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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A steady stream of guests visited the “Paul Finebaum Show” which takes place on Friday afternoon in the Plaza of the Americas.

Gators Icon Tim Tebow and colleague SEC Network analyst Roman Harper were the first guests to join Finebaum for a preview of Saturday’s Florida-Texas A&M game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

 

Game 3. 🎥 photo.twitter.com/EeDKbWNKtG

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 13, 2024

Yes, they were mostly talking about Florida’s quarterback problem, which revolves around the return of the experienced Graham Mertz from a concussion he suffered against Miami two weeks ago and the outstanding performance of a true freshman DJ Lagway in last week’s victory over Samford.

Tebow understands the fanfare surrounding Lagway, who instantly became Gator Nation’s favorite player. Tebow can certainly relate, having enjoyed a similar rise in popularity 18 years ago. Still, Tebow cautioned against turning the offense over to Lagway based on one performance and leaving Mertz behind.

Meanwhile, Harper took the opposite approach. If he were to coach the Gators, Lagway would be his starter and lead the program into the future, starting against the Aggies. Finebaum leaned toward Tebow’s assessment.

At the end of the segment, Finebaum asked the modest crowd gathered in the rain which way things were going to go. Lagway won that poll.

Everyone has an opinion on the subject as the Gators head into a crucial game against the Aggies. With both sides expected to play on Saturday, the subject is far from expired.

In this edition of The opening kick-offhere’s a closer look at the Florida-Texas A&M game:

 

THREE STORYLINES

• The game is a battle between two programs trying to do well. Gators head coach Billy Napier is 12-15 in his two-plus seasons, and Mike Elko is 1-1 at the start of its time in College Station. Both rebounded from disappointing losses in the season opener to defeat FCS opponents in Week 2. The winner on Saturday takes a step in the right direction. The loser takes a step back.
• One of the most popular questions in college football this week was: If you were Napier, would you be a true freshman? DJ Lagway or veteran Graham Mertz on Saturday against the Aggies? Lagway stepped in for Mertz after a concussion, throwing for 456 yards and three scores in a win over Samford that fueled the quarterback debate. Mertz returned to practice this week and by all accounts looked sharp. But given where the program is at, most experts felt it was time to hand the job to Lagway and start building for the future. Of course, it’s Napier’s last call, and he’s expected to start Mertz, who will be trying to rebound from a subpar performance and concussion in the Miami loss.
• Gators Awesome Emmitt Smith serves as Honorary Mr. Two Bits before kick-off to cheer up the home crowd. Meanwhile, Smith’s son, EJ Smith, is a reserve running back for the Aggies with 24 yards and four carries. EJ started his career at Stanford and grew up in Texas, where his father is a celebrity and the all-time leading rusher in NFL history. Regardless of the outcome, the Smith family will have a Swamp Moment to remember.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Transfer from Arizona State Elijha Das had a big game for the Gators in the win over Samford, including a 77-yard reception. With Florida’s top playmaker Eugene Wilson III Badger is listed as questionable due to a lower-body injury, but he could be a difference-maker in the passing game.
• Gators starting left tackle Austin barber has performed well in the first two games despite splitting snaps with Devon Manuel. Barber has played through injuries and done what the Gators have asked him to do throughout his career. He sets the tone for the offensive line, and Florida could use another strong performance from the veteran.
• Texas A&M quarterback Connor Weigman wasn’t at his best in the season opener against Notre Dame, going 12-for-30 for 100 yards and throwing two interceptions. He bounced back with a solid performance a week ago against McNeese, but like Graham Mertz Against Miami, Weigman is much better than he showed against the Fighting Irish. The Gators can’t let Weigman get comfortable.

THREE QUESTIONS WITH… GATORS TO HAYDEN HANSEN

Originally from Weatherford, Texas, Hansen is looking forward to the start of SEC competition and the visit of the Aggies from his home state.

Q: Given the opponent, do you have extra motivation this week?
A: Definitely. I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. They left me in my own state. They didn’t really reach out. I’d like to go out there and do my thing, show them what they’ve been missing.

Q: How important do you think this match is for the opening of the competition?

A: This is huge. Miami was huge, but after the performance we had against Miami, this is even bigger. We were expected to do what we did against Samford, and we did. Now A&M comes to the Swamp, and we have to win this game, and we should win this game. It comes down to which team makes the least mistakes, who just doesn’t beat themselves.

Q: How did QB Graham Mertz What is your training like this week after the concussion?

