OGT-Florida Gators vs. Texas A&M Aggies 9/14/24 3:30 pm ABC

Florida Gators (1-1, 0-0 SEC) vs Texas A&M Aggies (1-1, 0-0 SEC)​

ABC
Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore
Analyst: Jesse Palmer
Reporter: Katie George
Channel (Cox): 7 / 1007 [HD]
Channel (DirecTV): 8 [HD]
September 14 // 3:30 p.m. ET // Gainesville, Fla.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field (88,548)

Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Shane Matthews
Reporter: Tate Casey
Channel: Local Affiliates
SiriusXM Channel: 374
ESPN RADIO
National Radio
Play-by-Play: Marc Kestecher
Analyst: Kelly Stouffer
Host: Ian Fitzsimmons
Channel: 80

​

 

2024 SCHEDULE
AUG. 31 NO. 19 MIAMI L, 41-17
SEPT. 7 SAMFORD W, 45-7
SEPT. 14 TEXAS A&M 3:30 PM
Sept. 21 at Mississippi State 12 PM
Sept. 28 Bye
OCT. 5 UCF TBD
Oct. 12 at No. 7 Tennessee TBD
OCT. 19 KENTUCKY (Homecoming) TBD
Oct. 26 Bye
Nov. 2 vs. No. 1 Georgia (Jacksonville) 3:30 PM
Nov. 9 at No. 2 Texas 12 PM
NOV. 16 NO. 16 LSU TBD
NOV. 23 NO. 5 OLE MISS 12 PM
Nov. 30 at Florida State TBD
Overall: 1-1 // Home: 1-1

TEAM INFORMATION
FLORIDA
Head Coach: Billy Napier
Career Record: 52-27 (27-5 Sun Belt) [7th season]
Record at UF: 12-15 (6-10 SEC) [3rd season]
Record vs. A&M: 1-0
Rankings: NR (AP) / NR (Coaches)
2023 Record: 5-7, 3-5 SEC (T-4th in East)

TEXAS A&M
Head Coach: Mike Elko
Career Record: 17-10 (9-7 ACC) [3rd season]
Record at TAMU: 1-1 (0-0 SEC) [1st season]
Record vs. UF: 0-0
Rankings: RV (AP) / RV (Coaches)
2023 Record: 7-6, 4-4 SEC (4th in W)

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Florida 41, Texas A&M 24
(Nov. 5, 2022 - College Station)
Recent History: Florida, W1
In College Station: Florida leads, 2-1
In Gainesville: Tied, 1-1
In El Paso: Texas A&M leads, 1-0
3 National Championships // 8 SEC Championships // 759 All-Time Wins // 3 Heisman Trophy Winners
58 First-Round NFL Draft Picks // 72 First-Team All-Americans // 258 First-Team All-SEC Selections
@GatorsFB // #GoGators
PMS 172cPMS 287cBLACKWHITEAND

NUMBERS OF NOTE
3 / 4 / 6.4 / 93.3 / 30
Florida RB Montrell Johnson Jr. has scored at least
one rushing touchdown in three-straight games
dating back to last season. In that span, Johnson Jr.
has scored four rushing touchdowns while averag-
ing 6.4 yards per carry and 93.3 rushing yards per
game. His 30 career rushing touchdowns are seven
more than any other active SEC player

 

THE STORYLINE​

• Week 3 marks the seventh meeting between Florida and Texas A&M including the third-ever matchup in Gainesville.

• The lead in the series is up for grabs, as the Gators and Aggies are tied at 3-3 all-time in head-to-head matchups.

• The head-to-head series in Gainesville is also stuck in a 1-1 stalemate, with the last such installment in 2017.

• The first-ever meeting took place in Gainesville in 1962, with the Gators prevailing by a score of 42-6.

• Florida and Texas A&M met again in El Paso in 1976 (TAMU 37, UF 14), but did not play again until 2012 thereafter.

• After a 2012 road win (UF 20, TAMU 17), Florida dropped the next two games (2017 at home, 2020 on road) by a
combined five points.

• The Gators rebounded for a convincing, 41-24 road win in College Station in HC Billy Napier’s first season (2022).

• In the last four meetings since 2012 (2-2), Florida has outscored Texas A&M, 116-101 (+3.75 PPG).

• In those four games, Florida (1,572 - 393.0 YPG) and Texas A&M (1,553 - 388.3 YPG) are nearly tied in total yardage.

• This is the first meeting between Napier and TAMU HC Mike Elko as head coaches (more in ‘Crossing Paths’ on

 

LAGWAY HAS RECORD DAY, MERTZ EXPECTED BACK
​

• Florida returned four of its top-five receivers in terms of receptions AND yardage: Eugene Wilson III (61 for 538),
TE Arlis Boardingham (26 for 289), WR Kahleil Jackson (21 for 251) and RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (30 for 236).

