 15. The Gators earned their first ranked victory with a five set thriller over rival Florida State (No. 18).
Up Next:
Florida will open SEC play this weekend with a road matchup with new conference-mate Oklahoma on Thursday. The Gators then return to Gainesville to take on No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday.
The Gators continued their SEC push with a trip to Alabama as they took on the Auburn Tigers. The Tigers entered the game ranked sixth in the nation. The Gators were coming off a very tough fixture against Kentucky, where they drew level at 0-0. The Gators looked to add three points to their tally Sunday.
The Gators started off with high intensity and pressure as the referee blew the whistle. Within 15 seconds, Florida already conceded a foul, but it was a tone setter for the rest of the first half.
Florida looked much better within the first half than last match. They maintained possession and strung up some great movements that kept Auburn on their heels. With the first shot of the game, Lena Bailey hit the ball with power but the Auburn goalkeeper, Maddie Prohaska, made a comfortable save. Florida was playing with more confidence and it took the Tigers by surprise.
Auburn returned the same favor two minutes later. A great move by the Tigers allowed Anna Haddock to have a striking opportunity. The Florida defense had other plans, and blocked the shot; getting rid of the danger. The Tigers reminded the Gators that they can still be a threat.
The game began to settle in and both teams were playing their possession. A lot of patient play from Auburn which gave them some chances, but nothing threatening. Florida found themselves with great spells of play, too. It was pretty even through the first half in all aspects.
AT the 24:07 minute mark, both coaches decided to change up their squads. Auburn subbed on two players and Florida subbed on five players. Both teams made offensive changes in hopes of finding that crucial first goal.
The game was like a seesaw for the rest of the half. Both teams were playing possession-based tactics and opportunities were available. In the SEC, there is no such thing as an easy goal. Auburn though, would have had them if Florida wasn’t keeping an a composed back line. The Gators defense caught the Tigers offsides on multiple occasions throughout the later part of the half, making the Auburn attack think twice before playing a pass.
The first half ended scoreless. The Gators finished the half with four shots and one corner. The Tigers finished the half with two shots, two saves, and one corner. It was a pretty even half and both teams looked to grab the opening goal in the next 45 minutes.
Before the half, Auburn made nine substitutions and Florida made six substitutions. It was evident that both coaches believed that the score would stay the same if changes weren’t made.
The second half began at the referee’s whistle.
Aggression was the summarizing word of the first 15 minutes in the half. Physically, there were five fouls accumulated by both teams. Offensively, Auburn came out the gates flying. They found their first shot of the game I 23 seconds, courtesy of Haddock. It didn’t stop there for Auburn, as they earned themselves a corner and two sequential shots within the 52nd and 53rd minute. Florida absorbed it well, but Auburn was looking super threatening.
Five minutes later, Florida earned themselves a corner and turned the pressure on Auburn. Nothing came of the corner though.
The Gators continued to struggle with the Auburn possession. With five fouls in five minutes, the Gators were really trying to slow down the offensive threat.
At the 64:18 mark, Jordan Crosby and her left found slotted the ball into the bottom right side of the Florida net and opened the scoring in favor of Auburn. The Gators were trying to get rid of threat but Crosby showed great composure and took her chance well. Auburn led 1-0 with about 25 minutes left to go.
After the goal, the Gators began to play more aggressive as they were looking to equalize. Auburn did not let up on their pressure and forced a Florida goal kick. Auburn followed up with two more shots looking to double their lead.
The Gators didn’t have an answer for the relentlessness of the Auburn pressure. By the 85th minute, Auburn had five shots after the goal. The Gators had one shot after the goal by the 85th minute.
In the 89th minute, Florida earned themselves a corner to try and salvage a point. The corner is swung in and the ball is juggling around the legs of everyone in the box. The ball finds Lauren McCloskey, who takes a strike, but it’s off the mark. The ball then finds Sophie White, whose shot is also off the mark. The referee blows the final whistle and the Gators are defeated 1-0.
The Gators finished the second half with three shots, three saves, and two corners. The Tigers finished the half with 10 shots, zero saves, three corners, and most importantly, one goal.
It was a very tough match up for Samantha Bohon and her Gators. The Gators played a terrific first half and tried to go for it in the second half. The relentless pressure from the Tigers got the better of Florida, but that’s what you can expect from the sixth ranked team in the country.
Despite the result, it really was a great performance. They went toe-to-toe with Auburn for majority of the match. The Gators will be a SEC threat later down the line. This team can get some really good results and find their way to the later stages of the season. But first, they have to take care of business against Tennessee in their first SEC home game on Thursday, September 26. This will be a minor bump in a long journey for Florida Gators soccer.
