National perception is starting to swing in favor of the Florida Gators.
After entering the season outside of the rankings, Jon Sumrall's program only needed the opening game to crack ESPN's power rankings, landing at No. 24 after Week 1 in the outlet's first in-season update.
The primary takeaway from Saturday's blowout victory was the impact of new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Florida scored 66 points and nine touchdowns against Florida Atlantic, which was UF's highest-scoring performance since November 2021.
Redshirt sophomore and Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo accounted for four touchdowns in his debut. He looked incredibly comfortable operating Faulkner's system after spending two seasons with him in Atlanta.
"What a difference
having an actual offensive coordinator makes for the Gators. Jon Sumrall knew what he was doing when he hired Buster Faulkner away from Georgia Tech. We have only a one-week sample size, but his impact was immediate," wrote author Andrea Adelson.
Philo played conductor in Week 1, but junior running back Jadan Baugh was the lead instrument. He reinforced preseason All-American hype with each bullish carry. It is only a one-game sample size, but Florida's offense already looks markedly better.
"It was Jadan Baugh who stole the show — becoming the third Gator player to rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns in a game over the past 30 years. It was only one game, but there is little doubt the offense already is vastly improved," she went on to say.
Florida sits at No. 17 in ESPN's updated FPI, providing a second piece of national evidence that the Gators' stock is rising. Ranked ahead of Florida are several future opponents in Georgia (No. 4), Ole Miss (No. 11), Texas A&M (No. 14) and Oklahoma (No. 15).
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida soars into ESPN's power rankings after dominant season opener
