Jon Sumrall’s first loss at Florida came with the kind of frustration that leaves a coach fuming long after the final whistle.
After the Gators were blown out at Faurot Field, Sumrall didn’t hide how he felt about the performance. He said Florida failed to bring its best, and that the effort level bothered him most of all.
“The fact that we put less than our best out there absolutely makes me freaking sick,” Sumrall said.
The defeat exposed plenty. Heisman contender running back Jadan Baugh was held to 13 yards on 12 carries, the secondary had no answer, and by the time the score reached 45, the Gators had a clear reminder of why Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons had originally beaten Trinidad Chambliss for the starting job last season at Ole Miss.
Baugh reached out to Sumrall after the game and apologized for how things went, promising the outing would not happen again.
“He [Baugh] is ready to move forward,” Sumrall said.
That response matters, because Florida doesn’t get much room to breathe. South Carolina comes in this Saturday, and Sumrall made it clear he sees the Gamecocks as a major challenge.
“They’re the best talent team we have played to date,” Sumrall said. “You look across their offense, defense and even their return game; they’ve got NFL guys everywhere.”
South Carolina arrives on a three-game losing streak, with its most recent win coming by one point against Kentucky. Still, Florida’s task is to shake off the Missouri defeat and avoid letting one bad night linger.
There’s also a familiar blueprint for what a strong Florida coach is supposed to do after a road loss like that.
In Steve Spurrier’s first year in Gainesville, Florida entered Knoxville undefeated before getting rolled 45-3. The Gators didn’t score a touchdown that day, but they answered with four straight wins and finished 9-2.
Urban Meyer’s first Florida team opened 4-0 before heading to Tuscaloosa and falling 31-3 to Alabama. The next week, the Gators turned around and beat Mississippi State 35-9.
Those Florida teams didn’t stay stuck in the aftermath of a blowout. They moved on, fast.
Now Sumrall’s group gets the same chance.
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Florida Could Get Key Help Back While One Gators Concern Lingers
Florida got a little good news on the availability front ahead of its game against South Carolina, with senior safety Bryce Thornton no longer on the injury report and expected back in action. The Gators also have running back London Montgomery and cornerback Dijon Johnson listed as probable, which gives the staff a few more options as it sorts through the rotation for a conference matchup that could use some stability on both sides of the ball.
Vernell Brown III is still the name to watch, though, as the freshman remains questionable with a knee strain even while showing positive progress. Florida has not closed the door on his return, but for now the Gators are still waiting to see how much late-week improvement he can make before deciding whether he can be part of the mix against the Gamecocks. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Gymnastics Shakeup Just Got Even More Emotional
Floridas gymnastics roster has taken an unexpected turn, with Leanne Wong, Kaylee Bluffstone and Taylor Clark all removed from the active list and the program offering no public explanation for the moves. Head coach Jenny Rowland has confirmed the changes, but so far she has stopped short of providing any specifics, leaving the situation around one of the sports most closely watched teams to be sorted through mostly from the outside.
Skylar Drasers recent removal from the roster has only added to the unease, especially after the senior pushed back on the online speculation swirling around the team. Draser also said she plans to graduate and enter the NCAA transfer portal, a development that gives the Gators even more to sort out as the season moves forward and the unanswered questions around the roster continue to hang over the program. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Now Has A Bigger Problem To Solve Against South Carolina
Floridas trip to South Carolina just got a little more complicated with Dylan Stewart back in the picture. The Gamecocks defensive end had been sidelined since an incident in the Week 4 game against Alabama, which kept him out of the next matchup against Kentucky, but ESPNs Pete Thamel reported that his indefinite suspension has now been lifted.
For Florida, that means preparing for a South Carolina defense with one of its most disruptive pieces available again. Any game on the road in the SEC is hard enough, and now the Gators have another pass-rushing threat to account for as they try to sort out a matchup that already carried plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]