Kicker Daniel LaCamera hit four field goals, the last one with under a minute left in the game, as Texas A & M defeated Florida 19-17 on Saturday night in Gainesville. The Gators, who out-gained the Aggies 371-263, fall to .500 3-3 with the loss while the Aggies improve to 5-2.
Aggies received the opening kickoff but were forced to 3 & out. And on their first possession, the Gators opened the scoring when Kicker Eddy Piniero hit a 29 yard field goal. A key play on the Gators 13 play 63 yard drive was when on third & 10, Quarterback Feleipe Franks was able to avoid the Aggies rush & flip the ball forward to Running Back Malik Davis, who sprinted for a 20 yard gain.
After each team punted, the Aggies got on the board with a 7 play drive that ended with Aggies Kicker Daniel LaCamera making good on a 46 yard field goal tying the score at 3.
The first quarter ended with Florida out-gaining Texas A & M 83-61. And in the second quarter, both quarterbacks threw interceptions on first down passes, with Aggies QB Kellen Mond following Franks' interception on back to back plays. Besides those interceptions, both teams struggled with the Aggies playing most of the quarter deep in their own area.
After forcing another punt in Aggies territory, the Gators were able to drive the ball back inside Aggies territory. And after getting a second chance on a fourth & one attempt because of a timeout, the Gators were able to convert on fourth down. Then on the next play after that conversion, the Gators got the game's first touchdown when Running Back Mamical Perine ran down the right side for a 15 yard touchdown run, giving the Gators 10-3 lead.
The first half ended with that same score & Florida owning 12-2 advantage on first downs & out-gaining Texas A & M 229-80. The Gators defense also held Mond to just four completions in the first half. But after the second half kickoff & forcing a Gators three & out, the Aggies took the ball & tied the score at 10 when Mond ran in from the 9 yard line. The drive was 55 yards, after the Aggies had only 80 yard all first half. Mond's did it on the drive with his legs & his arm, including a 33 completion to Wide Receiver Camron Buckley.
After that Mond touchdown run neither team threatened until the final play of the third quarter when the Gators got their longest play from scrimmage ofthe year. On third & 12, Franks scrambled through the initial rush then with the help of some missed tackles by the Aggies, Franks was able to run 79 yards into Aggies territory. And on the first play of the fourth quarter, Wide Receiver Dre Massey got the Gators back on top 17-10 with a six yard touchdown run.
The Aggies put together a solid response to the Gators going back on top. After two straight running plays, Mond hit Wide Receiver Christian Kirk for 40 yards to set up a first & 10 in Gators territory. But after it looked like the Aggies tied the score on a Mond touchdown pass, that play was nullified by a penalty & the Aggies had to settle for a 42 yard field goal by LaCamera making it 17-13 Gators.
After three plays & a Gators punt, the Aggies took the ball & drove inside the redzone again but had to settle for LaCamera's third field goal of the game, this one from 25 yards away. The Gators continued to struggle to move the ball in the fourth quarter. And on Gators punt, Kirk retruned the ball 43 yards to the Gators 39 yard line. And after a few runs, the Aggies took their only lead of the game when LaCamera ended the scoring for the game with his fourth field goal of the night. The Aggies win was sealed when Franks was picked off by Linebacker Tyrel Dodson on the first play from scrimmage after the field goal.
The Gators have a bye this week & will play Georgia on Saturday October 28th.