Readiness, cleaning up penalties will be critical as Gators prep for Auburn
A week ago Jon Sumrall warned the Gators against taking the Campbell Camels lightly. For a half, at least, the warning was taken seriously although the defense did allow 63 yards and a field goal on Campbell’s first possession. At the half, Florida led, 45-3. The offensive stats would have been much higher except Vernell Brown III ran two punts back for touchdowns, which took two possessions away from Aaron Philo and the offensive unit.
Then came the second half when the offense went stagnant. Five penalties (three holding, two personal fouls) had plenty to do with lack of production, but it went beyond that. The big lead offered an opportunity to get valuable reps in live game situations for backups, but the way Sumrall saw it from the sideline there was a lack of readiness.
“I expect everybody that gets in the game to be ready to play,” Sumrall said in his post game remarks. “I told the guys this week at Monday’s team meeting … ‘We should handle this game the right way not like cruise through it, get some guys some opportunities to go play. Don’t tell me you’re not ready. Like you should always be ready.’ I think maybe some guys learned tonight what readiness looks like isn’t quite where they are.”
That is a concern heading into Saturday night’s Southeastern Conference opener at Auburn (7 p.m., ESPN). The Tigers are bigger, stronger, faster and far more talented than either of Florida’s first two opponents. Auburn’s offense is led by Byrum Brown, who lit up the Gators last year when South Florida beat UF in The Swamp, and the Auburn defense is coordinated by DJ Durkin, a former Urban Meyer assistant who was Will Muschamp’s defensive coordinator at UF in 2013-14.
Auburn’s offense struggled game one against Baylor in game one, but lit up Southern Miss for 43 points and 613 yards on Saturday. Durkin’s defense held Southern Miss to 221 yards (50 on the ground), picking off two passes and sacking the QB four times.
Auburn plays a tempo offense so readiness will be a necessity. So will eliminating the penalties. In game one against Florida Atlantic, the Gators had no holding calls and only one false start.
Against Campbell, Sumrall said, “The first half this week felt fairly clean. The second half every time you felt like we had an explosive play, there’s another penalty flag, another penalty flag. You can’t do that. The Gators can’t beat the Gators.
“The good news is our guys owned it. They understand accountability. Every one of them after I brought them over and corrected them, half of them before I came in here [to the press conference], they came to me, ‘Coach, I’m sorry.’ I’m like yeah, you should be. It’s not okay. It hurts the team.”
Even though it’s just game three and the first SEC games, it is a critical matchup for the Gators, who have five upcoming games against teams currently ranked in the top 25. Jordan Hare Stadium is one of the toughest venues in all of college football and a place where Florida is only 8-26-1 in history. Cleaning up the penalties and having backups ready have to be high on the priority list this week.
GATORS IN THE NATIONAL STATS
Vernell Brown III: VBIII leads the nation in punt returns (4-173 yards, 2 TDs). That’s an average of 42.25 yards per return.
Aaron Philo: Philo has completed 32-42 passes (76.2 percent) for 517 yards and five touchdowns. His 12.3 yards per pass attempt ranks fifth nationally.
Jadan Baugh: Baugh is No. 2 nationally in rushing with 296 yards. He is tied for third with five touchdowns and ranks 10th in yards per carry (10.57 per carry).
Florida offense: The Gators are third in scoring (59 per game), sixth in total offense (569 yards), fifth in yards per play (8.82), fourth in punt returns (5-173 yards).
