Gators head coach Jon Sumrall did not like the way his team performed in the second half of Saturday's win over Campbell. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Party Over: Sumrall Has Auburn On His Mind
Saturday, September 12, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The song blasted over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium's sound system as Gators head coach Jon Sumrall made the long walk across the field to the locker room.
The Gators had just dispatched overmatched Campbell, 52-3, in Sumrall's second game at UF. A joyous vibe echoed around The Swamp as the Gators started 2-0 for the first time in five years.
And topping off the evening, the hip-hop anthem "Party Like a Rock Star" by the Shop Boyz amplified the victory.
But Sumrall's demeanor was out of step. He did not look like a coach ready to party – more like one eager to return to the shop.
Ten minutes later, he opened his mouth and let everyone in on what filled his mind at his postgame press conference.
"Happy for our guys to get a win,'' Sumrall said. "A lot I was not pleased with, to be quite honest with you."
Florida's 49-point win might look impressive in headlines, but Sumrall is aware that the Fighting Camels won't be waiting at Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday night. Instead, the Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference will be.
If the Gators play as they did in the first half against Campbell, they should have a shot at coming home with a victory in the much-anticipated SEC opener. If they play as they did in the second half, well, Sumrall provided a stark prediction.
"We're about to have a real rude awakening,'' he warned.
Florida provided fans plenty to be optimistic about in the first half Saturday, racing to a 45-3 halftime lead and sparking chatter in the press box at halftime about whether there was a possibility of a running clock similar to what transpired in Miami's runaway 70-point win over Florida A&M on Thursday night.
Vernell Brown III was the star, returning two punts for scores (64 and 70 yards) and adding a 14-yard touchdown reception on a shuffle pass from quarterback Aaron Philo. The Gators erupted for 35 second-quarter points highlighted by Brown's heroics. They piled on with the help of a 40-yard touchdown pass from Philo to Dallas Wilson and Jadan Baugh's 2-yard run.
At that point, a running clock didn't seem so silly. That turned into a moot point in the second half as the Gators began committing drive-wrecking penalties that kept them from finding the end zone, except for a 75-yard touchdown run by Baugh late in the third quarter.
Philo finished 16 of 21 for 242 yards and added a 3-yard run for Florida's first touchdown. Baugh rushed 14 times for 136 yards and two scores, his third consecutive 100-yard game. And Wilson grabbed a team-high five receptions for 104 yards and a score.
As for the defense, which was less than impressive in the season-opening win over FAU, the unit tightened up to hold the Fighting Camels scoreless after they drove 63 yards on seven plays on the game's opening drive to take a 3-0 lead on Alex Crabb's 29-yard field goal. The Gators limited Campbell to 210 yards while UF rolled up 514 yards and scored all four times in the red zone.
But after committing only three penalties in the opener and one in the first half against Campbell, the Gators were flagged seven times in the second half with Auburn looming on the horizon.
"There's a lot of room for improvement,'' said defensive lineman LJ McCray, who had a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. "We're nowhere near where we need to be. We still need to keep building."
The mistakes began to show up on Florida's first drive of the second half when offensive lineman TJ Shanahan Jr. was flagged on back-to-back plays – a holding penalty that negated Baugh's 42-yard run, followed by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call on a 5-yard scamper by Philo. The Gators eventually punted, and on their next possession, offensive lineman Roderick Kearney was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. That drive ended when the Gators attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-14 from their 46, but Alec Clark was stopped a yard short of the first down, turning the ball over on downs.
That's the way it went for much of the second half as the Gators emptied the bench in an attempt to get reserves some valuable snaps.
"I'm not real pleased with maybe where we are from a maturity standpoint, executing at a really high level all the time,'' Sumrall said. "What we're about to walk into in conference play, we will get absolutely embarrassed if we don't improve a ton.
"Some guys proved maybe in the second half, you get an opportunity to prove people right or wrong; some guys proved us right [about] why they're not playing."
Florida head coach Jon Sumrall is eager to get back to work in preparation for next Saturday's visit to Auburn in the SEC opener. (Photo: Audrey Djuricich/UAA Communications)
Two games into his tenure, Sumrall has two wins, and the Gators have scored 118 points and surrendered only 24. That is the most points in program history and the widest margin for any coach in program history in his first two games.
Still, as fans and players emptied The Swamp late Saturday night in a partying mood, Sumrall and his staff prepared for a busy Sunday.
They have Auburn on their mind.
The Gators will, too, once they arrive at the facility on Sunday and review the second half of the Campbell game.
"The second half, every time you felt like we had an explosive play, there's another penalty flag,'' Sumrall said. "You can't do that. The Gators can't beat the Gators.
"I expect every player on our team … to play to the standard that is a Florida Gator. I don't care if you're a first-, second- or third-team player; there is a standard here. It's non-negotiable. I think maybe some guys learned tonight what readiness looks like isn't quite where they are."
They have a week to get there. And perhaps a real reason to party.
