Never mind that Florida is 2-3 and has yet to win on the road this year.
According to Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, his fifth-ranked team will be facing its toughest opponent this year when the Gators invade College Station for a Southeastern Conference matchup Saturday night.
“By far and away, the most talented team we’ve played this year,” Elko said. “They’ve got an excellent group of players. They’ve played a very competitive schedule. They’ve played in two top-10 environments already, so they’re going to be well-versed in what this is like.”
That being said, there is a reason the Aggies (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) are strong favorites and ranked in the top five. They have proven they can win any kind of game, whether it’s a blowout (Utah State), a shootout (Notre Dame) or a defensive slugfest (Auburn).
A 31-9 home win over Mississippi State last week probably trends closer to the Auburn game than the Utah State contest. It was 7-3 at halftime and 14-3 after three quarters before Texas A&M finally got a working margin with two quick fourth-quarter touchdowns.
The defense has carried the Aggies through the teams’ first two SEC games. Texas A&M allowed only 19 points total, routinely winning on first and second downs before locking down on third down. Opponents have converted just 1 of 23 the past two weeks.
“A large part of our success is we’ve been very much in advantageous third-down situations,” Elko said. “A team goes first-and-10, second-and-6, third-and-2, your third-down percentage is obviously not going to nearly be what it’s been for us.”
The Texas A&M offense is paced by quarterback Marcel Reed, who has completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 1,256 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions. Le’Veon Moss has added 343 yards and five scores on the ground.
Meanwhile, Florida (2-3, 1-1) snapped a three-game losing streak last week with an impressive 29-21 home win over then-No. 9 Texas, a result that sent the Longhorns plummeting all the way out of the Top 25.
Sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway shredded the Texas defense for 298 yards on 21-of-28 passing, throwing for two touchdowns. The Gators’ defense allowed just 52 yards on the ground and forced Arch Manning to go it alone, sacking him six times and intercepting two passes to offset 263 yards and two scores.
It was a big win for embattled coach Billy Napier, who landed back in the hot seat after consecutive losses to South Florida, then-No. 3 LSU and then-No. 4 Miami (Fla.). After getting the response to adversity he wanted, he is eager to see how the team handles success against a top-five opponent on the road.
“Got to turn around and play an outstanding team,” Napier said. “This is an incredibly talented (Texas A&M) team. Big, long and fast. A very tough, physical group. We respect the opponent, obviously.
“The quarterback is able to make unannounced plays. It’s going to be a great challenge, and we’re going to need to be at our best. It’s what you would expect in this league.”
Lagway has thrown for 988 yards and seven touchdowns but has also tossed seven interceptions. Jadan Baugh leads the ground game with 396 yards and three scores.
The Aggies own a 4-3 series lead, including a 33-20 victory last year in Gainesville, Fla.
–Field Level Media
