Florida's Jon Sumrall discusses Week 2 win over Campbell

Florida football routed the Campbell Fighting Camels, 52-3, during Week 2, marking the first time since 2021 that the Gators started the season with a pair of wins. However, despite the lopsided score, there is still work to do for the Orange and Blue.

Following the triumph over their FCS opponent, head coach Jon Sumrall spoke to the press about what he saw out on the field inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. There were things he was proud of — especially Vernell Bown III’s performance — but there were also areas that he wants to see the team improve, particularly focusing on personal foul calls and team discipline.

Take a look below at everything Sumrall told the press following Florida’s second win of the 2026 campaign.

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Appreciate you all being here to cover the game. Happy for our guys to get a win. The goal this week, just like every week, is to be 1-0 at the end of Saturday. We’re 1-0 this week, which I’m pleased with.

Some positives. I thought clearly (Vernell Brown III) in the return game came through when it was really clutch with what he did with the ball in his hands on those two punt returns, the third one that we had the penalty on. He did some really nice things in the return game.

I thought defensively did a better job. Once we settled into the rhythm of the game, that first drive, they got us a couple times down the field early throwing the ball, but I thought our guys settled in and played with more confidence at times in the back end.

Really in two situations in the second half, I was pleased that after the muffed punt forced a field goal opportunity, they missed it. With a lot of young guys in the game there at the end, got a defensive stop on the fumble, which I was pleased with, to hold them to three points.

A lot I was not pleased with, to be quite honest with you. Some guys proved maybe in the second half, you get an opportunity to prove people right or wrong, some guys proved us right why they’re not playing right now.

We were way too sloppy. I think in the second half we had more penalties in the second half than we have all year prior to the second half. That was really frustrating. If we play like we did in the second half, we’re about to have a real rude awakening. We have got a lot of improvement to do.

While I’m really happy to be 2-0 this week, I’m not real pleased with just maybe where we are from a maturity standpoint, executing at a really high level all the time. What we’re about to walk into in conference play, we will get absolutely embarrassed if we don’t improve a ton.

A lot to be excited about, but a lot to work on. I thought (Aaron) Philo played fairly efficiently, did some good things. I thought our running backs, to be quite honest with you, were subpar, not so much Jadan (Baugh), but the depth of the room I thought did some things that were not as clean as we’ve asked them to do.

We had a guy go the wrong way on one run, missed a protection call on one. Didn’t really play clean football. A lot, to be quite honest with you, that I’m really frustrated about.

Yeah, we were a little sluggish early. I think going and making a play in the return game… Anytime you score on special teams, the percentages of you winning the game goes way up. We scored twice, you almost have to screw it up to lose. Those were both big-time plays.

I think those type of plays, too, gets the crowd involved in the game. That was fun to see VB make those plays and create that momentum for us.

We pulled the guys out of the game as soon as it happened. I talked to ’em. I said, “Look, that’s not okay. You can’t put us in first and 25.”

Not all personal fouls are created the same. What I will say is, one of them I felt like was us just trying to play through the echo of the whistle. I’m not going to make an excuse for it. But I’m like there was no whistle blown, so the guy is playing through the echo of the whistle. He doesn’t have eyes in the back of his forehead to tell when the play is over. That was on the one with Rod Kearney. He didn’t know when the play was over.

Maybe he shouldn’t have jumped on the guys is what they’re saying. It’s football. You’re allowed to push somebody in the ground.

We cannot have those things happen. Last week we got to third and goal on the 28-yard line and scored. You get to conference play, you’re in first and 25, I might as well get the punt team ready most of the time. Not all the time, but most of the time. Just go ahead and get them at their spot to get ready to take the field.

We spend a lot of time on special teams. I’m very involved in it. Coach (Johnathan) Galante does a great job. Our special teams coaches put in a ton of work.

Greg McMahon has been a great addition for us. What he does is he meets with some guys one-on-one and help them understand their job better. Just their little role that they may have within the team.

On both punt returns, we actually had blocks called. What we’re trying to do is get them to maybe hold the front guys in longer, knowing that was going to give VB a little bit more room to operate and catch. Sometimes you when you have a punt return on, the guys on the punt protection team read it and get out in coverage fast. When you have a punt block on, it’s holding them in longer.

Sometimes the biggest returns happen on punt blocks, not always holdups. Both of those were more of a block type of look to make sure we put some pressure on the punter, keep the blockers in a little bit longer to protect.

But it’s nice to see us execute those plays well and create special teams plays, create momentum. Obviously, when you score, it’s a big deal.

