Florida cruised to a 66-21 victory against Florida Atlantic on Saturday night. But what do the season-opening numbers at The Swamp reveal about the performance? In this new weekly series, WRUF breaks down the trends, patterns and data behind each of the Gators’ football games this season.
The Great: The Offense is the Real Deal!
Florida wasted no time making good on coach Jon Sumrall’s vision for an explosive offense.
The Gators scored 66 points in Sumrall’s first game, the most points they have scored against an FBS opponent since 2001 (Vanderbilt, 71) and the most scored by them in a season opener since beating New Mexico State 70-21 to start the 1994 season.
Florida’s 624 yards of total offense was the most seen since Dan Mullin was calling the plays in 2021.
The most telling number, though, may have been how aggressively the Gators attacked through the air. Florida averaged 13.2 yards per passing attempt against Florida Atlantic, double the 6.6 yards per attempt the Gators had throughout the 2025 season.
Florida threw the ball more downfield, thanks in part to new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. This was the most points a Faulkner-led offense has scored since 2017, when he called plays for Arkansas State.
Transfer quarterback Aaron Philo, who followed Faulkner from Georgia Tech, had a noteworthy debut in a Gators’ uniform. He became the first quarterback to record one rushing and three passing touchdowns in a season opener since Tim Tebow in 2007.
“I think coaches put together a great game plan for me to get settled in and the whole offense to get settled in,” Philo said. “We came out playing fast and ultimately we kept that up.”
The efficiency made the performance even more notable. Philo posted a 230.82 pass efficiency, good for fourth in the country and best in the SEC. His command at the line of scrimmage offered a glimpse of what Florida’s offense lacked last season.
Poaching Faulkner and Philo from Georgia Tech were major additions for Sumrall this offseason, and it showed on the field and scoreboard Saturday night.
The Good: Running Back Room
In Jaden Baugh’s last two games, he has combined for 426 yards and five touchdowns.
Baugh had 160 yards against the Owls, including a career-high 61-yard run in the third quarter.
More impressive, though, was that Baugh did it with just 14 carries, a number he exceeded in every game last season except against Long Island.
“Yeah, he’s a really good football player,” Sumrall said. “I tell Buster all the time, ‘You don’t know what to do, just hand it to 13. That’ll work usually.’”
Even without Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, the Gators didn’t rely solely on Baugh like they did last season. Sophomore Duke Clark emerged as a viable option at tailback. Despite only getting six carries in 2025, Clark stood out with 65 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
Once Pryor comes back into the fold after his hip injury, the trio of Baugh, Clark and Pryor will be one of the best running back groups in the country.
The Bad: Struggles on Defense
Getting off the field on defense was a resounding issue during the Billy Napier era. Some of those struggles occurred again at The Swamp against the Owls. During the first half, FAU went 10-for-16 on third down, scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter.
“Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly,” Sumrall said. “We had a hard time keeping pace with them.”
There was a reason for that. FAU had the fastest offense in the country in Week 1, averaging just 18.5 seconds per play, one second faster than any other school. The Owls’ attack made it challenging for the defensive line to keep up. Florida had a pressure rating of 62.2, ranking 82nd among FBS schools, allowing quarterback Caden Veltkamp to extend plays.
Zach Kittley’s up-tempo offensive style presented a challenge; however, the Gators’ front seven will need to adjust to the speed, as future opponents Auburn and Ole Miss ranked third and seventh, respectively, in pace.
Brad White’s defense buckled down in the second half, surrendering only one third-down conversion and just seven points the rest of the game. Still, there are concerns, as Sumrall expressed red flags about the defense after the second fall scrimmage, and it showed on the field.
