Ideal debut for Florida coach Jon Sumrall

GAINESVILLE – Well, that was a fun debut for Jon Sumrall and Aaron Philo.

Well, that was a fun return for Jadan Baugh and Vernell Brown III.

Well, that was a fun night for everybody associated with the Florida

Gators football team.

The Sumrall Era started on Sept. 5 with a 66-21 throttling of Florida Atlantic, a team that ran a ton of offensive plays (and then ran some more), but whose defense had no answer for Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

The offense was explosive.

The defense was opportunistic.

And UF’s stars played like stars.

Was it just a year ago that the clock started ticking on Billy Napier’s firing with a September loss to South Florida? Sumrall wasn’t going to let that happen against another in-state, Group of Six program.

Napier was booed off the field that night. Compare that to fans bounding out of The Swamp chanting, “It’s great to be a Florida Gator!” with 12 minutes left in the game.

It certainly was a great night to be a Gator, something in short supply over the past few years.

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Jadan Baugh’s dominant night

Baugh is a star running back and merits that kind of workload. And what an opener he had in going over 2,000 career rushing yards.

Baugh rushed 14 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns. His 61-yard carry was a career-high.

What UF fans should like best is the Gators featured Baugh from the hop. Nine-yard carry on the first play. Eight-yard carry on the second play. Three-yard carry on the fourth play. Get him in an early-game rhythm so he can establish a feel for the game plan and what FAU’s defense is trying to do up front.

UF’s defense was gassed when FAU closed to within 24-14 late in the first half. Baugh ended the game with two touchdowns in a span of 1:15.

On Baugh’s first touchdown, Philo shifted a few steps to his right, leaving Baugh in the “Wildcat” formation to receive the direct snap. Boom, a 12-yard touchdown.

What is most impressive about Baugh is how on one play, he can show elusiveness. The next play, explosion and toughness. And the next play, patience and awareness as he waited his blocks to develop.

Philo, who beat out Jacksonville’ Trammel Jones for the starting quarterback job, was 16-of-21 passing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He showed solid zip on his throws and when his receiver were running open, he usually hit them in stride to set up post-catch yards.

Brown caught six passes for 117 yards and his first career touchdown. Dallas Wilson caught three passes for 47 yards, showing why Sumrall is so excited to see him develop.

Electric atmosphere at The Swamp

The atmosphere at The Swamp was like an SEC match-up, not a non-conference game. Museum Drive was packed with cars and fans dodging the traffic more than three hours before the eventual 7:55 p.m. kickoff.

Everybody wearing orange and blue found another reason to embrace Sumrall: He didn’t wear all black like Napier. Sumrall’s shirt was orange, blue and white; you know, Florida’s colors.

Oddly (at least to me), UF didn’t warm up in full pads. They wore their football pants and gloves and helmets, but went through the full pre-game routine without shoulder pads.

FAU ran 57 first-half plays. Not only did the Owls not huddle, they barely took a breath. By the end of the third quarter, they were 11 of 20 on third down. I didn’t think UF played aggressive enough coverage, allowing too much cushion outside for short pitch-and-catch football.

Those things will be figured out next week against Campbell.

And after watching some of Auburn’s win over Baylor, who wouldn’t pick the Gators to win at Auburn in two weeks? This is a team that should be 3-0 entering a home game against Ole Miss later this month.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ideal debut for Florida coach Jon Sumrall