Jon Sumrall’s quarterback choice put Florida behind the eight ball before the Gators ever took the field against Georgia in Atlanta.
The issue wasn’t simply that Aaron Philo got the nod. It was how little conviction seemed to come with the decision.
Philo was always a strong candidate to start if he was healthy enough to go, and he apparently did enough during the week to earn the chance. But the leash was short, and after his second interception, Sumrall made good on his promise to use both quarterbacks.
Tramell Jones finished the game, and Florida’s offense never found its footing in a 31-8 loss to the Bulldogs.
Philo had also become a quick favorite around Gator Nation after talking openly about how much he had always disliked Georgia and wanted a shot to stick it to the Bulldogs. That kind of edge is easy to understand.
It’s also easy to see how Sumrall may have wanted to give his quarterback that moment. But wanting it badly and making the right football decision are two different things.
This wasn’t a quarterback controversy story. Philo and Jones each bring something different, and neither one can fully unlock the offense without Jadan Baugh doing his part on the ground.
Still, Philo clearly wasn’t ready for what Georgia was about to throw at him. He offered no real downfield threat, and the Bulldogs quickly adjusted by overwhelming Florida at the line.
That raises the obvious question: if Philo wasn’t ready, why start him at all? And why spend valuable practice reps on him instead of Jones, who needed every snap he could get before facing the No. 3 team in the country?
Florida wasn’t lining up against Florida Atlantic, Campbell or even Vanderbilt. This was a game the Gators had to win to keep any momentum alive for a surprise CFP berth.
Jones might not have changed the outcome if he had started. That much is fair. But asking him to come off the bench, trail 10-0 and try to rescue the offense after losing so many reps during the week made the task far harder than it needed to be.
Florida also hurt itself with four turnovers, and Georgia turned those mistakes into 24 points. The defense did what it could to keep the game from spiraling completely out of control, but that effort deserved better support from the offense.
Sumrall and Buster Faulkner are likely to keep rotating both quarterbacks the rest of the season. Florida isn’t going to the playoffs, and the staff still needs a larger sample to figure out what it has at the position and how to get the most out of it next season.
But on Saturday, the Gators got the least possible return from their quarterbacks. That one falls on Sumrall.
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