Texas A&M vs. Florida recap
Photo: Texas A&M Aggies Athletic Department
Wow, what a game. Hate to gloat here (no I don't), but we here at The Junction Blog freakin’ called it. This is the win Aggie fans have been waiting for since luring Jimbo out of Tallahassee with the help of that 10-year 75 million dollar contract. Leading up to this game, many fans and national media members were questioning or even poking fun at the contract. The 0-7 record Jimbo had accumulated against top-five opponents was a main talking point coming into the matchup against #4 Florida (insane that A&M has played seven top-five opponents in Jimbo’s first 29 games; that’s nearly a quarter of games played). National media members were saying Jimbo had been hired to win those games and so far he had been a disappointment in Aggieland. The overarching theme from talking heads was that A&M was not going to break through and could not beat the elite programs. Same old Aggies, they said. Sure, they almost beat Clemson in 2018 and Georgia in 2019. But almost doesn't count and no one is here for moral victories, including Jimbo.
I previously wrote that I believed in Jimbo and the direction of the program. But as most fans were, I was underwhelmed with the start to this season. Some of the play calling and undisciplined play made me question what Jimbo was doing. Thankfully, Jimbo and the Aggies answered the bell on Saturday and came away with a gutty win against a very good Florida team.
So: Shut up. How do you like us now? Jimbo called an excellent game and the Aggies offense could not be stopped. I have been clamoring for two things offensively: more deep shots and more Isaiah Spiller. We got both yesterday. Caleb Chapman emerged as a playmaker, catching two deep balls and totaling nine catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Kellen played his best game in Maroon and White, going 25/35 for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Mond also did not turn the ball over, as the lone Aggie giveaway was an Ainias Smith fumble. Jimbo turned to Isaiah Spiller in the second half and he ran like a man possessed. Spiller finished the day with 27 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Beast mode. You like that Todd Grantham!? Spiller is now the third-leading rusher in the SEC, and leads the conference at 6.87 yards per carry. He is a physical, grown-man runner and can’t be praised enough for his performance on Saturday.
Photo: Michael Miller, The Eagle
Continuing the admiration for the Aggie offense - how about that offensive line? This unit was under fire all of last year and came into this season a big question mark. So far, they have looked like one of the better units in the conference. They have only allowed one sack all year, and it came in game one against Vandy, surprisingly. Obviously, they opened up holes all day against the Gators and really out physicaled the Florida front seven. A&M rushed for 205 yards on the day and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. If they can continue to play like that, A&M will be set up very well to make some noise.
Defensively the Aggies performed about as well as I expected. I don't think they played badly, Florida just has a really good offense. Trask is in rhythm right now, and he has weapons on the outside that win one on one battles. They did a great job of covering up Pitts and not letting him beat us. Sure, he still had a touchdown but I’ll take a 47-yard, one-touchdown performance from him given the kind of numbers he put up in weeks one and two. Great game plan by Elko: limit Pitts’ impact and make someone else beat us. And they almost did, but again, almost doesn’t count.
Buddy Johnson continues to impress and is the unquestioned leader on defense. He tallied 11 tackles and forced the fumble that ultimately led to the winning field goal. We are starting to see this defense take shape and form an identity. The secondary is suspect but you can't run on these dudes. A&M limited Florida to 90 yards rushing on the day at 3.8 yards per carry. We only got one sack from big man Bobby Brown but had pretty solid pressure overall. Trask was hit multiple times and certainly felt the presence of our defensive line. I think the secondary will improve as the year goes on, especially since A&M has faced the best passing attacks in the conference (and probably the country) already. Outside of Ole Miss, no one else can throw the pigskin like Bama and Florida in the SEC. The secondary is still young and they have been baptized by fire the last two weeks, and that experience will pay dividends as the season progresses.
Photo: Sam Craft, AP Photo
So what happens now? A&M finally posted a win against a top-five opponent, one many were considering as a national title contender. Given how pedestrian and inconsistent the SEC West has looked so far (outside of Bama), the Aggies are in position to have a memorable year. They will likely be favored in all of their remaining games, assuming they continue to play like they did against Florida. We Aggies have been disappointed plenty of times before, so I’m doing my best not to get caught up in the euphoria. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I have been drinking Maroon kool aid my entire life. It’s hard not to look ahead and see the opportunity before us. It will be a huge challenge but there is a lot to be excited about in Aggieland.
P.S. Really hope Chapman is okay. Not only is he emerging as a key part of this offense, but he missed 11 games in 2018 due to injury. Prayers up for him that it is not a serious setback. See his cryptic social media post below.
P.P.S. Credit to the Aggie fans for apparently making it difficult for Florida to execute, while Kyle Field was at 25% capacity. Some may argue it was much more than 25% but I have no idea what the actual attendance was so I am assuming A&M followed the guidelines. In a normal year, it would have been sold out with over 100,000 Aggies yelling so if 25,000 fans trip your team up, you need to coach them better. Mullen was lobbying his university to fill The Swamp by saying “The governor has passed a rule that we’re allowed to pack The Swamp and have 90,000 in the Swamp to give us the home-field advantage Texas A&M had today.” Good to know 90,000 Gator fans is equivalent to 25,000 Aggies.
Now on to Starkville to beat the hell out of Mike Leach and Mississippi State. #BTHOMississippiState
