Florida scored 66 points in Jon Sumrall's first game as head coach on Saturday night and gave up 396 yards and 25 first downs in the same game. Florida Atlantic ran 90 plays inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, converted half of its third downs and four of seven on fourth down, and still lost by 45.
Jul 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
"Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly," Sumrall said afterward. "So we had a hard time keeping pace with them. It was that way, in my opinion. Like, I watch that play, I'm a little bit frustrated about how we played defensively at times. I don't think we're as good as we think we are. I think we got some guys who feel like, you know, we've arrived in some spots and that will be addressed. We have got a lot of room to grow on defense. If it doesn't happen real fast we're going to get embarrassed and exposed handily in some spots, because that wasn't a great performance by us."
Aaron Philo completed 16 of 21 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns with an interception in his first start since transferring from Georgia Tech, and added a rushing score. Jadan Baugh carried 14 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns and was out of the game early in the third quarter with Florida up 45-14. The Gators scored on their first six possessions, went six of six in the red zone and piled up 624 yards. The 66 points were their most in a season opener since 1994.
The team that heard the "arrived" line went 4-8 last season, watched Billy Napier get fired in Oct and has three preseason All-SEC selections on the roster. Sumrall came from Tulane on a defensive resume, having played linebacker at Kentucky and coached the position there and at Ole Miss, so the side of the ball he singled out is the side he is measured on.
#gators
Jul 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
"Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly," Sumrall said afterward. "So we had a hard time keeping pace with them. It was that way, in my opinion. Like, I watch that play, I'm a little bit frustrated about how we played defensively at times. I don't think we're as good as we think we are. I think we got some guys who feel like, you know, we've arrived in some spots and that will be addressed. We have got a lot of room to grow on defense. If it doesn't happen real fast we're going to get embarrassed and exposed handily in some spots, because that wasn't a great performance by us."
Aaron Philo completed 16 of 21 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns with an interception in his first start since transferring from Georgia Tech, and added a rushing score. Jadan Baugh carried 14 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns and was out of the game early in the third quarter with Florida up 45-14. The Gators scored on their first six possessions, went six of six in the red zone and piled up 624 yards. The 66 points were their most in a season opener since 1994.
The team that heard the "arrived" line went 4-8 last season, watched Billy Napier get fired in Oct and has three preseason All-SEC selections on the roster. Sumrall came from Tulane on a defensive resume, having played linebacker at Kentucky and coached the position there and at Ole Miss, so the side of the ball he singled out is the side he is measured on.
#gators
2 months ago
