The Aggies look to the trenches to get a road win against Florida
Three years have passed since Texas A&M last won a road contest.
That win came on the road against Mizzou back in 2021.
Now the Aggies will hope to break the road winless streak under Mike Elko as they head to the Swamp to take on the foundering Florida Gators. Don’t let the early loss to Miami fool you, this Florida team can still be dangerous and possesses loads of talent.
Let’s talk about what Texas A&M needs to get done in the trenches to secure their first road victory in three years.
Offensive Line
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The offensive line has been a bit of a pleasant surprise to this point of the season. While they didn’t have a world-beating performance against Notre Dame, they held their own. It’s tough to read too much into a win over McNeese but I did see some clips that made me excited about the fire in this group.
They’ll need that fire as they head to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators.
The good news is, this isn’t as fearsome of a front as some Florida teams of the past. Miami was able to carve up the Gators, particularly in the passing game and a big piece of that was the fact that Florida struggled to rush the passer.
The Gators are better against the run up front, however, presenting a challenge as the Aggies will need to establish the run in this one given the inconsistencies of the passing game thus far.
One other variable to watch? The weather. There is a strong chance of rain in the Swamp on Saturday which means Texas A&M could be relying on the run even more than usual. I would not be surprised to see Florida stack the box. How the offensive line handles that will be extremely telling.
Defensive Line
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For the defensive line, the challenge comes in a rushing attack for Florida that has averaged nearly five yards per carry with Montrell Johnson leading the way. Texas A&M has struggled to defend the run – as Mike Elko himself has admitted.
Not all of that falls on the defensive line as the linebackers and secondary have struggled at times but run defense begins with the defensive line and they will need a strong performance against Florida on Saturday.
In particular, edge runs seem to have given the Aggies the most problems. Texas A&M has to do better at setting the edge and forcing the cutback from opposing runners instead of allowing them to get outside. That improvement will be what I’m looking for most on Saturday.
In the passing game, it really depends on which quarterback A&M is pressuring. Again, sack numbers aren’t everything but you would like to see a number on the sack board against McNeese State.
Against Florida, the Aggies will need to get the passer on the ground to win. Particularly if it’s DJ Lagway taking snaps. While Head Coach Billy Napier has said both Graham Mertz and Lagway will play, it’s Lagway who gives the Gators the best chance to win in my opinion.
The Florida offensive line is a decent unit, though they have a glaring weakness at right tackle. Whichever edge defender is lined up there for the Aggies will need to take advantage of the matchup, be it Stewart, Scourton, or someone else.
Once again, I have to stress the fact that Aggie fans can’t take this game for granted because Florida hasn’t looked great this season. The Swamp remains a tough environment and the Gators still have a talented roster. However, the injury report from Gainesville this week may be something to consider as well when looking at this game.
Either way, the Aggies will answer a lot of questions about their season with the first road test of the Mike Elko era.