Texas A&M’s Bryce Anderson returns pick-six, shushes Florida crowd (0:56)
Bryce Anderson catches a deflected pass and returns it for a pick-six for Texas A&M vs. Florida. (0:56)
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ESPN News Services
Sep 14, 2024, 08:37 PM ET
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Backup quarterback Marcel Reed accounted for three touchdowns in his first college start and Texas A&M dominated Florida 33-20 on Saturday in what might have been coach Billy Napier’s final game with the Gators.
Reed, filling in for injured starter Conner Weigman, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score as the Aggies won a road game for the first time in nearly three years. Texas A&M (2-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) had dropped 10 straight on the road.
“He was lights out,” first-year A&M coach Mike Elko said. “He was calm. He was confident. He made throws.”
This one will go down as a signature win for first-year coach Mike Elko and could end up being Napier’s swan song with the Gators (1-2, 0-1).
Florida looked inept on both sides of the ball and overmatched for the second time this season in the Swamp. The first one, against Miami, turned up the heat on Napier. The latest one could result in Napier getting the boot.
“Ultimately, at some point, it becomes about production,” Napier said.
Napier fell to 12-16 at Florida, including 12 losses in his past 15 games against power conference opponents. This was his seventh consecutive setback in those games, including four at home.
Napier is now 10-6 at Florida Field, giving him more losses in the Swamp in two-plus seasons than Steve Spurrier (68-5) and Urban Meyer (35-5) had in their highly successful stints in Gainesville.
If Florida does fire Napier, Napier’s buyout would be roughly $26 million. Sources told ESPN’s Chris Low that high-ranking boosters have gathered the money to fund the buyout. Florida paid Mullen $12 million when he was fired.
Napier’s 28-game tenure would be the shortest in 100 years for the program; James Alward Van Fleet coached 19 games over the 1923-24 seasons, went 12-3-4 and then left to continue his military service and eventually became an Army general.
The low point for Napier might have come at halftime Saturday. As the teams were leaving the field, Napier was shown on big screens for a pre-taped, public service announcement to prevent drinking and driving. Napier was wildly booed during it. He was booed again as he ran into the locker room after a TV interview.
“I have no excuse,” Napier said. “I have no negative comment about that. Ultimately, [when] we play a certain way in this arena, you’re going to get criticized. This is one of those places where there’s history and tradition and expectations. …
“When you play ugly ball and it doesn’t quite look like we all want it to, then, hey, it comes with the territory. I probably would have done the same thing.”
Florida showed some life to start the third quarter. Trailing 20-0, Graham Mertz connected with Elijhah Badger for a 14-yard score. But Reed answered two plays later, hitting Cyrus Allen on a wheel route for 73 yards.
“I wouldn’t say I expected it, but things happen and I have to be ready,” Reed said. “I prepared like I was going to start this week and I got the green light and did what I had to do.”
On the ensuing possession, Bryce Anderson intercepted Mertz’s tipped pass and returned it 45 yards for a 33-7 lead. Anderson shushed the crowd as he neared the goal line. The Florida faithful had long started to empty the Swamp.
“You just got to keep going, keep trusting us and staying together,” Florida cornerback Devin Moore said. “It’s not always going to be bright, sunny days. You have to ride out the rainstorms.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
