Looking Ahead: Florida Gators vs. Texas A&M Aggies 2020 Preview

It's set: The Florida Gators will, eventually, play the Texas A&M Aggies this season. That much was made clear following the SEC schedule announced yesterday which addressed the two teams each SEC program will face, completing their new 10-game, conference-only schedules.

In our first new-schedule preview, we take a look at the Gators' matchup against the Aggies, which features rivaled head coach Jimbo Fisher - formally of the Florida State Seminoles -, against Dan Mullen who will face off against each other for the first time in their careers as head coaches.

Fisher's final season with the Seminoles came shortly before Mullen took the Florida job after spending nine years with Mississippi State.

As the head coach at Mississippi State from 2009-2017, Mullen held a 3-3 series record against Texas A&M, including victories in the past two contests in 2016 and 2017.

Series History

The Gators and Aggies have faced off against each other only four times throughout their history, and only twice since the Aggies first joined the SEC in 2012.

The teams are tied in their series at 2-2, splitting the past two contests. The last Florida victory came in 2012, Texas A&M's first year in the SEC. The Gators would beat quarterback Johnny Manziel's Aggies by a score of 20-17 at College Station.

In their most recent matchup, the Aggies got the best of the Gators, winning 19-17 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville (Fla.), marking the beginning of the end of the Jim McElwain era, which would be followed by Mullen.

A Look Back

The last time the two teams faced off would come in a 2017 matchup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators were headed at a crossroads in their season at 3-2 and coming off of a heartbreaking loss to LSU at homecoming, 16-17. This matchup was absolutely a must-win contest for the Gators.

With McElwain on the hot seat, the Gators would still fall 19-17 against the Aggies. The game came down to the wire with the Gators taking a late lead after a fantastic 79-yard run by Feleipe Franks to put the team into striking-distance, which the team would make good on.

With the score 17-16 with only a few minutes remaining in the contest, the Gators were not able to convert a pivotal third-and-one, ultimately punting the ball to the Aggies. After a fantastic return by returner and wide receiver Christian Kirk, Texas A&M would post a clock-chewing drive that ultimately led to a game-winning field goal, knocking the Gators to 3-3 and ultimately derailing their already-fragile season.

The loss would be the start of a four-game losing streak for the Gators and McElwain would be given the ax, ushering in a new era of Gators football with Mullen.

A Look Ahead

With what will be perhaps the most complicated college football season in history, the Gators will have an opportunity to seek their revenge against the Aggies at College Station this season.

Under Fisher, Texas A&M has had two back-to-back solid seasons finishing with at least eight wins, going 8-5 in 2019. Featuring senior quarterback Kellen Mond, who is expected to finally put it all together this season, the Aggies are a much more mature team than even just a year ago when they featured six true freshmen starters.

Senior receiver Jhamon Ausbon is the life-line of the Aggies offense which also showcases a very competitive backfield featuring sophomore running back Isaiah Spiller who is coming off of 946 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman last season.

Where the Aggies may not be as solid at comes on defense where the team has absolutely regressed, giving up far too many plays due to a mediocre secondary, something the Gators will look to take advantage of with redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts.

For the Gators, adding the Aggies to their schedule shouldn't prevent a stellar season as the team heads into its prime under Mullen, however, they shouldn't take the team lightly. While Fisher has not had the victories Texas A&M hoped they'd get out of him since luring him away from Florida State, there is a reason why he is one of the most well-respected head coaches in the nation.

In all, this matchup is shaping up to be a competitive game featuring two hungry teams with something to prove in 2020.