Florida didn’t just beat Campbell on Saturday. The Gators put their three biggest offensive playmakers on the same stage and let them run wild in a 52-3 rout that felt like a showcase from start to finish.
Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and Jadan Baugh all turned in star-level performances, and each one did it in a different way. Brown was the headliner in the return game, Wilson delivered the biggest receiving punch, and Baugh kept proving why so many people view him as one of the nation’s best backs.
Brown’s day was the kind that changes how people talk about a player. After picking up his first collegiate touchdown last Saturday, he exploded for 219 punt return yards and two touchdowns in just over three minutes of game time.
That made him the first Florida player to score on multiple returns since Jacquez Green in 1996. He wasn’t done there, either, adding a 14-yard receiving touchdown to finish the first wide-receiver hat trick since Kadarius Toney in 2020.
“I thought clearly VB in the return game came through,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “It was really clutch with what he did with the ball in his hands on those two punt returns, the third one that we had the penalty on. He did some really nice things in the return game.”
Wilson matched the moment in his own way. He led Florida with 104 receiving yards on five catches, and his second-quarter touchdown was pure easy-speed: Aaron Philo found him wide open, and the Tampa native made the rest look effortless as he cut left and raced into the end zone for a score that matched his No. 6.
Baugh kept the momentum rolling on the ground. After rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries last Saturday, he came back with 136 yards and two scores on the same number of carries. His final touch of the night was the longest run of his career, a 75-yard touchdown burst that put a bow on the performance.
“It’s fun to see him hit that long one,” Sumrall said. “Last year I think his longest was 23 yards.
For him to have two in back-to-back weeks that were long ones, it’s fun. I thought he did a nice job.”
Baugh’s first touchdown came out of the Wildcat, with a direct snap in Florida’s “Columbia” formation, named after his high school. Even with Campbell loading the box and Florida’s offensive line not always creating the cleanest lanes, Baugh still found room to make things happen with balance and vision.
“I thought he did a nice job,” Sumrall said. “I thought we didn't maybe provide him as many rushing lanes as we should have up front tonight.
I don't think we played awful with the first group on the O-line, but I don't think we're where we need to be yet either. Jadan did some really good things.”
Philo stayed steady for a second straight week, and the numbers looked almost like a copy of his opener. Against Campbell, the Bogart, Georgia, native completed 16 of 21 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, while also scoring on the ground for the second consecutive game. He added 13 rushing yards on three carries.
“I thought he’s played really, really efficient,” Sumrall said. “He’s operated well.
He’s been a great leader. He’s communicated at a high level.
I think we’re playing good football with him in the game right now. He’s just got to continue to get better.”
Tramell Jones Jr. also got work again and handled it well for most of the afternoon, completing 8 of 11 passes for 58 yards. He did throw a fourth-quarter interception after being hit from behind, with the ball tipped by Campbell’s Ebenezer Bedada and caught by Jack Butler.
The Gators had plenty going on beyond the top three. With Eric Singleton Jr. out, Bailey Stockton, TJ Abrams, Kahleil Jackson and Justin Williams all chipped in with multi-catch games. Stockton finished as Florida’s third-leading receiver with four catches for 41 yards and also delivered a strong block that helped spring Brown on one of his return touchdowns.
Florida’s tight ends made their presence felt too. Luke Harpring led the group with three catches for 33 yards and also turned in a key downfield block on Wilson’s 40-yard touchdown.
“Thanks to Luke continuing to block, I had shook the last guy,” Wilson said. “Luke [was] doing an amazing job blocking for me.”
Amir Jackson and Lacota Dippre also helped in the blocking game and on special teams, and Dippre even handled two kickoffs for 30 return yards.
Up front, Florida’s offensive line kept the protection clean, giving up only two tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and no sacks. But the Gators also hurt themselves with penalties. TJ Shanahan Jr. was benched in the third quarter after back-to-back holding and unnecessary roughness calls, and Roderick Kearney was flagged for unnecessary roughness shortly after replacing him.
Florida finished with eight penalties for 95 yards, and Sumrall didn’t hide how much that bothered him.
“The second half, every time you felt like we had an explosive play, there's another penalty flag, another penalty flag,” Sumrall said. “You can't do that. The Gators can't beat the Gators.”
One encouraging detail was the snapping from center Harrison Moore. After high snaps against the Owls, he was much steadier in the middle of the line.
The Gators now sit at 2-0 and have more than 1,100 yards of offense through two games. Next comes a trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium to open SEC play against Auburn on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. ET.
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