The Florida Gators are set to clash with the Texas A&M Aggies in week ten. I reached out to Ryan Brauninger, an analyst @TexAgs, to learn more about the Aggies and preview Florida’s upcoming matchup. Here’s our Q&A.
NM – The Aggies are 3-5 entering week 10 and coming off four straight losses, three of them close and hard-fought games. How do you expect this young football team to respond against Florida and the rest of the schedule?
RB – I think last week’s performance gave them a much needed shot in the arm. I’d say there’s more hope and belief now than there was 7 days ago, no question. The injuries could curtail that momentum though. A&M is a beat up football team…like as bad as I’ve ever seen in that department.
NM – What are the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s Aggies team? Where have you seen improvement from week one to week 10?
RB – Their strengths are a moving target in terms of nailing down what they do consistently well. Those aforementioned injuries have played a role in that. I’d probably categorize secondary play and overall roster talent as team strengths.
I’d say the weakest link has been the offensive line. They did play their best game of the year last week, but it’s a group that just hasn’t executed for much of the year and has also been decimated by the injury bug.
NM– What does Conner Weigman offer to the quarterback room? What are some of the key differences between Weigman, Max Johnson and Haynes King.
RB – Conner’s talent is off the charts. That much is evident after one start. He’s decisive and has a great feel for the game. He also has more of that gunslinger mentality where he’s going to take chances with the football, especially in one-on-one matchups. Like I said earlier, he provided the team and program with a shot of life last week.
NM – What are the keys to victory for the Aggies offensively and defensively.
RB – Offensively, the offensive line has got to protect Weigman and just be ok in the running game. Devon Achane is probably the least talked about best player in the conference (that’s what happens when you’re 3-5 on the year, though). If the Aggies can get some sort of push, he’s got a chance to score each time he touches it. He’s been close to ripping off 50+ yarders a number of times this year. It all comes down to OL play for the A&M offense.
On defense, they’ve got to find a way to slow Florida’s ground attack. This feels like it could be a big day for Anthony Richardson to rack up the rushing yards both in the designed QB run game as well as scrambles. Jaxson Dart killed the Aggies last week with his ability to extend plays and drives with his legs. A&M will have to be very disciplined in their rush lanes, and they’ll need a spy that can match Richardson’s elite size/speed combo – easier said than done.
NM – Texas A&M is currently 3.5 point favorites over Florida. How do you see this game going Saturday?
RB – This is a tough one to predict. I don’t think either team anticipated being where they’re at this late in the season. Will motivation, or lack thereof, be a factor for either side? I don’t know if you can say that leading into Saturday because neither Florida or A&M have seemingly cashed it in for the year. Both teams are still competing. The Aggies injuries are a problem, but I believe they find a way to be on the right side of a close for the first time in about 7 weeks.
Texas A&M 30, Florida 24
You can follow Ryan Brauninger on Twitter @R_Brauninger and his work @TexAgs and @TwelveBaseball.