A: He’s always been a locked-in guy, but this week he’s extra focused and he’s a competitor. I’m sure he hated sitting out (the Samford game). I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone come back from a concussion so sharp and focused, like he’s never been away. Sometimes you have to knock the rust off a little bit, but I didn’t really see that with him.

 

THREE FIGURES

6 – Completions of 35-plus yards for UF true freshman QB DJ Lagway against Samford in his first career start.
30 – Career rushing touchdowns for Gators RB Montrell Johnson Jr.seven more than any other active SEC player.
10 – Texas A&M has lost in straight road games, a streak that began with a loss at Ole Miss on Nov. 13, 2021.

SEC AVAILABILITY REPORT

FLORIDA — OUT:DL Jamari Lyons (single, season out), WR Ja’Quavion FraziarsDB Ja’Keem JacksonAT Keon zipper makerS Asa TunerWR Kahleil Jackson (knee, out for the season), TE Caleb RillosWR Brian Green Jr.DB Ahman-CovingtonDB Brayden Slade. DOUBTOUBLE: WR Andy JanDL TJ-SearcyWR Eugene Wilson IIIDB Devin Moore. TEXAS A&M — OUT: RB Rueben Owens, DB Tyreek Chappell, DB Trey Jones III, OL Mark Nabou Jr. DOUBTOUBLE: LB Scooby WilliamsQB Conner Weigman.

NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS

• The Gators will play Texas A&M for the seventh time in program history. The series is tied at 3-3. Florida won the last meeting 41-24 at Texas A&M in 2022.
• Since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012, the schools have split four games.
• Former UF Defensive Assistants Jay Bateman And Sean Spencer back to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Bateman is in his first season as the Aggies defensive coordinator, and Spencer is Texas A&M’s defensive line coach. Both spent the past two seasons with the Gators.
• Former Gators DB Jaydon Hill and LB Scooby Williams transferred to Texas A&M after last season. Hill has three tackles in the first two games, while Williams has five.
• A week ago, Florida snapped a six-game losing streak and went in search of its first SEC home win since a 38-14 victory over Vanderbilt last season.
• The Gators had two 100-yard receivers in the win over Samford – Eugene Wilson III (141) and Elijha Das (123) — marking the first time since the 2022 victory at Vanderbilt.
• Gators WR Chimere Dikea transfer from Wisconsin, surpassed 1,500 career receiving yards with his 44-yard catch against Samford.
• Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Connor Weigmanlike the Gators’ true freshman QB DJ Lagwayis a Texas native and a five-star signee. Weigman has thrown 18 touchdowns and four interceptions in his career. He went 11-for-14 for 125 yards and two TDs in last week’s win over McNeese.
• Aggies Offensive Graduate Assistant Gavin Spurrier returns to where his grandfather, former UF head coach and current ambassador Steve Spurrier, made his name as The Swamp. Gavin Spurrier went to school at Duke and is in his freshman season at Texas A&M.
• Florida is 1-1 in SEC home openers under head coach Billy Napierlost to Kentucky in 2022 and defeated Tennessee last season.

THEY SAID IT

• “Saturday’s Texas A&M game against Florida in Gainesville feels like it could be the entire season for one of these two crazy fans. This is one of those games where, if the transfer portal were open, half of the losing team’s roster could be in the game Saturday night.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mac Engel in his column discussing the matchup
• “You want to take care of your future and not throw it to the wolves.” — Former Gators QB Tim Tebowspeaking on the “Paul Finebaum Show” on Friday afternoon, about why he wouldn’t turn the offense over entirely to the freshman QB DJ Lagway two games in the season
• “It’s horrible, to be honest. It’s not what we expected. I think it really took off last week when we really started to get to guys that haven’t played a lot of football.” — Texas A&M Coach Mike Elko on his team’s run defense through two games

THEY WROTE IT

WHY GATORS WILL WIN

They develop their running game early to accommodate the quarterback duo of Graham Mertz And DJ Lagway more effectively in the two-quarterback system that Napier plans to use when Mertz returns. To do that, they’ll have to win the battle up front, a point of emphasis in practice this week. In their first two games, the Aggies have allowed 5.3 yards per carry.

WHY TEXAS A&M WILL WIN

The Aggies batter Florida’s defensive line and QB Connor Weigman has plenty of time to throw away Miami’s Cam Department did in the season opener. That’s a worst-case scenario for the Gators, given Texas A&M’s ability to run the ball (239.5 yards per game in the first two games).