Florida’s defense didn’t exactly leave the Florida Atlantic opener with a glow.
The Gators rolled to a 45-point win in the Swamp last Saturday night, but the defensive side of the ball had stretches that felt far less convincing. Safety DJ Coleman, making his debut in Gainesville, came away with an interception and helped force another turnover on a tipped pass. Still, he didn’t sugarcoat the overall performance.
“It was pretty underwhelming,” the Baylor transfer said Monday.
Florida’s offense was humming, but the defense spent too much of the night reacting to FAU’s up-tempo approach. The Gators did force three turnovers and showed plenty of energy, yet the unit was often on its heels and didn’t deliver the kind of complete outing the staff wants to build on.
“I like the way we flew around,” Coleman said. “We had some good plays. It wasn’t all bad, but it was more bad than we would like to see.”
The challenge was physical as well as tactical. FAU’s pace, combined with Gainesville’s heat and humidity and Florida’s own offensive efficiency, put a strain on the defense’s conditioning. Coleman logged a career-high 75 snaps while the Owls ran 90 plays.
Now comes Campbell on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., and that matchup gives Florida a chance to clean things up against a 49.5-point underdog while continuing to build the kind of defensive chemistry it will need when SEC play starts Sept. 19 at Auburn.
Campbell enters at 2-0 and also likes to push the tempo, but the bigger urgency for Florida comes from what’s ahead. Auburn quarterback Byron Brown and Tigers first-year coach Alex Golesh beat the Gators in the Swamp last season with USF. A week after that, Florida hosts Ole Miss and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who threw for three second-half touchdowns against Louisville, including two 62-yard connections with Deuce Alexander.
“I watched the game. They’re really good,” said coach Jon Sumrall, who lost twice to Ole Miss in 2025 while at Tulane. “But we’ve got to improve this week and just be where our feet are.
“We got a lot of work to do.”
One of the biggest fixes has to come in the secondary, where communication and situational awareness were not sharp enough against FAU. Brad White’s defense often gave receivers room to prevent big plays, but it didn’t adjust consistently to down and distance. The result: the Owls converted 15 of 29 third and fourth downs.
“It comes down to field awareness,” White said.
A sellout crowd added another layer of difficulty. Getting the right call across in a loud stadium is one thing; getting it executed is another.
“You have to be trained, and we have not done a good enough job, obviously, of those guys truly understanding every down, every distance,” White said. “Because in practice, what can you do?
‘Get down! Press!’
And they hear you.
“We’re yelling as loud as we can on the sideline and they can’t hear you.”
Florida gets another big crowd Saturday, another chance to sharpen the operation, and another test of whether the defense can take a clear step forward before the schedule gets serious.
“This week we’re gonna find some things and we’ll put a better product on the field,” Coleman said.
In Other News...
Florida Is Chasing A Jacksonville Star Who Could Reopen A Crucial Pipeline
Recruiting the states best prospects has always mattered in Gainesville, and Jon Sumrall is making sure Florida stays in the conversation with Jacksonville edge rusher Asher Ghioto. The 2028 standout is already regarded as the top edge rusher in the country by Rivals, On3 and the 247Sports Composite, which makes him the kind of in-state target that can help shape how the Gators are viewed on the trail for years to come. Ghioto has been on campus in Gainesville multiple times, giving Florida a head start in a race that also includes Miami, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
For Florida, the appeal goes beyond one highly ranked defender. Landing Ghioto would be another sign that the Gators can again turn Jacksonville into a reliable pipeline, something every program in the SEC would love to control. Recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong said Florida is currently in the best position to land him, which puts the Gators in a promising spot, even as the competition around him remains crowded and the process still has a long way to go. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Turned One Visit Into A Bigger Recruiting Opportunity
Maxwell Hillers trip to Gainesville last weekend was supposed to be about taking in the scene as one of Floridas five-star offensive line commitments, but it also gave the Gators a little extra runway with his family. Hiller brought his younger brother, Colton, along for the visit, and the two watched Florida while Maxwell spent time with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein talking football in a way that sounded more like prep work than a recruiting pitch.
That matters because Colton is a prospect of his own, with Florida and Duke both in the mix for his basketball recruitment. Maxwell came away impressed with the Gators recent offensive play and said he feels good about the program, while Coltons positive experience around the game gives Florida another chance to stay on his radar as the family connection keeps the door open. [Read more 🡒]
Kanye Clark Just Gave Gators Fans A Real Feel For This Defense
Kanye Clarks first game in a Florida uniform offered a quick snapshot of what the Gators believe they can become on defense. The UCLA transfer came away from the season-opening win over Florida Atlantic impressed by how the unit handled a fast-moving offense, and he pointed back to the offseason work in conditioning as a big reason Florida was able to keep its legs under it when the pace picked up. He also made sure to single out DJ Coleman, whose leadership and timely plays helped steady the front when the game started to speed up.
Now comes another test, and Clark already has his attention on Campbells tempo and passing game. For Florida, that means the early-season measuring stick is less about the final score and more about whether the defense can keep showing the same energy, communication and durability it flashed in Week 1. Clarks perspective matters because he is still new to the room, and when a newcomer is already talking this confidently about the standard, it says something about the tone being set around that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]