Before Saturday's game, the freshman quarterback dominating headlines was Florida's DJ Lagway. After Texas A&M's 33-20 win over the Gators in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the name on everyone's mind is Marcel Reed.

A&M's Reed played with uncommon composure for a quarterback making his first start. Add in the fact that he was a redshirt freshman playing in the Swamp and his performance becomes that much more impressive. Reed finished the game with 178 yards passing, three total touchdowns and 83 yards rushing.

"How about 10?" Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. "He was consistent all day and operated at a really, really high level. We had confidence that he could go out there and do it, and he went out there and did it."

With Connor Weigman questionable since Thursday, it wasn't clear if Reed would start until kickoff. But he looked comfortable operating Collin Klein's offense from the very first drive, leading A&M to Florida's 21-yard line and a field goal.

MORE A&M: 3 takeaways as Mike Elko does what Jimbo Fisher struggled to

His next four drives ended like this: a 29-yard touchdown pass, a 48-yard field goal, a 1-yard touchdown run and a 73-yard touchdown pass. Tyler White didn't punt until the third quarter was halfway finished. A&M's defense was nearly as dominant. They shut out Florida for the first half, holding the Gators to 73 yards and collecting two sacks. Amari Daniels' 68 yards rushing was more than the Gators' 52 yards total.

"I thought every kid that played on the o-line today, every kid that played at running back today, played with the demeanor that we want them to play with," Elko said.

More: Texas A&M football: 4 things to know about Marcel Reed

Amid all the joy the Aggies feel after finally earning an SEC road win lies a complicated question for Elko. Is this performance from Reed enough for him to steal the starting job from Weigman?

A few disclaimers. Weigman has more experience and had great performances before, notably leading the Aggies to a 38-28 win over No. 5 LSU in 2022. Reed has not faced a defense as good as No. 19 Notre Dame. Also, it's only one game.

However, this was the best that A&M's offense has looked all season, and Reed's athleticism enhanced their rushing attack. Florida's rushing defense hasn't shown itself to be bad either — they held Miami to 4.4 yards per carry despite losing 41-17. Nevertheless, the Aggies averaged 5.8 yards per carry and ended the game with 310 yards on the ground.

Weigman is a competent rushing threat, but Reed is built different. He weaved through multiple defenders for a 31-yard run on 2nd and 21. On one play, DJ Douglas had Reed dead to rights before the quarterback broke his ankles on a Lamar Jackson-esque juke.

Reed seized the torch from Weigman on Saturday, and he may not relinquish it.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M football's Marcel Reed shines in win over Florida