Marcel Reed engineered and scored on a 99-yard drive and threw two touchdowns in his first career start Saturday, leading Texas A&M to a thorough 33-20 Southeastern Conference win over Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
With Conner Weigman (shoulder sprain) unavailable, Reed was impressive in going 11-for-17 passing for 178 yards for the Aggies (2-1, 1-0 SEC), who snapped a 10-game road losing streak. He also rushed 13 times for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Le’Veon Moss had 110 yards on 18 carries as Texas A&M ground out 310 yards on 55 attempts in new coach Mike Elko’s first SEC victory.
Quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway alternated series for the Gators (1-2, 0-1), who lost their seventh straight game against an FBS school.
Mertz started and went 12 of 15 for 195 yards with a TD and an interception, while Lagway completed 6 of 13 for 54 yards, a TD and two interceptions.
Elijhah Badger (five catches, 94 yards) and Chimere Dike (six for 91) caught TD passes, but Florida played without leading receiver Eugene Wilson III due to a reported lower-body injury.
Reed, a true freshman, guided his squad on a 14-play, 62-yard drive on the first series that ended with Randy Bond’s 31-yard field goal.
The Nashville native added a 29-yard scoring strike to Theo Melin Ohrstrom on the next possession, but the game was soon interrupted by a 47-minute lightning delay.
Playing in all-white uniforms and white helmets for the first time since 2017, the Aggies made it 13-0 on Bond’s kick from 49 yards with 9:47 left in the first half.
Starting at their own 1, the Aggies used 15 plays and 7:15 to move 99 yards, with Reed plunging in on a sneak for a 20-0 halftime lead.
The visitors held a 302-73 total yardage advantage in the first half, including 197-7 on the ground.
Mertz led Florida on a 75-yard drive to open the second half, hitting Badger from 14 yards, but Reed found Cyrus Allen for 73 yards to make it 26-7.
The Aggies’ Bryce Anderson grabbed Mertz’s deflected pass and raced 45 yards to paydirt with 5:29 left in the third.
Lagway capped his fourth series with a 7-yard scoring toss to Dike, and Ja’Kobi Jackson rushed for a 2-yard TD to finish the scoring.
–Field Level Media
