Texas A&M (1-1) will head to Gainsville on Friday afternoon ahead of the Aggies' Week 3 SEC road test vs. the Florida Gators (1-1), who enter the matchup with hefty injury issues. At the same time, two quarterbacks are expected to share snaps ahead on Saturday.

Looking at both programs from a trajectory standpoint, no matter what happens this season, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko doesn't have to worry about his job security, while Florida head coach Billy Napier is on extremely thin ice, facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. However, it's safe to say that this matchup could make or break both team's seasons.

Aggies' starting quarterback, Conner Weigman, will continue to be under the spotlight after his career-low performance in the opening season loss to Notre Dame but showed improvement in last weekend's 52-10 win over McNeese State. Florida's 87th-ranked defense should hopefully open up the passing game, but that's a two-way street if A&M's wide receivers fail to gain separation.

Ahead of the matchup, here are five things to watch for.

5. Florida freshman QB DJ Lagway could see more snaps than veteran Graham Mertz

Florida head coach Billy Napier is trying to save his job, and that starts and ends with the quarterback position. Senior quarterback Graham Mertz missed last week's game with a concussion, placing freshman phenom DJ Lagway under center, who threw for 458 yards and three touchdowns en route to a big win over Samford.

Napier's two-quarterback system that he will unleash on Saturday is unclear, but I expect Lagway, who has a bigger arm and is much more athletic to receive more snaps, especially if Mertz isn't quite 100%. If this is the case, Texas A&M's secondary will need to focus on the deep pass.

4. Texas A&M's pass rush should finally wake up against Florida

It's been highly underwhelming since the start of the season concerning Texas A&M's pass rusher, especially after the preseason praise we bestowed upon the unit due to the immense talent defensive ends Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart possess.

After two games, only one sack (Scourton) and ten tackles for loss have been recorded, which, compared to last season's results is simply disappointing. However, to be fair, both offenses the Aggie defense faced ran the ball at a heavy clip, while Florida presents a more balanced attack.

If A&M's shaky run defense can stop the run early and often, I fully expect the pass rush to finally show some life, but it remains to be seen.

3. Texas A&M's run defense will take center stage on Saturday

Entering the 2024 season, many of us covering the team felt that the defensive tackle depth could end up hurting Texas A&M's run defense, and so far, these worries have come to fruition. Currently tied with Iowa State as the 109th-ranked rushing defense in the country, something has to give in terms of future improvement.

Knowing that senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner will do his job, his counterparts, defensive tackles DJ Hicks and Albert Regis need focus more on plugging their gaps, while the linebackers, especially starting MLB Taurean York, need to clean things up once the running back makes his first cut.

Yes, depth is an issue, but this roster is talented enough to to at least make the run defense competent going into SEC play.

2. Will Texas A&M's wide receivers take advantage of Florida's secondary?

Florida's secondary is a weak spot, as the Gators passing defense is currently ranked 112th in nation, allowing over nearly 265 passing yards per game. Well, you would think Texas A&M could take full advantage of the weakness in front of them, but so far this season, separation has been a consistent issue.

Lacking explosiveness after wide receivers Ainias Smith (NFL) and Evan Stewart (transferred to Oregon) left the program, it's now up to for La Tech WR Cyrus Allen to take over in the slot, currently leading the Aggies with 100 receiving yards in two games.

However, it's going to take a collective effort from Noah Thomas, Jahdae Walker and Moose Muhammad to step up as leaders in the locker room and help Weigman make quick decisions in the pocket. Also, Elko needs to continue involving freshman Terry Bussey in the lineup, who is by far the most athletic receiving option despite his inexperience.

1. Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman needs to be great, not good on Saturday

Conner Weigman's popularity as Texas A&M's starting quarterback isn't of vast importance to the redshirt sophomore, who is strictly focused on improving his play to help the Aggies reach their goals this season. After a career low performance against Notre Dame, Weigman bounced back last weekend, throwing for two touchdowns in the 52-10 win over McNeese State.

Entering the game as PFF's highest rated signal caller in Week 2, Weigman's confidence is unwavered, but in order to push the Aggies offense down the field, he'll need to do a better job going through his progressions, while continuing to use his legs if his receivers are locked up.

If Texas A&M's run game can put pressure on the Gators, the passing game should open up, especially in play action. If things go awry, Weigman will need to step up similar to his late game heroics in last season's road loss to Miami.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M vs. Florida: 5 things to watch for