Gators head coach Jon Sumrall is urging his team to sharpen its focus on the small details heading into Saturday's matchup against Campbell. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Gators Look to Tighten Up After Loose Defensive Debut
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators coasted to a 45-point win in front of the fifth-largest crowd for a home opener in program history on Saturday night.
Only the most cynical critics on social media would dwell on the 396 yards of total offense surrendered by UF's defense against Florida Atlantic, right? Not necessarily.
Online experts are always the loudest, regardless of the topic, but they have company here. Inside the Heavener Football Training Center this week, none other than UF head coach Jon Sumrall and defensive coordinator Brad White are whistling backup vocals.
"I think we all see it the same way,'' White said Tuesday. "There's going to be good, and there's bad. Immediately after the game, the whole deal, you've got that pit in your stomach because you know we could have played better. That was not the standard and the bar that we want to set for how to play defense around here."
White's assessment sounded much like Sumrall's on Monday.
The first-year Florida coach was pleased by the 66-21 win, the electric atmosphere at The Swamp, the Gators' 624 yards of offense in quarterback Aaron Philo's first start, three takeaways on defense and not having to use punter Alec Clark.
But he took several questions about a defensive performance that allowed FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp to lead the Owls on 75- and 78-yard scoring drives in the first half that trimmed UF's lead to 24-14 before the Gators pulled away.
"I want to be careful here,'' Sumrall said. "Here's what I'd say: I just think you have to show up with a chip on your shoulder every day. You can never assume anything. I don't care who you're playing; as soon as you get complacent or overconfident, this game will humble you really, really fast.
"Our guys have to understand each and every day – that's everybody in our building, me included – that, man, you get every seven days, either be prepared or exposed, and you're gonna get exposed if you are not ridiculously dialed in."
Defensive backs Cormani McClain and Kanye Clark converge to make a tackle in the win over FAU. (Photo: Victoria Riccobono/UAA Communications)
Sumrall and White saw a defense on film that played with effort and toughness but lacked football IQ at times.
The Gators knew they'd be challenged by FAU's up-tempo, pass-heavy offense. Veltkamp attempted 52 passes after throwing 57 in a loss to Sumrall's Tulane team last season, so the defense was prepared to face a ton of traffic downfield. But on more than one play when the Owls needed short yardage to keep a drive alive, Florida's cornerbacks were playing loose on receivers to prevent big plays instead of comprehending down-and-distance strategy.
"They were a team sort of built on explosives, and they said, 'you know what, we're going to try to methodically do this thing.' Hats off to them,'' White said. "When a team does that, our guys have to be able to adjust. We'll get better from that. By no means is it everybody's heads down and this thing's over."
The coaches also wanted to make clear they weren't ignoring what the 90,000 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium saw: three takeaways, including DJ Coleman's interception on FAU's opening drive, Coleman's tip that led to an interception by Dijon Johnson, and Brendan Bett's forced fumble in the second half.
On a night the offense was humming, they want the defense to join the party more completely. The Gators will get their next opportunity to show that improvement Saturday against Campbell, an unbeaten FCS opponent making the first SEC trip in program history. The Fighting Camels are coming off wins at East Tennessee State and at home against Western Carolina, coached by former UF star Kerwin Bell.
Campbell is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2018 and faced a different kind of adversity in its home opener. Weather delayed Campbell and Western Carolina on Saturday, and after moving the game back a few hours, lightning struck a light tower at the stadium and knocked out power.
"You could smell smoke on the field from that,'' Campbell coach Braxton Harris said. "It wasn't anything near the plan."
The schools postponed the game until Sunday morning, with Campbell winning 28-19 behind 330 yards passing from quarterback Kamden Sixkiller (29 of 44, 2 TD, 3 INT) and 198 yards rushing.
The Fighting Camels are part of the Coastal Athletic Association. Harris is pumping up the matchup to his players as an opportunity of a lifetime.
"Every locker room at the FCS level, those guys want to be at the Power Four level,'' Harris said. "Let's just call it what it is. So, these kids get an opportunity to go out and compete against a Power Four team and put it out there for themselves. Our kids are going to be excited for this opportunity … be able to embrace the challenge that Florida is. We're going to compete, and we're going to Florida to win a football game."
Sumrall has history against Campbell, located in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
Early in his coaching career at San Diego, he faced the Fighting Camels twice in the Pioneer Football League, winning in 2008 before losing 48-24 in his final season as the Toreros' defensive coordinator in 2011.
"They ran the option up and down the field on me," Sumrall said. "So yeah, I've been to Buies Creek and got my butt kicked."
The heavily favored Gators look to run with Jadan Baugh and pass with Philo on Saturday.
And tighten up the defense, too.
"We can't forget that all those little details matter,'' Sumrall said. "I don't think it was an intent issue; it wasn't an effort issue; it wasn't a desire issue. It was simply, man, we're young or either, in my opinion, untrained in certain spots at certain times. We have to coach better. Our players, they gotta prepare in a manner that they can go activate it on the grass on game day.
"It wasn't all bad, but it damn sure wasn't all good either. And 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 them."
