Here’s What Marcel Reed Said After Texas A&M's Decisive Win vs. Florida

Reed had a smile on his face after defeating the Gators and was super proud of how his unit started offensively, especially after the Aggies’ defense gave up an opening drive touchdown. 

“It was fun to have a quick start like that,” Reed said. “Kind of had to bounce back. Defense gave up a touchdown, so we had to get one to try to keep the game close a little bit. Definitely couldn't let them start faster than us.”

Hitting wide receiver Mario Craver on a deep shot downfield was something that had Reed excited to talk about due to the lack of deep shots in previous matchups when an A&M player had a man beat in coverage. 

“Felt really good,” Reed said. “I was actually kind of disappointed that Florida got the ball first, because I knew what the first play was going to be. But we've been practicing that all week, and I put it up there, and Mario ran right under it and caught it. And then Coach called a QB run the very next play. Offensive line made some great blocks, and I got in there.” 

Another ecstatic area Reed commented on was the Aggies' performance in the fourth quarter when games were tight and still up for grabs.

“I think as an offense, we know how to control the game and control the ball when it's in our hands,” Reed said. “We do that in practice every week. And we practice just kind of milking the clock and running it down their throats and just playing hard-nosed football. A win is a win, and sometimes it may be ugly. It's not fancy all the time. But now, we're 6-0.”

Seeing what A&M’s defense had up its sleeves also made Reed proud. In a game where A&M held Florida to 1-for-11 on third down, achieved two turnovers for the second straight game, and kept three consecutive SEC opponents under 100 rushing yards—marking the first time doing so since 2021 — it made the Nashville, Tennessee native appreciate the hard-working defense Elko has been coaching. 

“I think the defense has started to find their identity a little bit,” Reed said. “I feel like they're communicating a lot better, and they're making stops and giving us more opportunities to get on the field and put up points. So we really appreciate them for doing that, because that gives us more opportunities, for sure.”