• Of those to catch multiple touchdown passes for Florida last year, three of four were freshmen: Wilson III (6),
Boardingham (4) and TE Hayden Hansen (2).

• Florida had two 100-yard receivers vs. Samford in Wilson III (6 catches, 141 yards) and WR Elijhah Badger (3
catches, 123 yards) for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022 at Vanderbilt (Daejon Reynolds & Justin Shorter).

• Badger’s 77-yard grab from QB DJ Lagway marked the longest of his career and extended his streak to
28-straight games with a reception (10th-longest in FBS).

• The 77-yard pass marked Florida’s longest Oct. 29, 2022 vs. Georgia (Xzavier Henderson 78-yard touchdown
reception) and second-longest non-TD pass since 1996 (Quinton Dunbar, 83 yards vs. Georgia on Nov. 2, 2013).

• Badger totaled 100 receiving yards for the fifth time in his career (first at UF).

• WR Chimere Dike surpassed the 1,500-yard mark on his career with a 44-yard catch in the second quarter.

• WR Tank Hawkins caught a 36-yard touchdown pass for his first-career catch in the third quarter of Week 2.


• Hawkins became the first UF true freshman to catch a TD pass for his first-career reception since Caleb Doug-
las vs. Eastern Washington in 2022.

• Transfer wide receivers Badger and Dike made their Gators debuts in Week 1.

• Badger now owns 147 career catches, 1,798 yards 10 receiving TDs and three rushing TDs.

• In addition to Badger, Florida brought in Wisconsin transfer Dike, a 2022 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.

• True freshman receivers Hawkins (No. 241 recruit per 247Sports) and TJ Abrams (No. 366 recruit per On3)
provide youthful depth at the position, as both represent consensus four-star recruit

 

BOLSTERING THE BACKFIELD
​

• Florida has rushed for 100-plus yards in 22 of their last 27 games dating back to last season.

• Five UF running backs saw carries in the Week 2 win: Montrell Johnson Jr., Jadan Baugh (4 carries, 34 yards),
Ja’Kobi Jackson (2 carries, 18 yards), Treyaun Webb (4 carries, 12 yards) and KD Daniels (3 carries, 10 yards).

• Baugh and Daniels made their collegiate debuts as true freshmen in Week 1 while Webb scored his third-career TD.

• Primed to serve as Johnson Jr.’s primary backup, sophomore Webb rushed 26 times for 163 yards and one
touchdown in 2023 while pacing UF with 6.3 yards per carry. He also added four catches for 18 yards.

• Webb is one of seven FBS sophomore running backs to post over 6.2 YPC on at least 25 carries last season.

• True freshman RBs Baugh (No. 342 recruit per On3) and KD Daniels (No. 168 recruit per On3), along with Coahoma CC transfer RB Ja’Kobi Jackson, figure to slot in on the depth chart behind Webb.

• Jackson started nine games at CCC in 2022, leading the team in rushing yards (661), TDs (7) and YPG (73.4).

 

- SLAUGHTER HIGHLIGHTS O-LINE PLAY -
​

• As a member of the Preseason Rimington Trophy Watch List, C Jake Slaughter returns after rating as the No.
9 center in the FBS last season (out of 295) with a 77.8 grade, per PFF. He played a grand total of 622 snaps.

• Slaughter ranks 14th out of 250 FBS centers through Week 2 with a 75.3 grade in 2024, highlighted by an 86.5
pass blocking grade.

• Slaughter has not allowed a QB pressure across 61 passing snaps so far in 2024 (2 in 368 career pass plays).

• Slaughter allowed two sacks in the 2023 season opener at Utah, but has not allowed a single sack since then.
He allowed just two QB hits all year long, both of which came in the final two weeks of the year.

• Florida has allowed 59 sacks in 27 games under HC Billy Napier, which ranks 10th in the SEC.

• Across the last four seasons (2021-24), Florida’s 73 sacks allowed is the 35th-fewest in the FBS and third-least in the SEC. During that span, the Gators have out-sacked opponents by a plus-13 margin (86-73).

 

- OFFENSIVE GRAB BAG -​

• Over the last five seasons (2020-24), Florida ranks 13th in the P5 and sixth in the SEC with 450.9 YPG.

• Since 2018, UF ranks ninth in the P5 in passing efficiency (152.9) and 13th in TD-INT ratio (2.92).

• The Gators have totaled 500-plus yards in six of the last 24 games and in 18 of their last 51 contests.

• In Week 2 vs. Samford, the Gators eclipsed 400 yards for the 13th time since the start of 2022 (first of 2024).

