Gators Online Gameday predictions: Florida vs. Texas A&M

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The SEC Eastern and Western divisions will be decided on Saturday afternoon. The two teams playing in College Station have nothing to say about that. Instead, the Florida Gators and Texas A&M Aggies meet as the second-worst teams in their respective division, desperately seeking their second SEC win of the year.

Billy Napier and Jimbo Fisher have a brief history together. Napier spent roughly six weeks on Fisher’s Florida State staff before jetting off to Alabama.

This week Napier is looking for his first conference road win. He also needs two wins in order for his team to gain bowl eligibility. This week could get the Gators nearly there with games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Florida State left on the schedule.

Here is how Gators Online is predicting the game.

Gators Online predicts the game

Zach Abolverdi: These two programs have faced off twice before in College Station, and the matchups featured some talented teams. Both went 11-2 in 2012, with the Gators getting the win over Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. UF won the East in 2020 but lost at A&M, which finished the year No. 4.

This year’s matchup pits a pair of struggling 1-4 SEC teams against each other. It marks Florida’s first true road game since Tennessee, where Anthony Richardson went off with 515 total yards. I doubt he’ll throw for 400-plus Saturday, but I expect Richardson to have one of his better performances and Florida’s run game to take some pressure off him with consistent production against the Aggies.

Defensively, the Gators will force freshman quarterback Connor Weigman into some bad plays (and turnovers) and make enough stops to bring home their first road victory of the season.

Florida, 31-27

Corey Bender: When predicting this matchup, I’m relying heavily on current momentum.

As expected, the Gators were dominated by Georgia the week prior but also dismissed starter Brenton Cox just days later. As for Texas A&M, it came out on the losing end as well, but freshman quarterback Conner Weigman provided a spark by racking 338 yards and four touchdowns through the air. That has to give the Aggies some optimism against a Gators defense that has struggled mightily in 2022. UF also ranks 116th in rushing yards allowed per game, so Devon Achane should have some success as well.

The Gators’ rushing attack will have its moments throughout the game, but I see the Aggies relying on their home crowd and pulling through late in the contest. This one could go either way though and will likely be a nail-biter.

Texas A&M, 24-21

Nick de la Torre: I’m behind in the standings, so I need to make a move here to catch Zach, Pat, and Corey. Unfortunately, I can’t make up ground on Bender, but I can catch Zach.

I think Florida has a clear blueprint to win this game. The Aggies are atrocious at stopping the run. Their run defense might improve if they had some band members walk on and start on defense. A&M is 121st in the country at stopping the run. With Anthony Richardson, Montrell Johnson, and Trevor Etienne, Florida should lean into the running attack. The Aggies also have a flu bug making its way through the locker room, which could affect them on the field this Saturday. Can the Gators commit to the run and win the game? They should but I’m not confident.

Jimbo Fisher also figured out who should be starting at quarterback, 10 weeks into the season and just in time for the Gators this weekend. Because, of course.

Texas A&M, 31-28

Pat O’Donnell: These teams are in similar spots when it comes to record, and both need a win for bowl purposes. The Aggies have turned the page at quarterback with true freshman Connor Weigman who shined in his first start a week ago. His ability allows the offense to really open up like it hasn’t thus far with Jimbo Fisher in College Station. It shouldn’t be overly difficult to pick apart the Florida defense. The Aggies have the talent advantage in this one as well. Saturday’s matchup is going to come down to whether the Florida offense can control the tempo in such a hostile environment. Ultimately, the Gators play in a 60-minute game that could go either way, but Fisher gets another win over UF.

Texas A&M, 31-28

Donavon Keiser: In a close road game, the Gators pull off a victory behind their stellar run game with Montrell Johnson, Trevor Etienne and company. While talented, the Aggies have yet to put it together in 2022. With Texas A&M’s offense lacking an identity, the Gators come up with a few much-needed stops on their way to an SEC victory and a potential bowl bid. 

Florida, 31-28

Tracking our picks

Writer	Record	Utah	UK	USF	Tenn	EWU	Mizzou	LSU	Georgia
Bender	6-2	UF ✅	UF ❌	UF ✅	Tenn ✅	UF ✅	UF ✅	UF ❌	UGA ✅
Abolverdi	5-3	Utah ❌	UF ❌	UF ✅	Tenn ✅	UF ✅	UF ✅	UF ❌	UGA ✅
O’Donnell	5-3	UF ✅	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ✅	UF ❌	UGA ✅
de la Torre	4-4	Utah ❌	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ✅	UF ❌	UGA ✅
Keiser	4-4	Utah ❌	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ❌	UF ✅	UF ✅	UF ❌	UGA ✅