Florida Gators vs. Texas A&M: In-Depth Post-Game Analysis and Key Takeaways

UF allows 488 yards rushing in what could be the final blow for Billy Napier. Is the end near?

By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst

Must win? At this point it most certainly seems like it was and Florida failed the exam miserably. All week, the news centered around the quarterback conundrum facing Napier and very little talk about the many issues that have caused this team to look listless and overmatched two out of the last three weeks. Texas A&M would be without starting quarterback Connor Weigman and go with redshirt freshman Marcel Reed. It was expected Weigman would find a hard day in one of college football’s most hostile environments. Also the Gators had improved defensively against Samford and looked to be settling in for a run of success with a string of winnable football games beginning with a visit from the Aggies.

What We Thought: Texas A&M was surrendering almost 190 yards per game on the ground in the first two games and despite having one of the SEC’s best groups on paper Texas A&M had underperformed thus far. The Gators would utilize an abbreviated two-quarterback system where Graham Mertz would return from injury and allow the Gators to return to offensive consistency. And true freshman DJ Lagway would spot play and give Texas A&M different looks with his ability to improvise with his legs and make off schedule throws through the air. On defense, the Gators would need to force Weigman into a couple interceptions on obvious passing downs and they would need to stifle the Texas A&M run game in order to make Weigman beat them with his arm. Weigman had been decent at best through the first two games and the Gators were poised to make life difficult in The Swamp

What We Got: Maybe we should stay away from previews and predictions. If not, maybe those that read them for knowledge of the upcoming contest should hold their breath. For two of the last three weeks what many have expected has been nothing close to that. The Gators surrendered 310 yards rushing to seven different rushers including 110 yards by Le’Veon Moss. By the way, did we mention starting quarterback Connor Weigman didn’t play? Redshirt freshman Marcel Reed looked like a seasoned vet in The Swamp and doubled down on Miami’s Cam Ward in observing that the Gators home crowd and facility is not that tough a place to play as many would believe. Reed was 11 of 17 for 178 yards and two touchdowns and added another 83 yards on the ground with a touchdown. He was never sacked and on an early passing down evaded an unblocked defender for a 31-yard scamper which signaled the rout was on. Despite all the talk of DJ Lagway returning the Gators to the promise land the freshman quarterback looked uncomfortable and unsure on his way a 15.2 passer rating with two interceptions and touchdown completing 6 of 13 passes. Mertz returned with a better performance, going 12 of 15 for 195 yards with a touchdown. He did throw a pick-six to safety Bryce Anderson which proved to be the death knell for the Gators. As an aside, the Gators managed only 52 yards rushing to a team that surrendered 378 yards total in the first two contests. 

Graham Mertz and Montrell Johnson Jr. (Chris Spears photo)

The Skinny: The end is near. The Florida Gators have consistently underperformed on so many occasions that that has become the expectation when this Napier led football team takes the field. For three years there has been talk of improved character, increased strength gains and athleticism. Yet when the product is presented to the masses, it has rarely represented a well-coached, prepared football team, let alone one that can compete consistently in the SEC. One could sit and rehash all that occurred Saturday but as many women have explained to us men as we try to talk our way out of a situation it sounds like a broken record. The question is, was it ever really fixed? Bill Napier arrived talking about excellence in recruiting (it has been average), NIL (awful with a lawsuit in play), exciting offense (where?) and a football team Gators can be proud of (says who?).

This has not been good, and with the buzzards circling, the thing that may be the most unsettling is Napier will have presided over one the worst tenures in Florida football history and Gator fans never knew him.

A coach that was supposed to be charismatic, inviting, an ace recruiter, and all around great guy, has been at times aloof, distant and in my opinion has done very little to endure himself to the fan base and the Gator community. It is too early to truly know where the Gators go from here but there are rumors that Napier will not survive the day or that he will coach the remainder of the season as even though the program has a one hundred people in a Jordan shirt in the program, there is no one to take the team in the interim.

Either way it is over, and while one may look to who took the first snaps at quarterback Saturday as Napier’s most perilous decision, 488 yards of offense to Marcel Reed and company say there are way bigger problems than the ones named Mertz and Lagway.

Napier will most likely lead a 100 or so people out of Gainesville with him shortly.  Which is sad because there have been some things off of the field put in place that represent the university and program extremely well. Unfortunately Napier is in the business of football and the football, the Saturdays of this thing, have not been good.

I wish Coach the best for the remainder of his time here, and beyond. I guess I wish we would have gotten to know him at all. 

Final Score: Florida Gators 20 Texas A&M Aggies 33 (Prediction Florida 20 Texas A&M 24)