Florida gets its second-week test Saturday against Campbell, and the Gators are looking for more than just a win in The Swamp. Jon Sumrall wants his team to keep building after a 66-21 opening rout of FAU, a game that showed just how much damage junior running back Jadan Baugh can do when he gets rolling.
Baugh was the engine last week, piling up 160 yards on 14 carries and scoring three touchdowns. Sumrall didn’t hold back when describing the way he runs.
"He just runs with such, I think, conviction," Sumrall said. "The way he runs, you feel his runs. He's a violent runner; I think he's gotten even better at running north and south."
Florida will also lean again on Aaron Philo, who is making his second career start at quarterback after a sharp debut in which he threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns. This will be his second straight game in The Swamp, and he made it clear the atmosphere left an impression.
"To have that many fans behind you and all cheering for you, it really allows for a great atmosphere," Philo said. "They bring the energy and it was awesome."
Campbell comes in at 2-0 and brings a quarterback who can stress defenses in more ways than one. Kamden Sixkiller has been productive through the air and on the ground, with 673 passing yards and four passing touchdowns to go with 114 rushing yards and three rushing scores.
Florida has handled FCS opponents almost every time out, going 25-1 in its last 26 games against that level. The only loss in that span came in 2013 against Georgia Southern.
In Other News...
Florida Already Has A Week 2 Availability Problem To Watch
Floridas Week 2 availability report already offers a little early-season concern after the Gators released their injury update ahead of the Campbell game. Wide receiver Davian Groce and running back Kelvin Jiminez are both out, and Jiminez is expected to miss the entire season, leaving another hole in the depth chart just as the schedule begins to settle in.
The bigger watch item is the group listed as questionable, with wide receiver Eric Singleton, running back Evan Pryor and tight end Evan Chieca all dealing with injuries. Even against an opponent like Campbell, Florida would rather avoid stacking more uncertainty on top of an already thin situation, especially with roles and rotations still being sorted out this early in the year. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Backcourt Could Hinge On Denzel Aberdeens Court Fight
Floridas backcourt outlook may soon be tied to a courtroom as much as to the practice floor. Denzel Aberdeen has hired attorney Jesse Panuccio to pursue a temporary restraining order that would let him play in the 2026-27 season under the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, a move that comes after the governing bodys Division I board said the policy would not be applied retroactively to players in the 2022 class. For Florida, it is the kind of eligibility issue that can shape offseason planning well before the next roster takes form.
The legal path has already taken a turn, with a recent court ruling stopping a preliminary injunction that would have opened the door to a fifth season for Aberdeen. Even so, the fight is hardly settled, especially with state courts having granted restraining orders to other athletes in similar situations. For now, Florida is left waiting on a decision that could determine whether one of its backcourt pieces remains part of the picture a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Tebow Just Got Pulled Into A New Quarterback Debate
Danny Kanell helped stir up a familiar college football conversation on a CBS Sports pregame show ahead of Oklahomas Week 2 meeting with Michigan, drawing a line between Sooners quarterback John Mateer and Tim Tebow. The comparison centered on Mateers running ability and the way he handles himself, two traits that made Tebow such a defining figure for Florida fans and for the sport as a whole.
For Gators followers, any Tebow mention still carries extra weight, especially when it comes from a national analyst trying to frame the next big quarterback conversation. Oklahomas trip into a marquee early-season matchup already had plenty of attention, and the betting market around the Sooners only adds another layer to the debate, but the Tebow comparison may be the detail that keeps people talking beyond kickoff. [Read more 🡒]