Struggles on third down played another pivotal role in Florida football’s recent loss to Texas A&M.
UF got off to a hot start in the first quarter, but the Gators (2-4, 1-2 SEC) failed to sustain drives the rest of the game.
After rewatching the film, here is a breakdown of what went wrong in some of the most imperative third-down plays.
Inside Florida football’s third-down woes
The Gators went 1-for-11 on third down, putting them at 25 of 79 for the season, which ranks 126th in the country.
Even more frustrating is that when facing 7 or more yards on third down, UF was 1-for-8 against the Aggies. In that circumstance, Florida is 3-for-34.
The Gators’ hot start was aided by the fact that UF did not have to face third down on either of its two scoring drives. Notably, quarterback DJ Lagway opened the game 10 of 12 in the quarter.
Florida’s one conversion on third and long against Texas A&M came in the third quarter. On third-and-11, Lagway found a wide-open Eugene Wilson for a 25-yard completion, which helped set up a field goal.
However, third down also killed the momentum of the same drive, with Florida opting to call a run on third-and-8 with the Gators seemingly choosing to settle for a field goal.
How Texas A&M’s pass rush redefined the game
After the first quarter, Lagway was 11 of 25 for the rest of the game, with Texas A&M’s pass rush being a main culprit for the Gators’ problems.
Making matters worse for Lagway was that he had no run support, with running back Jaden Baugh held to 65 yards on 18 attempts. It should be noted that Baugh got off one run for 15 yards.
The Aggies’ star edge rusher, Cashius Howell, recorded four tackles, one quarterback hit, two quarterback hurries and one sack. Meanwhile, Dayon Hayes was responsible for three tackles, two quarterback hurries and a sack.
The problems caused by that duo led to Lagway’s strip sack in the fourth quarter. Florida emphasized stopping Howell, which freed up Hayes for a one-on-one matchup against a struggling Austin Barber.
The nitty gritty numbers
On Florida’s 21 rushing attempts, the Gators earned only 14 yards on six attempts to the right side, eight yards on runs up the middle, and 43 yards from nine runs to the left.
As for Lagway, he was most efficient on the right side, completing 14 of 21 passes to the right side of the field for 168 yards and a touchdown. He was 5-for-10 to the left for 45 yards and a touchdown, while 2-for-5 for 32 yards up the middle. He was also 3 of 7 for passes that were deeper than 20 yards.
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at aabadie@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football vs Texas A&M film breakdown, key numbers, what went wrong for the Gators
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
