Following Florida’s victory over Florida Atlantic, head coach Jon Sumrall broke down where his defense both shined and lacked in the 66-21 win.
While the defense played hard, Sumrall said he would have liked to see more awareness and attention to detail. The Gators failed to generate quality pressure until the second half on Owls’ quarterback Caden Veltkamp, leading the senior to post 276 passing yards at a 65% clip.
FAU ranked No. 32 in the nation in 2025 in plays of 30-plus yards and No. 38 in 20-plus. Veltkamp and Co. shined last season in their explosiveness, but were limited on Saturday. The group added just two plays of 20 yards or more — deep passes to Easton Messer and Kelby Valsin, respectively.
“We did manage to limit the explosive plays,” Sumrall said. “We really only had two by how we count them, but some of that limiting explosive plays was because we were playing a little too cautious and a little too passive in regards to not getting sticky enough at times.”
Sumrall tagged Florida with playing too far off FAU’s wideouts at times in an attempt to limit the big plays. While the secondary kept almost everything in front of them, the Owls were still able to find the gaps and generate more success than anticipated from an American Athletic Conference foe.
FAU honed in on its hurry-up offense and flaunted its quick-fire pacing immediately. It curated an 11-play opening drive that spanned 2:59 before being capped by a DJ Coleman interception. Despite the senior safety’s effort, the Gators seemed on their heels for the majority of the series.
“It wasn't an effort issue. It wasn't a desire issue. It was simply, man, we're young or either, in my opinion, untrained on certain spots at certain times,” Sumrall said. “We have to coach better. Our players, they’ve got to prepare in a manner that they can go activate on the grass on game day. It wasn't all bad, but it damn sure wasn't all good either.”
Despite allowing nearly 400 total yards to a pass-heavy FAU offense, the first-year Florida coach was pleased with the play of the linebacker room and veteran defensive backs Bryce Thornton and Coleman.
But while the secondary displayed adequate coverage and strong tackling, Sumrall wants to see the unit display a heightened ability to read offenses and limit certain short-yardage schemes with tight coverage – something he’s adamant will improve.
“We do have to understand when to play more connected and more attached to coverage,” he said, “and our guys are going to improve. I promise you that they're either going to improve or I'm going to lose my mind trying to help.”
The effort of the defense was also a bright spot. Sumrall appreciated the relentless nature of his defensive line and their efforts to generate stops even late in the blowout. Senior Brendan Bett’s goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter led the coach to harp on Florida’s desire to finish out the game strong.
“It was a great play by Brendan Bett down there to fight, get off the block and tear off and go make the play,” Sumrall said. “I appreciate the fact that they continued to play.”
However, pressure from Florida’s defensive front lacked throughout the win. Sumrall said there were a number of factors that could’ve hindered the Gators’ sack production, including finishing out plays at the top of the pocket.
“At times, it was that we didn't get off of a block. Sometimes it was a quarterback extending plays with his feet. Sometimes we just didn't finish,” he said. “We had several opportunities, and we just didn't quite get done the way we need to. We got to continue to work on that, and I thought that maybe just could have strained just a little bit harder in certain scenarios.”
The up-tempo offense the Owls displayed allowed FAU to make short-yardage passes and take what UF’s defensive scheme gave them.
Florida held an hour-long run through on Monday to clean up weaknesses shown in Saturday’s film, and one thing Sumrall wants to see improved is UF’s ability to press and play tight coverage on short-yardage situations – no soft coverage on third-and-1.
“The biggest [needed improvement] is situational awareness and football IQ, and if it's third-and-1, we can't play nine yards off a corner, and that comes with teaching,” Sumrall said. “I thought we were maybe past that, but we can't forget that all those little details matter.”
The Gators can expect a similar persona on the opposing sideline on Saturday. Campbell plays with a similar stature as FAU, highlighted by its hurry-up offense and quick decision making at the line of scrimmage. While Florida contained the Owls’ explosive play nature, it had to adjust to their tempo right out of the gate.
The Camels posted back-to-back 500-plus yard performances to start 2026. Florida’s last non-conference matchup should not be taken lightly. Campbell quarterback Kamden Sixkiller threw for 343 and 330 yards, respectively, thus far. The senior is also a threat with his legs, posting 95 yards in the team’s 2026 debut against Eastern Tennessee State Aug. 29.
“I think it's another good test of how to get lined up, how to leverage the football from a perimeter standpoint, but also stay on top, and I think it's going to force us to communicate,” Sumrall said. “It's going to force us to take a step forward, like I said earlier, to be better with situational awareness.”
Following Florida’s home date with the Camels, it will face a strenuous nine-game stretch against Southeastern Conference rivals. Rather than taking their foot of the gas for Week 2, Sumrall harped on the Gators preparing for Campbell like it’s any other team.
“You have to show up with a chip on your shoulder every day. You can never assume anything. I don’t care who you’re playing, and as soon as you get complacent or overconfident, this game will humble you really, really fast,” Sumrall said. “You get every seven days to either be promoted or exposed, and you’re going to get exposed if you are not ridiculously dialed in.”
Contact Riley Orovitz @rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz.
Contact Curan Ahern @cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X @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.
Riley is a junior sports journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and Gators football beat reporter. Currently in her third semester with The Alligator, she has previously covered Gators swim & dive and Gators gymnastics. She is an avid South Florida sports fan and enjoys playing/following all sports in her free time.