The Florida Gators traveled to Mississippi State and defeated the Bulldogs 45-28 to improve to 2-2 on the season. The Florida offense was led by a balanced attack and quarterback Graham Mertz. The Gators defense, however, also reared it’s ugly head in the win.
Mertz completed 19-21 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for a score. Freshman DJ Lagway had a good day as well, completing all seven of his pass attempts for 76 yards and adding twenty-two yards on the ground.
Florida’s defense struggled mightily, yet again. In total, the Bulldogs ran for 240 yards and converted 11-20 third down attempts.
Florida led 28-14 at the half, which included a ten yard score by Ja’Kobi Jackson and each of Mertz’s touchdown passes.
The Bulldogs scored first in the first half to cut the deficit to just seven points, but Mertz’s keeper increased the lead back to two scores before the start of the fourth quarter.
Austin Barber recovered a DJ Lagway fumble into the end zone for a touchdown, but Mississippi State again ran down the field against the Gators defense.
Trey Smack added a field goal from 47 yards out to complete the scoring.
On the day, Florida quarterbacks threw for 277 yards and the team rushed for 226 more. Despite finishing with more than 500 yards of offense, the defense allowed 480 yards.
Florida improved to 1-1 in SEC play while the Bulldogs fell to 0-1 in league play. The Gators have a bye week before taking on in-state UCF. The Knights are 3-0 on the season and have the nation’s second best rush attack.
A week ago things looked very different for the Florida Gators. Coming off a blow out victory over outmatched Samford, the fanbase had hope for the first time in a long time. DJ Lagway provided much of that hope and many fans were left wanting more from the talented freshman.
Then Texas A&M happened. Florida looked atrocious on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball and the Billy Napier heat got turned up even higher.
Next up for Florida: a road trip to Mississippi State to take on a conference mate that appears to be struggling after a dismal 41-17 loss to Toledo.
The following are our staff’s predictions of the outcome for the Gators and Bulldogs.
Brian Fox: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I bought into the DJ Lagway hype and thought somehow many of the problems that have plagued this team would be significantly better against a first year head coach for Texas A&M. I was wrong. Yet again, it’s the same mistakes costing the Gators. For that reason, I can’t pick Florida to beat a Mississippi State team they should. Florida is a seven point favorite, according to ESPN Bet, but I have so little faith in this team and the direction of the program, I’m picking the Bulldogs, 24-21.
Ryan Friedwald: After losing to Texas A&M, Florida has its first away game in Mississippi. The Bulldogs are also coming off a loss to Toledo. Both teams need this win for different reasons, but I believe this game will come to one thing: defense. Both teams have swiss cheese defenses and the winner will be determined if their defense takes care of third down. This could go either way, but I will take Florida to scrape by simply due to the fact that the defensive line is better. Florida, 30-24.
Aiden Wacksman: An injury-ridden Florida squad was dominated by the Aggies last week. Key players such as Eugene Wilson III and Joey Slackman will once again remain on the sidelines in this week’s matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Florida is off to a disappointing start, but the Bulldogs are in an even worse position after losing at home to MAC member Toledo by 24 points. Napier’s management of the quarterback room will likely decide this game. One of the Gators’ many problems last week was the interchanging quarterback role. When Mertz was finding his rhythm, Lagway would take the field on the next drive regardless. I believe Florida will survive its first road test and (barely) notch its first SEC win. Florida, 35-32.
Florida and Mississippi State will kickoff at noon EDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
What do you think will be the final score of the game? Let us know how you think this game will be won.
It is officially SEC season and the Gators are ready to make their march towards an SEC championship.
The Gators started their campaign against Kentucky Thursday.
The first half was exactly what was expected. A goalless half with lots of physicality. Both teams were looking for control early. Possession was being flipped back and forth, mainly by throw ins within the first five minutes.
It was a possession battle for the next 20 minutes as both teams were looking to create an opening to open the scoring.
Kentucky applied pressure with two corners early on but nothing came of them. Florida handled the threat and cleared the ball convincingly.
The Gators started to feel the pressure from Kentucky, which led to multiple fouls in the first half. They conceded 8 fouls and earned a yellow card, courtesy of Lauren Donovan.
The Wildcats had some pressure to deal with as Florida applied offensive pressure late in the half. The Gators found two corners within the last two minutes of the half but didn’t capitalize.
The first half ended with Kentucky in control of the game. The Wildcats had five shots, six corners, and one foul committed. The Gators had one shot, one corner and eight fouls.
It was a pretty dominant half from Kentucky.