Associated Press top 25 (SEC teams bold face): 1. Texas 2-0; 2. Georgia 2-0; 3. Notre Dame 2-0; 4. Indiana 2-0; 5. Miami 2-0; 6. Ohio State 1-1; 7. LSU 2-0; 8. Ole Miss 2-0; 9. Texas A&M 2-0; 10. Alabama 2-0; 11. BYU 2-0; 12. Southern Cal 2-0; 13. Texas Tech 2-0; 14. Penn State 2-0; 15. Tennessee 2-0. 16. SMU 2-0; 17. Utah 2-0; 18. Iowa 2-0; 19. Michigan 2-0; 20. Missouri 2-0; 21. Oregon 1-1; 22. Houston 2-0; 23. Louisville 1-1; 24. Oklahoma 1-1; 25. Virginia 2-0
AFCA Coaches top 25 (SEC teams bold face): 1. Texas 2-0; 2. Georgia 2-0; 3. Notre Dame 2-0; 4. Indiana 2-0; 5. Miami 2-0; 6. Ohio State 1-1; 7. LSU 2-0; 8. Texas A&M 2-0; 9. Ole Miss 2-0; 10. Alabama 2-0; 11. Southern Cal 2-0; 12. Texas Tech 2-0; 13. BYU 2-0; 14. Tennessee 2-0; 15. Penn State 2-0; 16. SMU 2-0; 17. Utah 2-0; 18. Oregon 1-1; 19. Michigan 2-0; 20. Iowa 2-0; 21. Oklahoma 1-1; 22. Missouri 2-0; 23. Houston 2-0; 24. Washington 2-0; 25. Virginia 2-0
ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC
No. 10 Alabama (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Alabama’s defense is No. 6 nationally (185 yards per game) and No. 4 against the run (32.5 yards per game, 1.2 per carry) … Daniel Hill (151 yards, 3 TDs) has become the go-to guy in the Bama running game that is averaging 191 yards per game. Saturday: Florida State (1-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Arkansas (1-1): The Razorbacks are dead last in the SEC in running the ball (104 yards per game). Saturday they face a Georgia defense that has allowed only 120 yards (1.74 yards per carry) in two games. Saturday: No. 2 Georgia (2-0), 12 noon, ABC
Auburn (2-0): Auburn ran for 343 yards in its win over Southern Miss. Byrum Brown, who threw three interceptions against Baylor, threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns without a pick against Southern Miss … The Tigers are dead last in the SEC in pass defense, allowing 252 yards per game and three touchdowns. Opponents are averaging only 5.8 yards per pass attempt. Saturday: FLORIDA (2-0), 7 p.m. ESPN
No. 2 Georgia (2-0): Quarterback Gunner Stockton is 28-32 passing for 436 yards (14.3 per attempt and eight touchdowns … Georgia ranks fourth nationally in offense (576.5 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (167 yards per game). Saturday: at Arkansas (1-1), 12 noon, ABC
Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC): Saturday: at No. 9 Texas A&M (2-0); 3:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 LSU (2-0): LSU leads the nation in total defense (142 yards per game). The Tigers have allowed only 36 rushing yards (0.63 yards per carry), which ranks second nationally. The Tigers are tied for the national lead in sacks with 12. LSU ranks No. 3 nationally in total offense (586 yards per game) … Quarterback Sam Leavitt has thrown four interceptions and only two TDPs, but he has run for five touchdowns. Saturday: at No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
Mississippi State (2-0): The Bulldogs have the No. 2 offense in the country (620 yards per game), led by quarterback Kamario Taylor, who has thrown for 581 yards and seven touchdowns while running for 185 yards and another TD. Top target Anthony Evans II has caught 14 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Saturday: at South Carolina (2-0), 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
No. 20 Missouri (2-0): Austin Simmons is completing 75 percent of his passes, averaging 11.3 yards per attempt. He’s thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception. His top target is former Ole Miss teammate Cayden Lee (11-209, 2 TDs). Saturday: Troy (2-0), 7 p.m., SEC Network+
No. 24. Oklahoma (1-1): Oklahoma is dead last in the SEC in total offense (345 yards per game), passing (210 yards) and 13th in rushing (135 yards). Saturday: New Mexico (2-0), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0): Deuce Alexander has emerged as the No. 1 target for Trinidad Chambliss with 13 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Kewan Lacy has run for 148 yards and three touchdowns. Chambliss has thrown for five touchdowns while running for one more. Saturday: No. 7 LSU (2-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
South Carolina (2-0): The Gamecocks are No. 4 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally in total offense at 573.5 yards per game … LaNorris Sellers has thrown for 366 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday: Mississippi State (2-0), 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
No. 15 Tennessee (2-0): Saturday: Kennesaw State (1-1), 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
No. 1 Texas (2-0): While leading the Longhorns on scoring drives of 91, 72 and 73 yards in the fourth quarter Saturday against Ohio State, Arch Manning completed 8-11 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. The rally from a 20-point deficit was the biggest at Texas since rallying from 20 down against Oklahoma State in 2008. Saturday: Texas-San Antonio (2-0), 8 p.m., SEC Network+
No. 9 Texas A&M (2-0): The Aggies had two pick sixes against Arizona State. The A&M defense is giving up only 218 yards per game … The offense is 12th in the SEC (380 yards per game). Saturday: Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC); 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Vanderbilt (2-0): The Commodores rank second nationally in sacks with 11. Vanderbilt is giving up only 258 yards per game. Saturday: North Carolina State (1-1), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
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