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Rapid Reaction to Florida's 33-20 loss to Texas A&M

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•09/14/24•

ZachAbolverdi

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Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko embrace after the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

GAINESVILLE, Fla — It’s been exactly 11 months since the Florida Gators won an SEC game. And based on the way they looked in their 33-20 loss to Texas A&M, it could be a few more weeks before their seven-game losing streak to FBS opponents ends.

The Gators were gashed on the ground to the tune of 310 yards, led by 110 yards from Aggies running back Le’Veon Moss, and got beat by their backup quarterback, Marcel Reed, who totaled 261 yards (83 rushing) and three touchdowns.

Florida was held to 52 yards rushing and Montrell Johnson Jr. finished with a career-low -7 yards, while UF quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway combined to throw three interceptions, including a pick-six.

In the video above, Gators Online shares our rapid reaction to Florida’s loss to Texas A&M, Billy Napier’s future and more.

Billy Napier on the Florida Gators loss to Texas A&M

“I will tell you what I told the players. I think ultimately when we don’t have success and we don’t play quality football on Saturdays, it’s my responsibility. Everything that happens within our organization from top to bottom is under my direction and control, and certainly I take full responsibility for that.

I do think players are young people; they come to the University of Florida; we provide structure, we provide routine, we teach football, we teach values, we teach way of life. But ultimately at some point it becomes about production.

We have not played — two out of three weeks here, we have not played good enough football in many parts of our team at all.

Today obviously couldn’t capture any momentum early. I think we struggled to stop them. I think we had multiple opportunities to get off the field, and we could not. The play count got way out of hand; it was like 53-18 at halftime. Time of possession was very distorted there, and I think maybe we had three real possessions there on the offense. We did have a possession right there right before the half, I think there was 40-something seconds left.

Did score the first possession of the second half, got it back to two scores, then we quickly — two plays later we give up an explosive pass with a mental error in the secondary.

We couldn’t run it, and they obviously rushed it effectively, and they beat us today. Give credit to their backup quarterback. I thought he played a good football game. They used his skill set, and he caused issues for our team today.”

RELATED: Everything Billy Napier said after the Florida Gators’s ‘disgusting’ 33-20 loss to Texas A&M

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