GAME
NOTES: After escaping with a less-than-impressive win in their season
opener, the Florida Gators put their national ranking on the line as
they take on the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Saturday
afternoon.
In
its opener at home, Florida found itself tied with the Bowling Green
Falcons of the Mid-American Conference, 14-14, midway through the
third quarter. A sense of urgency kicked in for the Gators however,
and they scored the final 13 points of the game to pull out a 27-14
victory.
Texas
A&M was one of the few teams in the country that did not play in
week one as its season opener at Louisiana Tech was postponed due to
the impact of Hurricane Isaac in the gulf region, and it's now set to
play its first game as a member of the SEC. In 2011, as a member of
the Big 12 Conference, the Aggies finished a modest 7-6, although
they posted0 impressive wins on the road at Texas Tech (45-40) and
Iowa State (33-17), and at home against Baylor (55-28). The
early-season success resulted in a ranking as high as No. 16.
These
two teams have faced each other twice before, but not since the 1977
Sun Bowl when Texas A&M claimed a 37-13 victory.
Florida's
offense was average at best against Bowling Green, gaining 365 yards
while converting just 5-of-16 third downs. The Gators also managed
only one touchdown in the red zone.
Jeff
Driskel took the majority of the snaps at quarterback. He completed
10- of-16 passes for 114 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown pass to
Frankie Hammond in the fourth quarter. Jacoby Brisset (3-of-5, 31
yards) also saw time under center, although Driskel remains the
starter.
Mike
Gillislee ran wild on the afternoon, tallying career highs in carries
(24) and yards (148). He also ran in two first-half touchdowns.
Hammond was the Gators' leading receiver with 62 yards.
Head
Coach Will Muschamp will be expecting more from his offense in the
coming weeks.
"As
our competition heats up a little bit, we have got to be able to open
up our offense more," Muschamp said. "You have to
understand that it is not just about what we did here in game one."
The
Gators defense was a step ahead of the offense, allowing just 14
points and 327 yards of total offense. The unit also allowed BGSU to
convert less than 25 percent of its third-down attempts.
Marcus
Robinson made a timely interception in the fourth quarter to help
seal the deal for the Gators. Jon Bostic made eight tackles and
Dominique Easley recorded the team's lone sack.
The
Aggies had a potent offensive attack last season, ranking 11th in the
FBS in scoring (39.6 ppg) and seventh in total offense (497 ypg).
Both numbers would have topped the SEC last season, but now the unit
has to transition from playing against the traditionally-soft Big 12
defenses to facing hard-nosed units that reside in the SEC.
Filling
the large shoes left by record-setting quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(3,744 yards, 29 TDs) won't be easy, but that's exactly what Johnny
Manziel expects to do. He'll become the first freshman QB to start a
season opener for the Aggies since 1944.
"My
policy is simple really -- the best player plays," First-year
head coach Kevin Sumlin said, who anointed Manziel the starter over
Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel. "Competition is a great thing
and we need more competition at all of our positions. All of our
quarterbacks have competed well, and I expect them to continue to
push Johnny."
Fortunately
for Manziel, he will have two high-impact playmakers to throw to, as
Ryan Swope had one of the greatest receiving seasons in school
history with 89 catches, 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns -- earning
Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Opposite Swope is fellow senior Uzoma
Nwachukwu, who started all 13 games in 2011 and compiled 50 catches
for 639 yards and two touchdowns. The Aggies run plenty of three- and
four-receiver sets, so Kenric McNeal (eight catches, 101 yards) and
freshman Mike Evans also figure to get plenty of playing time.
The
loss of Cyrus Gray (1,105 yards, 12 TDs) means that Christine Michael
takes over as the team's No. 1 running back. Michael had a fantastic
season in 2011 while splitting carries with Gray, gaining 920 yards
(6.0 ypc) and scoring eight touchdowns. With an increased workload
behind a veteran offensive line, Michael should eclipse those numbers
this fall.
Texas
A&M's potent offensive attack was coupled with a defensive unit
that performed below average last year. It's scoring yield (28.7 ppg)
and total defensive effort (386.5 ypg) would be considered poor by
any conference's standards, but in the SEC, those numbers rank well
toward the bottom.
The
pass rush was A&M's biggest strength last season, and defensive
end Damontre Moore is hoping to improve upon a fantastic sophomore
season in which he recorded 72 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 8.5
sacks and four forced fumbles. Outside linebacker Sean Porter is also
used to disrupting things in the backfield, tallying 79 tackles, 17
tackles for loss, and a team-high 9.5 sacks.
Linebacker
Jonathan Stewart returns to the fold after leading the team with 98
tackles in 2011. Safety Steven Terrell (24 tackles, two
interceptions) is the lone returning starter in the secondary, and he
will be joined by three sophomores in corners Floyd Raven and
Deshazor Everett, and safety Howard Matthews.
Florida's
performance last week did little to instill confidence in its
naysayers, but at least it had the opportunity to play a game. The
Aggies still aren't quite sure what they are going to get out of
their freshman quarterback. The crowd at Kyle Field is sure to be
raucous as it'll be ready to welcome its team to its new conference,
and it will be an incredible 12th man for the Aggies, but the Gators
are simply more talented and they will make a big play late to pull
out a narrow win.
Sports
Network Predicted Outcome: Florida 34, Texas A&M 31
