90,295 fans erupted as senior defensive back DJ Coleman snagged Florida’s first interception of the season on an errant third-and-10 pass from FAU graduate quarterback Caden Veltkamp.
With anticipation surrounding the program at a boiling point, it took just seven plays for junior quarterback Aaron Philo to find sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III for an electric 49-yard touchdown – both Philo and Brown’s first as Gators.
That takeaway and ensuing touchdown set the tone for Florida’s (1-0) 66-21 rout of Florida Atlantic (0-1) Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The work ethic had been there since head coach Jon Sumrall’s arrival in Gainesville, and the Gators were ready to show it.
“It’s just different when you run out to 90,000,” Philo said. “The fans are awesome, they bring a lot of energy, and it was unreal.”
Philo showed poise early, completing 4 of 4 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns through two drives. He finished 16 of 21 for 275 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, and he added 20 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
“I’m proud of him. He’s prepared, he’s worked really, really hard, he’s an unbelievable teammate, he’s a great leader,” Sumrall said. “I think he showed his comfortability by how he operated. He made good decisions for the most part with the football. He was accurate. He distributed it well.”
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense, which averaged 460 yards per game at Georgia Tech in 2025, showed flashes as an explosive air-raid threat and versatile rushing unit in Saturday’s win with 624 total yards — 281 on the ground and 343 through the air.
Following his opening touchdown to Brown, Philo connected with fellow Georgia Tech transfer Bailey Stockton for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The junior receiver’s first score as a Gator lifted UF ahead 14-0, and Stockton finished with three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown.
Junior kicker and Tulane transfer Patrick Durkin also showed off his leg in Saturday’s win, making his only field goal opportunity and eight extra point tries. His 53-yard field goal in the final minutes of the first quarter extended Florida’s lead to 17-0.
Following his first non-touchdown drive in Gainesville, Philo immediately answered with a 63-yard bomb to junior receiver TJ Abrams.
Though it seemed a 20-yard loss on a wild snap would keep the Gators out of the endzone, a 25-yard Baugh run on third-and-28 set the stage for a 3-yard Philo rushing touchdown. That extended Florida’s lead to 24-7 with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half, but Florida wasn’t done.
Junior running back Jadan Baugh picked up right where he left off after last season’s 1,170-yard rushing campaign. He tallied 93 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone and finished with 160 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries.
His shifty 12-yard touchdown run in the second quarter extended UF’s lead to 31-14, and it took just one minute and 15 seconds for Baugh to punch in another. His second touchdown of the half, this one from 7 yards out, sent Florida to halftime with a 24-point lead, 38-14.
Fresh out of the half, Baugh made it clear he was running with a purpose. He broke free for rushes of 61 and 6, with the latter extending Florida’s lead to 45-14 as the junior punched in his third touchdown.
Faulkner’s explosive offense never took its foot off the gas, adding 28 points in the second half.
“It felt great to me,” Baugh said. “Just being in The Swamp, seeing the fans …. I’m proud of the guys, they came out here and we put full effort into it. I’m just ready to do it again.”
Sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. got his chance late in the third quarter and added a 6-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Micah Jones in the final minute of the game, putting the finishing touch on Florida’s 66-21 win. Jones Jr. finished 4 of 5 for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Standout sophomore receivers Brown and Dallas Wilson finished with six receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown, and three receptions for 47 yards, respectively, foreshadowing the ability of Florida’s electric receiving corps that could pose a problem to opponents in the Southeastern Conference.
“Unbelivable worker. So, not surprised, but he competes his tail off and prepares the right way,” Sumrall said of Brown. “He’s one of the best leaders for a young player I’ve ever been around.”
Sophomore running back Duke Clark also added 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground along with a 10-yard touchdown reception. His two touchdowns pushed Florida ahead 52-14 and 59-21, respectively.
The Owls’ fast-paced offense Sumrall harped on leading up to the opener didn’t seem to faze Florida. Defensive coordinator Brad White’s scheme bogged down FAU’s momentum with constant pressure and forced the Owls to punt three times.
The crowd of 90,295 also made an impact during Saturday’s thrashing in The Swamp. The roaring drum of the crowd forced FAU into two delay of game penalties in the first quarter alone.
“Running out of the tunnel for the first time, it surpassed my expectations,” Sumrall said. “What an unbelievable crowd, great support. They had a huge impact on the game and we need that each and every week, which I have no doubt we will.”
UF couldn’t hold the Owls scoreless, however. Following two consecutive three-and-outs, FAU strung together a pair of touchdown drives in the second quarter.
The first, a 13-play, 75-yard drive, was capped off by a 1-yard rushing touchdown at the start of the second quarter. That cut UF’s lead to 17-7, while the second, a 12-play, 78-yard drive, ended with a 7-yard Veltkamp touchdown run to keep the Owls within 10, 24-14.
Reminiscent of FAU’s 39-7 loss to Maryland in last season’s opener, Veltkamp struggled with turnovers. Coleman tipped a pass into the hands of senior defensive back Dijon Johnson late in the second quarter for Florida’s second takeaway of the night, leading to yet another Gators rushing touchdown before the half.
“DJ [Coleman] is one of those guys that is just really consistent,” Sumrall said. “He’s a high-level communicator. He’s got a high-level IQ. He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s dependable.”
Relentless defense sustained through all four quarters, and an FAU offense that averaged more than 444 yards and 38 points per game in 2025 mustered just 21 points and less than 400 yards.
Junior linebacker Myles Graham and sophomore defensive lineman Jeramiah McCloud made their presence known early and often. The pair combined for 18 tackles, and McCloud logged a pass deflection.
“I love his energy,” Graham said of McCloud. “He’s a dawg … It makes my job easier.”
Senior STAR Kanye Clark and sophomore defensive back Ben Hanks III also provided blanket coverage in Florida’s secondary. They were credited with a combined 11 tackles and two pass deflections.
Florida’s linebacker room headlined by junior Aaron Chiles, Graham and senior Jaden Robinson, also provided a positive outlook for Florida’s defense. Along with Graham’s dominance, Chiles logged three tackles and a pass deflection early in the win, while Robinson tallied four total tackles.
Senior defensive lineman Kamran James, who led the Gators in sack yardage in 2025 (3.5 for 24 yards), added four tackles (two for loss) and a sack. Senior defensive lineman Brendan Bett also made his mark, providing constant pressure and finishing with four tackles in the win. His forced fumble during Florida’s goal-line stand in the fourth quarter summed up Florida’s tenacious defense in the 45-point win.
But despite the lopsided victory, the Gators didn’t emerge unscathed.
True freshman offensive lineman TJ Dice Jr. entered the game after an injury to senior Bryce Lovett early in the third quarter, but Lovett returned in the fourth.
Sophomore defensive J’Vari Flowers also left the game in the third quarter with an injury. Before his premature exit, Flowers displayed an ability to make strong tackles on the perimeter, logging six total tackles.
Senior receiver Eric Singleton was another playmaker who left the game early after an ankle injury in the first quarter. He remained sidelined for the remainder of the game out of an abundance of caution for his health.
Florida is now 5-0 all-time against FAU and will look to build on its success when Campbell visits The Swamp Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a senior sports journalism student in his sixth semester at The Alligator. He is currently a sports editor and football beat reporter for the Gators and the Jaguars. He previously served as a men's tennis and sports enterprise reporter, and he is pursuing a public relations minor.