Both teams made substitutions before the second half.
The second half began and Kentucky continued to control the game. They gained some offensive pressure early, but nothing to worrying for the Florida back line.
Florida answered that pressure with some of their own. It didn’t end in anything serious, but it was a reminder to the Wildcats that they were there to get a result.
The physicality wasn’t left in the first half. Kentucky and Florida both conceded fouls in the first six minutes of the half and it didn’t stop there.
Both teams were making hard tackles, pulling on shirts, and using their shoulders to push each other off the ball.
Kentucky saw an early opportunity from Maddie Kemp, that made Alexa Goldberg make a save. Kentucky was slowly applying offensive pressure within the next five minutes.
The Gators fouled two times within this span and were struggling to retain possession. Kentucky earned themselves a corner and saw some good moves of play that ended up in Florida goal kicks.
It felt like Kentucky was on the doorstep of going 1-0 up. The Gators earned themselves a corner, though, giving them a much needed period of offensive pressure. The corner was unsuccessful and resulted in a goal kick, but it clearly gave the ladies some confidence.
The physicality continued as Kentucky conceded two fouls in two minutes.
Possession was mainly Kentucky throughout the second half. But, Florida was maintaining their defensive press with more composure and stability than how they were in the first half.
The second half dwindled down and it was still goalless. Both teams weren’t giving an inch and both coaches were trying to make a game changing substitution.
Kentucky found two corners in the last five minutes of the match. What felt like an anxious moment for Florida and the spark of hope for the Wildcats, the Florida defense stood strong and dealt with the pressure.
The final whistle was blown and the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Florida finished the match with two shots, zero on goal, 16 fouls, and three corners. Kentucky finished the match seven shots, two on goal, eight fouls, and nine corners.
It seemed like Kentucky’s game to win, but the Florida defense held strong for a hard-fought point.
The Gators have their second SEC matchup this Sunday against Auburn, who are ranked 6th nationally and have had an undefeated season so far.
It will be a tough match for the Gators, especially if the offensive side of the ball isn’t giving the defense some time to recover. The Gators can bring a good fight this Sunday and it should be another exciting, physical match.
The Gators took a trip to the west coast of Florida to face off against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in their last away game before SEC play. A lot of pressure, defense, and fluctuations of possession made this a very tough game for both teams that resulted in a 0-0 draw.
The first half wasn’t very eventful as both teams were looking to establish possession. The Gators established their play earlier than the Eagles, but both teams were slow to apply pressure.
The Eagles began to control possession after being awarded five throw-ins in two minutes. They were finding pockets of space to pass around the Gators’ midfield, but the Gators managed to get rid of the pressure.
After 10 minutes, the Gators found some pressure and earned themselves their first corner. They started to find their groove and continued to test the FGCU keeper, Olivia Molina.
After Florida’s second corner, possession was flipping back and forth. It was like both teams were playing hot potato. Florida began to settle down and started applying pressure again.
Pressure and possession allowed the Gators to find some opportunities. A shot by Madison Jones was off the mark but the build-up play prior was very promising. The Gators found another opportunity with Delaney Tellex who struck the ball right to the keeper, forcing Molina to make a save.
The game started to get physical as Florida began to have some foul trouble. Florida conceded five fouls within the last 15 minutes of the half. Nothing serious as no cards were distributed.
The remainder of the half was a possession game with a Florida corner ending the half. The corner was taken and the ball found its way to Oakley Rasmussen, who put the shot off target. The whistle was blown to end the first half.
The Gators had six shots, five corners, and one save in the first half. The Eagles finished the half with two shots, one save, and zero corners.
The half was controlled by the Gators. Ultimately, they had more possession and more chances than FGCU.
Prior to the second half, both teams made substitutions after seeing how close the first half was. Both coaches wanted to switch things up and maybe find some glory from their benches.
Both teams came out very aggressive. FGCU committed two fouls within the first two minutes. Florida found three shots within the first four minutes.
The Gators maintained their dominance early. They moved the ball with purpose as they searched for the opener. Florida kept the pressure and FGCU was struggling to deal with it. The Gators were pushing them closer and closer to their own 18-yard box, but nothing came of it.
The next period of play had a lot of changes of possession. There were throw ins being alternated and passes being intercepted by both teams.
Florida found some chances through good ball movement and was applying the pressure again. The Gators earned a corner but nothing came of it.
FGCU was absorbing the pressure well. They faced a few more shots from the Gators, but didn’t budge. The Eagles turned around and put some pressure on the Florida back line but it was blocked convincingly.
