The Gator Nation is feeling pretty deflated right now after Florida football’s Week 7 loss at the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on Saturday. Things started strong for the Orange and Blue, but TAMU matched them step-for-step — and more — en route to a 34-17 victory.
After watching DJ Lagway come alive under center against the Texas Longhorns last weekend, many Florida fans believed their beloved Gators had a chance in College Station. After all, UF was 2-1 all-time there and stranger things have happened this year.
Unfortunately, this story unfurled pretty much how you would expect a top-five-ranked SEC team to handle a current conference pretender on their home field. Time is running out for Billy Napier to justify his job in Gainesville, and this latest loss inched the clock closer to midnight.
Following the game, the Gators Wire staff offers their instant reactions to what a few of us had hoped would be a Gators victory but instead was a disappointing defeat. We offer our takes in good, bad and ugly format for your enjoyment below.
Adam Dubbin
GOOD: It was great to see Florida march downfield seemingly effortlessly on the opening drive for the touchdown, as well as the pair of scores in the first quarter overall. It felt like the Gators came to play and everything about the first 15 minutes suggested they did.
Lagway went 10-for-12 for 128 yards — even if many were the kind of passes designed for Graham Mertz — and Florida averaged 5.8 yards on the ground on five carries. However, Napier had to punt once while his opponent scored on both of their drives.
BAD: TAMU quickly figured out Florida’s defense from the start, and the shock-and-awe from that opening bomb resonated at least through the first 30 minutes of play. The Gators secondary, which has had some rough moments this season but otherwise ahs been strong, was absolute fluxomed after that deep dagger.
By the time Florida got things figured out, TAMU’s defense had solved the Gators’ offense. The final two scores for the Aggies were more of a result of unbridled urgency from the Orange and Blue — which it struggles with — than anything else.
UGLY: It feel wrong to harp on Lagway for his play given the adversity he faced, but his throws were off-target pretty much the entire night, reminiscent of the games prior to the Texas victory. Was it the Kyle Field 12th Man that shook him? Are his injuries still lingering? Were the Aggies just that good?
It is hard to say, but he did not look like the DJ we saw in teh second half of 2024 or last weekend. And without that Lagway, this program heading toward another losing season.
Aidan Gallardo
GOOD: If you’re trying to find any positives from Saturday night, there are a few. DJ Lagway didn’t turn the ball over and threw for 245 yards with two touchdowns.
Not spectacular, but steady against a solid defense. Vernell Brown III was once again the heartbeat of the passing game, and true freshman Dallas Wilson showed flashes of why there’s so much hype around him with another score. Jordan Castell’s interception early in the fourth quarter gave the Gators a shot of life, too, even if it didn’t swing the game.BAD: The frustrating part is that Florida had opportunities and just didn’t take advantage. The Gators were a brutal 1-for-11 on third down and finished with only 74 rushing yards.
Lagway missed several deep throws to open receivers that could’ve changed the game, and sloppy penalties plus a pair of fumbles completely killed any offensive momentum. For an offense that was supposed to build off last week’s win over Texas, this felt like a step backward.UGLY: The worst part? Florida was simply outmuscled. Texas A&M ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns, and the Gators’ defensive front had no real answers. On the other side, Lagway was sacked three times and looked uncomfortable for most of the night.
The Aggies controlled the ball, the tempo and the line of scrimmage. Florida never really looked like it had a chance to flip it.
David Rosenberg
GOOD: Florida came out strong and it looked like this would be a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair. DJ Lagway had some good throws and put together two convincing touchdown drives in the first quarter. Things might have fallen apart from there, but it’s good to see Lagway looking a bit more comfortable, even if only for a short amount of time.
He’ll get there. Maybe not as fast as we want, but he will.
BAD: Everything kind of fell apart after that first quarter. The offenses couldn’t capitalize on stops or turnovers, and the defensive wasn’t winning at the line of scrimmage the same way it has all year. That’s not to take away from the Aggies. TAMU played a much more complete game than expected, and they look like the most dangerous team Florida has played all year.
At some point, you have to stop the run, though. Florida never did. Texas A&M ran the ball 19 times on first down (30 total opportunities) and averaged 4.5 yards a carry on those. It’s tough to beat a team that knows it can get 2nd-and-5 almost every time. Florida’s defense has bought enough goodwill this year to get the pass, but they didn’t get the job done today.
UGLY: The inability to sustain drives after the first quarter is startling. After that second touchdown, Florida had just one drive of five plays or more — it ended in a field goal.
You have to get first downs to win in the SEC. Florida went 1-for-11 on third down conversions. Texas A&M converted more than 50% of its 17 chances. Even worse, Florida only found itself on 3rd-and-short once and averaged 9.5 yards to gain on third down.
Play calling is partially to blame, but the lack of execution can’t be excused. The offensive line was as porous as ever, so what can you do?
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Instant reactions from Florida football’s Week 7 loss at Texas A&M
