Texas A&M Aggies dominate Florida Gators and take first SEC win

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Backup quarterback Marcel Reed threw three touchdowns in his first collegiate start and Texas A&M dominated Florida 33-20 on Saturday in what could have been coach Billy Napier’s last game with the Gators.

Reed, filling in for injured starter Conner Weigman, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score as the Aggies won a road game for the first time in nearly three years. Texas A&M (2-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) had lost 10 straight road games.

“He was outstanding,” said Mike Elko, the new A&M coach. “He was calm. He was confident. He made shots.”

This victory will go down in history as a defining victory for new coach Mike Elko and could be Napier’s swan song with the Gators (1-2, 0-1).

Florida looked inept on both sides of the ball and lost for the second time this season in the Swamp. The first time against Miami, Napier applied pressure. The last time, Napier could be thrown out.

“Ultimately, it’s all about production,” Napier said.

Napier fell to 12-16 in Florida, including 12 losses in its last 15 games against power conference opponents. This was its seventh consecutive loss in those games, including four at home.

Napier is currently 10-6 at Florida Field, which gives him more losses in the Swamp in over two seasons than Steve Spurrier (68-5) and Urban Meyer (35-5) had during their highly successful stints in Gainesville.

If Florida does indeed fire Napier, it will owe him about $27 million. His 28-game tenure would be the shortest in 100 years for the program; James Alward Van Fleet served as coach for 19 games during the 1923-24 season, going 12-3-4, and then left the team to continue his military service, eventually becoming a general of the Army.

The low point for Napier may have come at half-time on Saturday. As the teams left the field, Napier was shown on large screens for a pre-recorded public service announcement warning against drink-driving. During this, Napier was booed wildly. He was booed again as he ran into the dressing room after a television interview.

“I have no excuse,” Napier said. “I have no negative comment. At the end of the day, if you play a certain way in this arena, you’re going to be criticized. This is one of those places where there’s history, tradition and expectations. …

“If you play ugly ball and it doesn’t look quite the way we all want it to, then, hey, that’s part of it. I probably would have done the same thing.”

Florida showed some life early in the third quarter. Trailing 20-0, Graham Mertz connected with Elijhah Badger for a 14-yard touchdown. But Reed answered two plays later, hitting Cyrus Allen on a wheel route for 73 yards.

“I wouldn’t say I expected it, but things happen and I have to be ready,” Reed said. “I prepared as if I was going to start this week and I got the green light and did what I had to do.”

On the ensuing possession, Bryce Anderson intercepted Mertz’s deflected pass and returned it 45 yards for a 33-7 lead. Anderson silenced the crowd as he approached the goal line. Florida’s loyal fans had long since begun draining the swamp.

“You just have to keep going, keep trusting each other and sticking together,” said Florida cornerback Devin Moore. “It’s not always going to be bright, sunny days. You have to ride out the rainstorms.”