Nine months ago, the University of Florida head coach Jon Sumrall made it clear what he wanted the Gators offense to become.

“I want the scoreboard to light up.”

After 66 points against the Florida Atlantic University Owls it appears that Sumrall has delivered an early return on that promise.

It’s been nearly five years since Florida last scored more than 60 points in a game, but it took just one game in the Sumrall era to snap that stretch. Perhaps the most impactful thing Sumrall did upon joining the Gators’ program was hiring highly sought-after offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

Faulkner led Georgia Tech to average over 30 points per game during his three year tenure with the Yellow Jackets, and started his Florida career by putting up 66 points and 624 yards of offense. It was a balanced attack for the Gators as they had 343 yards through the air while adding 281 yards on the ground.

The Gators’ defense set the tone early as they stymied a drive that got close to the red zone when safety DJ Coleman picked off quarterback Caden Veltkamp. While the Florida defense did force three turnovers, it gave up 396 yards of offense, which left Sumrall less than pleased.

“Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly,” Sumrall said. “I’m really a little bit frustrated with how we played defensively at times. I don’t think we are as good as we think we are. I think we got some guys who think we’ve arrived in some spots, and that will be addressed.” 

Florida Atlantic quarterback Caden Veltkamp threw for 276 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. Wide receiver Kelby Valsin also enjoyed some success against the Florida secondary as he finished with 10 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.

The Gators’ offense was the story of the day, however. Quarterback Aaron Philo was 16-of-21 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in his Gators debut. Sumrall was pleased with Philo’s performance and was impressed by his play, saying, “I think he showed his comfortability with how he operated. He was accurate, he distributed it well. I thought he did a really nice job.”

Philo’s job was made easier by Vernell Brown III, who looked like he was running routes on air all night as he collected six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. His running mate Dallas Wilson added three catches for 47 yards as well.

Jadan Baugh’s performance was among the most impressive of the night. Baugh ran for 160 yards on just 14 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per carry. Baugh also found the end zone three times before being removed as the rest of the running back room got an opportunity to play.

The Gators’ offense appears poised to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the year with the explosive talent they have across the board, but their defense will be tested and will need to improve if they want to make any noise in the Southeastern Conference.

Florida will host the Campbell University Camels next Saturday in the Swamp before opening conference play.

Stat Leaders:

Aaron Philo: 16-21, 275 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown

Jadan Baugh: 14 carries, 160 yards, 3 touchdowns, 11.4 yards per carry

Vernell Brown III: 6 receptions, 117 yards, 1 touchdown