Jon Sumrall isn’t backing off his latest take on Auburn, and he’s also putting the pressure squarely on The Swamp to show up this weekend.
Florida’s first road game of the season came with plenty of buildup before kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. There was a lot of talk about how the Gators would handle the environment, especially with Aaron Philo making the first road start of his career and Auburn fans trying to sell just how wild the stadium was going to be. Florida answered with 44 points and a win.
Sumrall wasn’t exactly blown away by the scene, either.
On the Brandon Walker College Football show, he was asked what he expects from Florida’s home crowd Saturday when Ole Miss comes to Gainesville. His answer made it clear he thinks the bar should be high:
"Our FAU game, the crowd, was livelier than what we played in on Saturday night. So, I can only imagine what that’s gonna feel like when you bring a top-five team into this place."
That comment fits with the tone Sumrall has already set. He’s taken several shots at Auburn before and after Florida’s win, and those remarks come with the backdrop of reports in November that Auburn wanted Sumrall before he ended up at Florida.
Still, his latest jab isn’t hard to understand. The crowd for the FAU game had real energy, and the buzz around Florida felt different. Based on what came across on TV, The Swamp did look louder against FAU than Jordan-Hare did on Saturday.
Of course, stadium noise alone doesn’t decide games. Florida’s previous era proved that plenty of times. The Swamp was full, the atmosphere was there, and opponents still walked out.
This time, though, Florida has a team that can feed off that energy. If the Gators and Ole Miss end up delivering the kind of game that matches the moment, Saturday could produce one of the loudest bursts Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has seen in a while.
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Floridas Breakout RB Gives Ole Miss A Much Bigger Problem
Jadan Baugh has become the kind of early-season force that changes how an offense is defended, and Florida has been leaning on it from the start. The breakout back leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and sits second in rushing yards, a surge built on three straight 100-yard games and a steady role in an offense that has topped 42 points in each of its first three outings.
For Jon Sumrall, the bigger development has been the way Baugh is finishing runs and making faster decisions once he gets the ball. The coach has even backed the running backs Heisman pose celebration, a sign of how central Baugh has become to Floridas identity, and why Ole Miss is staring at a much tougher problem than it might have expected when it starts planning for the Gators. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
Steve Spurrier doesnt often need much convincing to share a football opinion, and his latest one will perk up Florida fans who still remember how often he had Tennessees number. The former Gators star and coach weighed in on the upcoming Texas-Tennessee matchup by backing the Volunteers, pointing to Tennessees past win over Texas and the edge of playing at home.
For Florida supporters, the timing and the source make it especially notable. Spurriers long history with Tennessee gives his endorsement of the Volunteers a familiar edge, and his personal ties to the state only add to the intrigue, even if the bigger question is whether Texas can shake off the kind of matchup that has tripped up plenty of teams before. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Senators Are Pushing Back On A Realignment Threat
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For Florida, the issue hits close to home because the proposed restriction could narrow the options for programs like Florida State, Miami and South Florida if the next wave of conference movement picks up again. Moody tried to soften the impact with an amendment that would allow schools to avoid the waiting period under certain conditions, but the broader realignment fight remains tangled up in the bills push for a more regulated college sports landscape. [Read more 🡒]