• Florida has amassed 400-plus total yards 30 times in its last 49 games including 43 of the last 68 contests.

• With 261 yards at Missouri, UF rushed for 200 yards 17 times since 2021 including 11 occasions in the Napier era.

• Florida has scored 40 points nine times in 40 games from 2021-24 including five times in the Napier era.

• Florida has scored 30 points 20 times in 40 games from 2021-24 including 14 times in the Napier era.

 

- YOUTH + NEW FACES MAKEUP FLORIDA D -​

• A mixture of second-year players, highly-touted true freshmen and transfers make up the 2024 Gators defense

• Through two games, eight players made their first starts for the Gators with six making their first collegiate
starts in DB Sharif Denson, DB Aaron Gates, ILB Grayson Howard, DB Ja’Keem Jackson, EDGE Kamran James
and EDGE T.J. Searcy.

• Out of 22 starting opportunities on defense this season, 12 have been by underclassmen and five from transfers.

• Additionally, a total of 12 have made their collegiate debuts and 18 their Florida debuts.

• In Week 1, Howard led the team in tackles with six (three solo) including a solo stop on 3rd down at Florida’s
five-yard line to hold Miami to a field goal.

• Howard earned a PFF grade of 80.5 in Week 1, the highest among Gators defenders.

• DE George Gumbs Jr. recorded three solo tackles, which all were tackles-for-loss, including a solo sack for an
8-yard loss along with a quarterback hurry vs. Samford.

• Gates had two tackles with a fumble recovery on the opening drive and a pass breakup in Week 2.

• K. James finished with a career-high four tackles (three solo) and recorded his first-career quarterback hurry
that led to LB Shemar James’ first-career interception in the first quarter against Miami.

• Through two games and 28 snaps, true freshman EDGE LJ McCray has four tackles, three quarterback hurries,
and 0.5 tackles-for-loss.

• True freshmen – DL Michai Boireau (6), ILB Aaron Chiles (5), McCray (4), ILB Myles Graham (2), DB Gregory Smith III (1) – have totaled 18 / 26.4% of UF’s total tackles

 

- CASTELL IMPRESSIVE FROM DAY ONE
​

• UF true freshman S Jordan Castell began his legacy among Gator Nation in his first season.

• Playing in all 12 games, he started the last 11 contests of the campaign. In his first start vs. McNeese in
Week 2, he tallied three tackles and played the most snaps among defensive players (27).

• The first-year player finished as the team-leader in tackles with 60 total; 30 assisted and 30 solo.

• He also added 1.5 tackles-for-loss (-11 yards), three pass breakups and one interception.

• Castell’s season performance in tackles ranked tied for 35th in the SEC and fourth among true freshmen,
trailing Alabama’s Caleb Downs (99), South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore (76) and Texas A&M’s Taurean York (66).

• He collected a trio of postseason honors in being named Freshman All-SEC, ESPN All-America and CFN
Freshman All-America Honorable Mention.

• Castell was also named to the FWWA (Football Writers Association of America) Midseason Freshman
All-America Watch List.

• The Orlando native played the most defensive snaps on the team with 660 and was one of two UF players
(Jason Marshall Jr. / 651) to play 600-plus snaps.

• There were only 51 total defensive plays that Castell did not play.

• He accumulated a total of 751 snaps played in 2023 (51 on special teams), marking the only defensive
player to play in 700-plus snaps.

• According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Castell finished with a 75.7 grade, ranking fifth among FBS true
freshman and second in the SEC behind Alabama’s Caleb Downs.

• His Week 3 performance in the 29-16 victory over No. 11 Tennessee earned him a pair of weekly honors in
SEC Freshman of the Week and Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week.

• He had his first of two double-digit tackle games with a team-high 10 tackles and one pass breakup.

• Against Arkansas, Castell recorded his first-career interception to end Arkansas’ last drive of the first
quarter and also finished with a career-high 11 tackles

• He was the first UF true freshman to register an interception since Marshall Jr. vs. Florida State in 2021

​

 

2023 YOUTH MOVEMENT LOOK BACK​

• The 2023 Florida defense featured a majority of underclassmen (two seasons or fewer) making an impact.

• Then-freshman S Jordan Castell finished as the team-leader in tackles with 60 while LB Shemar James
ranked second with 55 and Bryce Thornton seventh with 34.

• James (5.5) ranked second in TFLs while true freshmen EGDE T.J. Searcy (3.5) and S Bryce Thornton (3.5) tied
for sixth. RS freshman DL Jamari Lyons (2.5) placed 10th.

• Searcy was UF’s best tackler with a 87.5 PFF grade, as he did not miss a tackle across 250 defensive snaps.

• Freshmen CB Ja’Keem Jackson and Castell were third on the team in pass breakups with three each.

