Marcel Reed threw for 234 yards and accounted for two touchdowns Saturday night as No. 5 Texas A&M pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 34-17 Southeastern Conference win over Florida in College Station, Texas.
The Aggies (6-0, 3-0) sealed the outcome with 10 points in the fourth quarter. Reuben Owens II scored on a 2-yard run with 4:39 remaining and Randy Bond converted a 22-yard field goal with 1:11 left.
Reed completed 16 of 26 passes with a touchdown and an interception while adding 37 yards and a score on the ground. Texas A&M rolled up 417 total yards and converted 9 of 17 third downs.
DJ Lagway started out hot for the Gators (2-4, 1-2) but cooled off considerably, finishing 21-of-37 passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to Bond’s field goal.
Florida totaled 319 yards on offense for the game, just 162 after the first quarter, and was only 1-of-11 on third down.
The first quarter was defense-optional as both teams’ offenses moved at will aside from a 3-and-out on Florida’s second possession. Each offense found the end zone twice, with the Gators going ahead at the 11:08 mark via Lagway’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Amir Jackson.
Texas A&M responded in just two plays — Reed’s 67-yard bomb to Mario Craver and Reed’s 8-yard scoring run. The Aggies then went ahead 14-7 on Reed’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Jamarion Morrow before Lagway hit Dallas Wilson for a 6-yard scoring strike with 3:38 left in the opening quarter.
Le’Veon Moss put the Aggies ahead to stay with a 22-yard touchdown run just 1:56 into the second quarter. His next carry, a 7-yard run on Texas A&M’s next possession, was also his last one. Moss was helped off the field with an apparent left leg injury and didn’t return.
The teams traded field goals in the third quarter. Bond connected from 26 yards with 10:50 remaining for the Aggies and Trey Smack answered with a 45-yarder at the 7:15 mark to make it 24-17.