Yeah, sometimes it’s both. Sometimes, like, they made a nice throw and catch on the one to start their drive in the first quarter when they got the ball to start the game.

I went over to our DBs after that drive and I said, “Guys, they may catch a pass or two. Do not be afraid to stay down there and challenge them. Do not get cautious.”

At corner, you’re going to get beat. The other guys are going to make a play. When you get beat, you have to pick yourself up — all right, next play.

That’s what I was most pleased with out of those guys tonight, maybe we didn’t start great, we do need to start faster, it would be nice to get a three-and-out the first drive, we haven’t done that yet, but at the same time you look back-to-back weeks, even though we gave up a first-drive interception, this week forced them to a field goal. Don’t want them to get points, but nonetheless, we didn’t let them in the end zone.

We do need to start a little bit faster, though. Sometimes it’s on a guy to make a play. Your one-on-one matchup, you got to go make the play.

It’s fun to see him hit that long one. Last year I think his longest was 23 yards. For him to have two in back-to-back weeks that were long ones, it’s fun.

I thought he did a nice job. I thought we didn’t maybe provide him as many rushing lanes as we should have up front tonight. I don’t think we played awful with the first group on the O-line, but I don’t think we’re where we need to be yet either.

We had a couple of holds and a couple of personal fouls. It’s really frustrating. Like, that was one of the things I was most pleased with in week one, we had four penalties last week. The first half this week it 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.

When you do that in the games we’re getting ready to go play, we will lose the game. I think we will not give ourselves an opportunity to win the game. We have to clean a lot of that up.

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, they came to me, “Coach, I’m sorry.” I am like, “Yeah, good, you should be. It’s not okay. It hurts the team.”

We’ve got to get a lot of that cleaned up and addressed.

I thought they played bigger than last week. Last week was a different challenge because a ton of quick game. Tonight a little bit more; some screens, perimeter screens than even last week.

I do think you felt maybe the talent gap in the trenches when our defense was on the field. Made more knock-back plays, physical plays, affected the passer a little bit more at times.

There were a couple opportunities we missed. Coach (Brad) White made two really good calls in situations where we knew they were going to spread out. We didn’t contain the edge the right way. That was on us executing a call at a high level that we missed tonight that I was a little bit frustrated with.

I think they asserted themselves a lot better tonight.

But yeah, I do think the operation of the punt team not having worked in the game, you go on the road the first time next week, it’s going to be a hostile environment. They have a great home field there. So for your snapper, your punter, the communication of everybody, it is nice to at least rep it.

But I’d just like to never punt. That would make it even better.

Yeah, I think we found a way to finish a lot of drives, maybe in spite of ourselves at times, put ourselves in some bad situations.

Like I said, we have a lot to clean up or those numbers are going to go the other way real fast.

Yeah, I expect every player on our team when they get on the team is to play to the standard that is a Florida Gator. I don’t care if you’re a first, second or third team player, there is a standard here. It’s non-negotiable. Doesn’t matter how many reps you got in practice, the standard has to be met all the time. I’m not okay with a guy telling me, “I’m a freshman.” Or, “Hey, I only got this many reps in practice.”

All of our freshmen have been here since January. They’ve got plenty of reps of every call we’ve got to do it the right way.

I expect everybody that gets in the game to be ready to go play. I told the guys this week, I tell them the truth, on Monday’s team meeting, I said, We should handle this game the right way, like not cruise through it, get some guys some opportunities to go play. Don’t tell me you’re not ready for your opportunity. Like, you should always be ready for your opportunity.

I think maybe some guys learned tonight what readiness looks like isn’t quite where they are.

Yeah, I mean, I think being in control of the flow of the game is really important because the momentum shifts that happen within it. Getting off the field quickly on defense matters. Scoring matters. The flow of the game. You have to play complementary football on the offense, defense, kicking game. All have to work together to maybe take the momentum back in the game.

Yeah, I thought Dallas played really well. He went for over a hundred yards, had 104 yards, five catches. Dallas is a really talented player, man. High ceiling. Just going to continue to get better and better and better. I’m excited about where he’s headed.

Philo, I thought he’s played really, really efficient. He’s operated well. He’s been a great leader. He’s communicated at a high level. I think we’re playing good football with him in the game right now. He’s just got to continue to get better.

We have to get better. Like, I’m a little uneasy with where we are. I think you can win games in the fashion we’ve won them in. It feel guys for everybody. But if we are not really urgent and detailed in our preparation, the outcome next Saturday will not be what we desire.

What’s on my mind is how do we get this team better, because where we are right now is not good enough. 

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida’s Jon Sumrall discusses Week 2 win over Campbell