Following a 66-21 win Saturday over FAU, Jon Sumrall is not satisfied.
Florida opened its season with a comfortable win over the Owls, producing 624 offensive yards and nine touchdowns, but the final score did little to change Sumrall’s assessment of the Gators defense, which allowed FAU to record 396 yards and three touchdowns. After the game, he described parts of the unit’s performance as “atrocious,” and Monday, his attention remained in the same place.
Situational awareness, tempo and communication were among the areas Sumrall specifically identified to improve, starting Saturday against Campbell.
“At times, it was that we didn’t get off of a block. Sometimes it was a quarterback extending plays with his feet,” he said. “Sometimes we just didn’t finish. We had several opportunities and we just didn’t quite get done the way we need to. We got to continue to work on that, and I thought maybe just could have strained just a little harder in certain scenarios.”
After reviewing film from Saturday, Sumrall and the team spent Monday working through the mistakes made by the defense.
He made sure to emphasize the issues weren’t attributed to a lack of effort or intent from the team. Instead, he highlighted continued preparation and coaching as the Gators work through the early stages of their weekend.
“I don’t care who you’re playing, this game will humble you really, really fast,” Sumrall said. “Our guys are going to improve. I promise you that they’re either going to improve or I’m going to lose my mind trying to help.”
The sense of responsibility extended outside of just the coaching staff. The team also left Saturday’s opener identifying room for improvement.
Senior safety DJ Coleman echoed Sumrall’s focus.
“We feel like we have no room to be complacent at all,” Coleman said. “We feel like it wasn’t a great game on defense, honestly. We have to improve and be more aggressive and just challenge everything.”
Florida’s defense did not leave Saturday’s win without positive moments, however. Their goal-line stand against FAU gave Sumrall an example of the response he wants to see from his players.
The head coach praised the defense for continuing to compete, despite the lead they’d gained over FAU. Sumrall specifically pointed to Brendan Bett for his ability to make a play in those moments.
“I wasn’t pleased that they got down there in the way they did, but the fact our guys rose up and they didn’t just look at the scoreboard and go, ‘… We’re still going to win if they scored.’ They said, ‘No, we’re not going to let them in,’” Sumrall said.
The focus on separating the negatives from the positives has shaped Florida’s approach to start this season.
Florida will have another opportunity to take a step forward Saturday against Campbell. While the Gators entered the matchup as the clear favorite, Sumrall pushed back against any idea of overlooking their opponent.
“I have a lot of respect for this football team,” Sumrall said. “They have improved a ton from last year. They’re averaging over 500 yards a game right now. They have really quality football players and it’s a challenge.”
The matchup will also present another test of weak areas that were exposed this past weekend. Campbell has kicked off their season with a 2-0 record, beating Western Carolina 28-19 Saturday in their second win over an FCS top 25 team. Their quick offense will require the Gators to focus on communication and efficiency, making Saturday an immediate opportunity to exhibit progress as the season continues.
With SEC play on the horizon, Sumrall was also asked about Florida’s schedule after Campbell. Straightforward, as always, and in beat with his “1-0 every week” mentality, he quickly redirected the focus to the immediate task ahead.
The Gators have less than a week to build on their opening win and address the mistakes from Saturday’s game against FAU. For Sumrall, looking beyond that would complicate the mindset of his players too early in the season.
“The theme for our football team to me is just be where your feet are,” he said. “Don’t worry about anything [else].”
