Florida wasted no time making the Jon Sumrall era feel different, rolling past Florida Atlantic 66-21 on Saturday night in front of a packed house of 90,295 inside the Swamp.
The headline numbers came fast and loud. Jadan Baugh powered the offense with 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his first game back after a 266-yard, three-score finale against FSU last season, pushing him past 2,000 career rushing yards. Aaron Philo, making his first start as a Gator, looked comfortable from the jump and finished 16 of 21 with three touchdown passes and a rushing score of his own.
Florida’s opening drive set the tone after FAU briefly poked at the Gators early. The Owls moved 40 yards on their first seven completions before DJ Coleman picked off Caden Veltkamp and handed Florida the ball at its own 6-yard line.
From there, the Gators went 94 yards in seven plays, capped by a 49-yard touchdown to Vernell Brown III on a screen that turned into a burst of yards after the catch. It was Brown III’s first career touchdown, even though he entered the season as Florida’s leading receiver last year.
That score was the first of six straight scoring drives for Florida, part of an offense that found the end zone or field goal on 10 of its 11 possessions. Philo followed with a 12-yard touchdown to Bailey Stockton, Patrick Durkin added a 53-yard field goal for his first make with the Gators, and Philo later ran in a three-yard score to make it 24-7.
Baugh then took over the second quarter. He scored from 12 yards out and again from seven yards out before adding a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The third score came after a 61-yard burst on the previous play and moved him over the 2,000-yard milestone as he enters his third season.
The only drive that didn’t end with Florida scoring came when Philo’s pass was tipped by Micah Mays Jr. and intercepted. He bounced back quickly, connecting on a 10-yard touchdown to Duke Clark in the third quarter after completions of 33 and 18 yards to Brown III. Brown III finished with 117 yards on six catches, while Clark added a four-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Florida kept piling on from there. Micah Jones caught a short touchdown from Tramell Jones Jr. to finish the scoring, pushing the Gators over 60 points for the first time since 2021 and giving them their highest season-opening total since 1994.
The defense had stretches where it looked sharp, but FAU found too much room after the first quarter. The Owls managed just 47 yards on their first three drives, then ripped off consecutive 70-plus-yard marches for touchdowns. They added another 75-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter.
Veltkamp finished with 276 passing yards as part of FAU’s 396 total yards. The Owls also picked up 25 first downs and converted 11 of 22 third downs.
Florida’s third takeaway came late in the fourth quarter when Brendan Bett forced a fumble on a 14-play, 74-yard drive that reached fourth-and-goal. Myles Johnson recovered it after earlier interceptions by Coleman and Dijon Johnson.
The Gators return to the Swamp next week to face FCS Campbell before opening SEC play on the road at Auburn on Sept. 19.
In Other News...
Eric Singleton Injury Clouds Florida's Biggest Week 1 Takeaway
Floridas Week 1 win over Florida Atlantic came with one of those early-season reminders that a good opener can still leave a program checking the injury report. Wide receiver Eric Singleton, the high-profile transfer from Auburn, went down after being rolled up on while blocking and had to leave the game with a leg injury, adding an uneasy note to an otherwise encouraging showing from the offense.
The Gators managed to keep moving without him, which offered a positive sign about the depth around him, but Singletons status now hangs over what should have been the biggest takeaway from opening week. For a Florida offense trying to build momentum early, the question is less about what happened Saturday and more about whether one of its most important newcomers will be available for the games ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Already Has An Early Injury Concern On Offense
Floridas offense was already dealing with a shaky start in the opener against Florida Atlantic, and it got worse quickly when senior wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. left early with an ankle injury and did not return. For a team trying to establish rhythm right away, losing a veteran pass catcher so soon put an immediate spotlight on the depth around him and how the Gators would adjust if he had to miss any additional time.
Head coach Jon Sumrall said the severity of Singletons injury is still unknown, with more information expected later. The backfield had its own issue too, as senior running back Evan Pryor was sidelined by a hip injury, though that problem is not expected to be long-term. For Florida, the early-season concern is less about one isolated absence and more about whether the offense can stay intact long enough to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Opener Grades Exposed One Issue Fans Cant Ignore
Pro Football Focus Week 1 review of Floridas opener against FAU offered plenty of encouraging numbers for a team trying to set an early tone. The Gators landed in the top 40 nationally in 11 of 12 categories, a strong sign that the operation was largely sharp on both sides of the ball and that the overall performance matched the kind of clean start Billy Napier has been pushing for.
Still, one category stood out for the wrong reasons, and it is the sort of area fans will keep circling as the schedule gets tougher. Florida ranked 85th in quarterback pressure, a gap that sits a little awkwardly next to the otherwise favorable grades and hints at an issue that could matter far more once the competition ramps up. PFF also handed out individual grades on offense and defense, giving a fuller picture of who helped drive the opener and who left something on the table. [Read more 🡒]