GAINESVILLE, FLA- Following a high-scoring 35-45 loss to No. 10 LSU in week seven, the Florida Gators (4-4, 1-4 SEC) enjoyed their week eight bye week before their matchup versus No. 1 Georgia at TIAA Field in Jacksonville, Florida. As expected, Georgia blew Florida out 42-20 at the ‘World’s Largest Cocktail Party’, knocking the Gators down to sixth in the SEC East Standings. With just three SEC-Conference games remaining on the Gators’ schedule, it’ll be extremely tough to remain near the top of the SEC East Standings alongside No. 1 Tennessee (8-0, 4-0 SEC), No. 3 Georgia (5-3, 2-3 SEC), and Kentucky (5-2, 2-2 SEC). In reference to this, Florida has a great shot to revitalize their 2022-2023 college football season, as the Gators will travel to Kyle Field in College Station, Texas to face the Texas A&M Aggies in a Week Ten SEC-Conference Showdown.
Review of Florida’s Week Nine Loss to No. 1 Georgia
Similar to his week seven performance versus LSU, Richardson played well against Georgia’s stout defense, completing 18-37 pass attempts for 271 passing yards and one touchdown, including an impressive 78-yard touchdown strike to Sophomore Receiver Xzavier Henderson. In addition to Henderson, seven other Gators caught passes from Richardson, highlighted by Junior Receivers Justin Shorter (3/66/0) and Ricky Pearsall (3/38/0). It’s worth noting that Florida’s Rushing Attack was shut down by Georgia, as the Gators ran for a season-low 100 rushing yards and 2.9 YPC on 34 rushing attempts. Between Richardson (11/19/0), Freshman Trevor Etienne (11/53/1), Sophomore Montrell Johnson (11/24/0), and Junior Lorenzo Lingard (1/4/0), Florida’s offense struggled to move down the field, notching their lowest scoring output since their 16-26 week two loss to then No. 20 Kentucky. Penalties were also an issue for the Gators, as they were flagged seven times for 53 yards, while the Bulldogs were flagged four times for 40 yards. As a team, Florida went just 4-of-16 on third-down conversions and 0-for-3 on fourth-down conversions. In context, Georgia went 6-of-12 on third-down conversions and 2-of-3 on fourth-down conversions.
In spite of their ongoing offensive struggles, Florida’s Defense kept the Gators within striking distance of the Bulldogs for the majority of the game. As a result of three turnovers by Georgia, Florida actually cut the lead to 20-28 after Henderson’s 78-yard catch and run touchdown with 3:31 left in the third quarter. From there, however, Georgia notched touchdowns in each of their next two drives to seal the 42-20 victory over Florida. Senior Quarterback Stetson Bennett had one of his worst games of the season for Georgia, completing 19-38 pass attempts for 316 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a season-high two interceptions, courtesy of Junior Safety Jadarrius Perkins and Junior Linebacker Amari Burney. Not surprisingly, Georgia’s Running Back Committee continued to impose its will, notching 40 carries for 239 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and 6.0 YPC, as Junior Running Back Daijun Edwards (12/106/2) and Senior Running Back Kenny McIntosh (16/90/2) proved to be too difficult for Florida to handle. Likewise, Superstar Tight End Brock Bowers carved up the Gators’ defense, catching a team-high five passes for 154 receiving yards and one touchdown, while Sophomore Receiver Ladd McConkey added 51 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
Review of Texas A&M’s Week Nine Loss Against Ole Miss
Although Texas A&M dropped their fourth straight SEC-Conference game in a 28-31 loss to No. 15 Ole Miss, the Aggies didn’t play too bad. In his first collegiate start, Freshman Quarterback Connor Weigman played exceptionally well, completing 28-44 pass attempts for 338 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Of the seven different Aggies that caught passes from Weigman, Freshman Receiver Evan Stewart (6/88/1), Sophomore Receiver Moose Muhammad III (8/112/1), and Junior Running Back Devon Achane (7/41/1) had the biggest impacts. In addition to his involvement in the passing game, Achane also recorded 25 rushing attempts for 138 rushing yards and 5.5 YPC, all team-highs. Weigman and Texas A&M struggled on converting third and fourth down plays, as the Aggies went 5-of-14 on third-down conversions and 1-of-4 on fourth-down conversions. Ole Miss had similar struggles, converting 7-of-16 third-down conversions and 2-of-4 fourth-down conversions.
Although this was Texas A&M’s highest scoring output of the 2022-2023 season since their 31-0 week one win versus Sam Houston, the Aggies failed to shut down Ole Miss’ high-flying offense. Led by Sophomore Quarterback Jaxson Dart and Freshman Running Back Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss notched an-impressive 530 total yards of offense in the 31-28 SEC Conference Win. Against Texas A&M, Dart completed 13-20 pass attempts for 140 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while Judkins took 34 carries for 205 rushing yards, one touchdown, and 6.0 YPC. As a result of his performance, Judkinshas now recorded 1,036 yards rushing yards on the season, the most by a freshman in Ole Miss’ school history. In an upcoming matchup against the run-first Gators, the Aggies may struggle to defend Richardson and Florida’s Running Back Committee.
Game and Betting Information for Florida vs Texas A&M
Game Information
- Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Date: Saturday, November 5th, 2022 - Kick-Off Time: 12:00 P.M. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Game Spread: -3.5 Texas A&M
- Point Total Over/Under: 54
- Moneyline: Florida +143, Texas A&M -170
- Football Power Index (FPI): Favors Texas A&M at 67.2%
Betting Information
- Florida is 4-4-0 against the spread (ATS) through seven games this season.
- Florida has yet to lose ATS (2-0) as a 3.5-point underdog or greater this season.
- The Point Total has gone over in five of Florida’s eight games this season.
- Texas A&M is 3-4-1 ATS this season.
- Texas A&M owns one win ATS (1-2) as a 3.5-point favorite or greater this year.
- The Point Total has gone over in three of Texas A&M’s eight games this season.
Ten Facts to know for Florida vs Texas A&M
- In the five games Florida has played Texas A&M, the Gators are 2-3.
- Texas A&M has won each of the last two meetings against Florida, including a 41-38 thrilling victory at College Station on October 10th, 2020.
- Texas A&M is fourth in the country in home attendance at 98,407, trailing only Michigan, Penn State, and Alabama.
- Saturday’s Week Ten Matchup between Florida and Texas A&M is only the second time when neither team is ranked, the other being when the Aggies beat the Gators 19-17 in Gainesville during the 2017 season.
- Due to a number of injuries and suspensions, Texas A&M has alternated between three quarterbacks: Sophomore Haynes King, Junior Max Johnson, and Weigman.
- Despite having the top recruiting class in the nation, Texas A&M has struggled against the run, allowing their opponents to average 205.6 RYPG, which ranks 120th in the nation.
- In a stacked SEC West, Texas A&M has struggled, suffering losses to Mississippi State, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 15 Ole Miss, resulting in last place.
- With a 3-5 overall record, Texas A&M will need to win three of their final four games of the season, which includes Florida, Auburn, UMass, and No. 10 LSU.
- Through six games, Florida has seen its offenses produce modest results, averaging 30.0 PPG, 422.8 TYPG, 223.8 PYPG, and 199.0 RYPG.
- Meanwhile, Texas A&M is averaging just 22.6 PPG, 359.1 TYPG, 235.9 PYPG, and 123.3 RYPG.