After defeating the Longhorns on Oct. 4, the Gators have a chance to do the improbable: take down two top-10 opponents in a row. Starting the season 1-3 brought countless questions to Gainesville.
Will head coach Billy Napier remain wearing a headset, or will change be brought to the Swamp?
The Gators’ 29-21 victory against Texas stalled the questions for an additional week.
Saturday brings a new challenge: the hot-start Aggies.
Florida storms into College Station to take on Texas A&M. With a win, the No. 5 Aggies will improve to 6-0 for the first time since 2016. After its best opening five-game stretch in nearly a decade, Texas A&M faces a Florida team coming off a crucial win over Texas.
“You come to the University of Florida to be challenge to play against the best, and certainly we'll get that chance Saturday," Napier said.
In order to complete the tall task, the Gators must capitalize on vital moments.
Dominate the trenches
In the two games the Gators were victorious, much of their success derived from their ability to pressure the quarterback.
Against Texas, Florida had six sacks and added seven tackles for loss.
The Aggies’ pass protection has given up seven sacks through its first five games. The Gators have taken down the quarterback nine times going into the Week 7 matchup.
At the forefront of the TAMU offensive line is senior left tackle Trey Zuhn III. The Aggies’ captain was named to the 2024 All-SEC Third Team. Zuhn has bolstered the line of scrimmage, allowing the Aggies to find success in the ground game.
Senior running back Le’Veon Moss leads the running back room with five touchdowns and 343 rushing yards. Sophomore Rueben Owens II has added 276 rushing yards, 142 of which came in the win against Mississippi State.
“These backs, yeah, these were two — about the highest grade I give, I gave both these guys,” Napier said. “Big, physical, elite finishing speed. So you gotta bottle them up, gotta play with edges, gotta gang tackle, gotta wrap up.”
Outside of the Aggies’ dynamic backfield, Reed can also create plays with his mobility. The sophomore has 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The Gators saw a similar situation with Texas and sophomore quarterback Arch Manning.
The dual-threat took off 15 times for 37 yards, despite being taken down six times in the pocket. Florida will have to keep its eye on Reed in more ways than one.
Florida sophomore defensive tackle Michai Boireau added up his first sack of his young career in the Oct. 4 win. Muscling Manning sparked a need for the front-seven to take over week in, week out.
“We got to change the line-of-scrimmage,” Boireau said. “We gotta be the attackers. We can't let them attack us. We gotta attack them. And honestly, it all starts with the front.”
Florida generated six sacks in the Texas contest, with seven different Gators filling the statsheet.
“We all trust the man next to us no matter who's on the field. No matter if it's a freshman or if it's a senior,” Boireau said. “We trust the guy that's next to us, and we know we can go out there and execute with that guy."
Limit Mario Craver
The TAMU sophomore wide receiver has been the workhorse for the Aggies’ offense through the first five games. Craver has accumulated 557 receiving yards on 30 receptions and four touchdowns.
Averaging 18.6 yards per catch is a facet of the Texas A&M offense that the Gators secondary must prepare for.
Craver has accounted for over half of quarterback Marcel Reed’s passing yards in two games this year. The receiver totaled 207 receiving yards when Texas A&M faced No. 8 Notre Dame, which has experienced significant struggles in its secondary.
Florida senior defensive back Devin Moore will have his hands full against the second-year play-maker.
Moore corralled his first interception of the season in the win against Texas, and the fourth of his career. After being sidelined with a shoulder injury for the back half of 2024, the senior looks to make a difference in the Gators’ secondary.
“I think if he can stay healthy, we'll look up at the end of the year here and he could be one of the elite corners in the country, in my opinion,” Napier said.
Win the penalty margin
The Aggies have topped their opponents in penalties in all but one game this season. The team’s matchup with Mississippi State featured triple the amount of flags than the Bulldogs, but Texas A&M still won 31-9.
Florida has played much more disciplined football than its SEC foe. While the Brendan Bett ejection against USF may not be categorized as such, the Gators have cleaned up the penalty game as of late.
Since the Sept. 6 matchup with the Bulls, Florida has either matched or picked up fewer penalties than its opponents.
Despite falling 1-3 in such contests, playing clean football is a key to the Gators remaining competitive.
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz
Riley is a sophomore sports journalism student and is the swim & dive beat reporter for Fall 2025 in her first semester with The Alligator. In her free time, she may be watching past Miami Dolphins or Florida Panthers highlights or hanging out with her friends.