In the last 15 minutes, Florida had two more shots that were both saved by Molina. They were hunting for a goal and were putting the pedal to the metal with their offense. The Eagles didn’t seemed phased and dealt with the pressure easily.
The game finished with both teams settling for a draw. A few more passes around the back and the referee blew the whistle.
A draw that feels like a loss for the Gators and a draw that feels like a win for the Eagles. The Gators had 16 shots, 6 on target, and 8 corners. The Eagles finished with 4 shots, 2 on target, 6 saves, and one corner.
Ultimately, the Gators played a great game despite the result. There’s a lot to be happy about heading into the first SEC game at Kentucky on Thursday, September 19. Hopefully, the Gators can continue with their dominant play and get a result on Thursday.
The future is uncertain for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators (1-2) after suffering a 33-20 defeat at the hands of the Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) in The Swamp on Saturday afternoon.
Redshirt freshman Marcel Reed made his debut for Texas A&M in the stead of Connor Weigman, who was sidelined with a sprained AC joint.
Reed utilized his legs on the Aggies’ opening drive to convert a second-and-21 with a 31-yard scramble. Later in the drive, he connected with a wide receiver on a screen pass for a touchdown. However, an illegal block in the back penalty negated the play. The Aggies’ settled for a Randy Bond 31-yard field goal to take an early lead, 3-0.
Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway took the starting role interchangeably on each drive despite Napier naming Mertz the official starter.
Florida’s opening drive started at the 35-yard line after a free kick out of bounds. After quarterback Mertz failed to connect with wide receiver Marcus Burke, punter Jeremy Crawshaw took the field for the first time and sent a knuckleball-like punt inside the Aggies’ ten-yard line.
Florida’s defense struggled on third downs on the opening drive. That continued when Texas A&M got the ball back.
The Aggies’ offense once again drove into Florida territory on its second drive behind a 60% third down conversion rate. Reed found his rhythm and capped off a 9 play, 92-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass over the middle to tight end Theo Melin Ohrstorm. The Aggies extended their lead 10-0 with :18 left in the first quarter.
Lagway entered the game for Florida at the end of the first quarter. Gator fans, however, would have to wait to see him lead a complete drive.
The game entered a lightning delay at 4:34 P.M. shortly after the first quarter concluded. Play resumed at 5:17 P.M. with all 14:47 remaining in the second quarter.
Texas A&M got the ball back at its own 45-yard line. The Aggies’ offense advanced into Florida territory but failed to convert on third down as Jason Marshall Jr. forced an incompletion. Bond made a 48-yard field goal to make it 13-0.
Florida’s defensive struggles continued. Texas A&M started with poor field position but drove 99 yards for seven minutes behind a relentless rushing attack. Reed pushed his way into the endzone on a quarterback sneak with :52 left in the second quarter.
The Aggies led 20-0 heading into halftime.
The Gators struggled just as much offensively as they did defensively in the first half. Florida accumulated a mere 73 yards of offense with just seven of those coming on the ground.
UF started the second half with the football. It needed a statement drive to begin an effort to escape the 20-point deficit.
Mertz, who went 12-15 for 195 yards and a touchdown, opened the drive with a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Chimere Dike. Florida had its best offensive performance of the day as running room opened and receivers gained separation.
An Elijah Badger touchdown reception was negated due to a holding penalty earlier in the drive. Mertz and Badger, though, had the opportunity to reconnect on a play action pass on second-and-goal at the Texas A&M 14-yard line. Mertz found the wide receiver in the left corner of the endzone at 11:49 in the third quarter to cut the Aggies’ lead 20-7.
However, the Florida defense was unable to follow up. The secondary’s second coverage bust of the day allowed Reed to find wide receiver Cyrus Allen for a 73-yard touchdown. The Aggies’ tried and failed a two-point conversion attempt, making the score 26-7.
The Aggies extended their lead in the third quarter 33-7 with a 45-yard pick-six off a deflected pass intended for Badger.
Lagway, who reached just 54 yards passing on the day, found Dike in the endzone for a touchdown at 1:04 in the third quarter to make the score 33-14.
The Gators scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter as running back Ja’Kobi Jackson earned a 2-yard score with 5:13 remaining. Texas A&M led 33-20 after Florida failed a two-point conversion attempt.
Florida had the opportunity to make it a one score game with 3:24 remaining after Bond missed his second field goal attempt of the day. Napier elected to put Lagway in the game for the urgent situation instead of Mertz.
The decision didn’t pay off as Lagway threw his second interception of the night.
This loss marks Florida’s seventh straight to FBS teams. The Gators will travel to Starkville, Mississippi for their first away game of the year against Mississippi State next Saturday.
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