• The duo of Castell (660 snaps) and James (395 snaps) ranked first and seventh in total defensive snaps.

• A combined 56 starts came from players in their second season or less with eight coming vs. Arkansas in
Week 10 and seven in the season finale vs. No. 5 Florida State.

• 24 starts were made by true freshmen on both offense and defense - Castell (11), Eugene Wilson III (7),
Thornton (4), OL Knijeah Harris (1) and LB Jaden Robinson (1).

• Castell started at safety in each of the last 11 games as fellow true freshman Thornton started alongside him
four times, signifying Florida’s first game starting two true freshmen at safety in the last 25 years (Week 6 vs.
Vandy). The duo started again vs. Arkansas along with first-year Robinson.

• The 15 combined starts by Castell and Thornton were the most in the FBS by true-freshman DBs.

• Florida’s true freshman DBs accounted for 1,759 total snaps - again the most in the FBS.

• Then-freshman CB Aaron Gates made his collegiate debut and made two crucial plays at South Carolina - a
tackle to stop a two-point conversion and an interception on the lateral on the last play of the game.

• The debut by Gates marked the 11th out of 12 Class of 2023 defensive players to play last season and the 17th
out of 21 total signees to appear in a game.

• Eight of the 12 played in all 12 games while the class totaled 1,969 defensive snaps.
» The eight players were: EDGE Kelby Collins, Castell, CB Sharif Denson, EDGE Kamran James, CB Dijon
Johnson, Robinson, Searcy and Thornton.

 

- 2023 DEFENSIVE HIGH POINTS ?​

• In Week 1 at No. 14 Utah, the Gators held the Utes to just 38 total yards in the second half - Florida’s lowest
total in a half since giving up just 18 vs. Vanderbilt on Nov. 9, 2019.

• In the Week 2 home opener vs. McNeese, UF held the Cowboys to 46 rushing yards - fewest since 44 vs. South
Carolina in 2022. Florida also held McNeese to 66 passing yards - fewest since Charleston Southern in 2018.

• In Week 2, UF had its best defensive performance (112 yards) in 86 games (Sept. 17, 2016 vs. North Texas - 53).

• Florida held No. 11 Tennessee to its fifth-fewest points (16) in the Josh Heupel era. The Gators also hold the
mark for third-fewest in the head coach’s tenure with 14 points allowed in 2021.

• Against Vanderbilt, the Gators held the Commodores to 64 total rushing yards. It marked the third time of
the 2023 campaign that Florida held an opponent to under 100 rushing yards and fifth of the Napier era.

• Florida limited FSU to 85 total yards including 13 rushing yards and 9:18 possession time in the first half. The Florida defense did not allow a first down in the first quarter while surrendering just seven total yards.

 

- SMACK & CRAWSHAW = GAME CHANGERS -​

• P Jeremy Crawshaw set the single-season program record with 48.9 yards per punt last season and was
named an AP All-SEC Second Team selection. He is the NCAA’s active leader in net punt average at 46.7.

• In seven punts this season, Crawshaw is averaging 48.14 yards per punt with three of 50-plus yards, five inside the 20-yard line and two 61-yard punts.

• The 46.7 yards per attempt moved Crawshaw to the all-time program leader in career average punting
yardage, passing Johnny Townsend (46.2) and Tommy Townsend (44.8).

• He has punted 138 times in his career for an average of 46.7 per attempt, 14 60-plus yards, 58 50-plus yards, 56
inside the 20-yard line and 50 for fair catches. His 138 attempts now rank ninth all-time at UF, passing Bill Conover.

• Freshman RB Jadan Baugh highlighted his collegiate debut with a 35-yard kickoff return, which marked
Florida’s longest kickoff return since 2022. He added another 30-plus yard kick return with a 31-yard in Week 2 vs. Samford. He is the only freshman in the country to have two kickoff returns of 30-yards or more, one of
seven in the nation and the only player in the SEC.

• K Trey Smack took over place-kicking duties in Florida’s 29-16 win vs. No. 11 Tennessee in Week 3 of last season and went on to be named a 2023 Lou Groza Award Semifinalist, making 17-of-21 FG attempts (81.0%)
highlighted by a pair of 54-yarders.

• Smack is 2-for-2 on field goals and 8-for-8 on PATs so far in the 2024 season.

• Smack made all five FG attempts vs. Charlotte [23, 23, 27, 36, 54] and drilled seven touchbacks on all seven
attempts. He became the first Gator to make five field goals in a single game since Eddy Pineiro in 2017.

• He was also perfect in kickoffs for three-straight weeks with 13-consecutive touchbacks vs. Tennessee and
Charlotte, then again vs. No. 1 Georgia, going 4-for-4.