Florida’s first SEC test of the season brings Jon Sumrall back into familiar territory, and he isn’t leaving any doubt about where his loyalty sits.
The unbeaten Gators head to Auburn on Saturday night for the first meeting between the teams since 2019, and the trip to Auburn, Ala., carries an extra layer for Sumrall. The new Florida coach was hired Nov. 30 to replace Billy Napier, and as a Huntsville, Ala., native who coached two seasons at nearby Troy and has a wife, Ginny, who attended Auburn, he has plenty of connections in the area.
Still, Sumrall made it plain that any family and friends weighing their support this weekend are expected to be on his side.
"If I do (have family rooting against me), they're not family," said Sumrall, who coached two seasons at nearby Troy, a 75-mile drive from the Tigers' campus, and whose wife, Ginny, attended Auburn. "There are ties, but Florida pays my mortgage.
Any family that's pulling against us, they ain't my family. I don't care what their last name is.
"I'm a Florida Gator, and anybody affiliated with me closely is a Florida Gator or they're not affiliated with me closely."
Florida has looked sharp through its first two games, handling outmatched FAU and Campbell while piling up 118 points and allowing 24. Quarterback Aaron Philo has been efficient in that stretch, going 32-of-42 for 517 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
Auburn, meanwhile, brings its own quarterback storyline into the matchup. First-year Tigers coach Alex Golesh already has recent history with Florida after taking his South Florida team - including Auburn transfer quarterback Byrum Brown - into the Swamp last September and pulling off an 18-16 upset over the No. 13 Gators on Nico Gramatica’s walk-off, 20-yard field goal.
Brown was the engine for that finish, leading the eight-play, 87-yard winning drive a year ago. Through two games this season, he has completed 44 of 64 passes for 485 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Sumrall had plenty of praise for Brown’s skill set.
"He's got arm talent to make throws all over the field, and he's a big guy, physical guy."
Golesh, for his part, was quick to brush aside any suggestion that this week is about friendship.
"He said we were friends?" Golesh said of Sumrall.
"Not this week, we're not. I got a ton of respect for Jon.
We were both assistants in this league at the same time, and he did a great job at Troy, did a high-end job at Tulane. ... I got a lot of respect for him.
In Other News...
Alabama Commit Just Changed The In-State Recruiting Conversation
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Auburn Just Got A Big Defensive Boost Before Florida
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Baylor Fans Have Plenty To Debate After That Auburn Loss
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Gavin Freeman gave Baylor a true spark with 12 catches for 154 yards, and DJ Lagways debut added another layer to the conversation even before the ankle injury limited what he could do. The close finish, the failed two-point attempt in the final seconds and the national audience of 4.24 million viewers turned this into one of those openers that lingers, because the result was clear even if the questions around the Bears are still settling in. [Read more 🡒]