Jon Sumrall’s Florida Gators have opened the season in rare form. The first-year head coach is the first SEC coach to score 200-plus points in his first four games, and the team sits at 4-0 and No. 8 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. Nick Saban has now drawn a line between the Gators’ practice habits and some of the most established programs.
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The former Alabama head coach has tracked Florida all season. On The Pat McAfee Show on September 18, before the SEC opener, he liked Florida’s ability to run the ball. He said transfer quarterback Aaron Philo had played well and that the receivers looked good. He picked the Gators over Auburn that week.
Through four games, Florida is averaging 53.5 points and about 533 yards, with 7.6 yards per play. The ground game is at 260 yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns. Moreover, passing sits near 273 yards per game on 73.1% completion, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. They have reached at least 44 points every week, including the two SEC games.
“I’ve been very impressed with Florida, especially on offense. I mean, these guys are scoring a lot of points. They got a lot of weapons. The quarterback’s playing well. They got a great runner, really good receiving corps,” Saban said on October 2 during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “So, I think they’re going to continue to be explosive on offense. Can they play good enough on defense?” He added.
Jadan Baugh has 83 carries for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns, the most rushing scores in the FBS. Duke Clark has added 32 carries for 259 yards and three touchdowns, including a 45-yard score versus Ole Miss. Next, Philo is 63 of 87 for 917 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions, plus 69 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Those are the weapons Saban listed.
“But I think Buster Faulkner is one of those guys who, in his culture, is creating toughness, and you do that in practice. And one of the most difficult things I think in this day and age of football is having enough depth on your team to be able to practice that way,” Saban said on the same show. “And I think some of these better teams that we’re seeing — Georgia, Florida, you know, some of these teams, Ohio State — they actually can do that in practice. Iowa can, too. But I think that culture is very important.”
Saban grouped Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, and Iowa because those teams have enough depth to practice physically without emptying the Saturday roster.
Sumrall hired Faulkner from Georgia Tech for his first season in Gainesville. Faulkner spent time as an offensive coach on Kirby Smart’s Georgia staff for the 2021 and 2022 national title teams.
In 2025, he was named FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year at Georgia Tech, where the offense ranked first in the ACC in rushing. Faulkner brought Philo with him and built the run game around Jadan Baugh, plus a second back in Duke Clark.
In 2025, Florida averaged 21.6 points and 341.3 yards, with 5.4 yards per play and 136.8 rushing yards. The passing game produced 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and the team punted 50 times. This year’s group is at 53.5 points, around 533 yards, 7.6 yards per play, and 260 rushing yards, with far fewer turnovers and only five punts.
Sumrall’s start has its own marks. His 214 points through four games are the most by any Florida coach in that span, 50 more than Dan Mullen’s 164 in 2018. Florida is 4-0 for the first time since 2019 and has scored at least 44 in each of the first four games for the first time since Steve Spurrier’s 2001 team. Sumrall was also named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month after the Ole Miss win.
Saban’s concern regarding the defense still hangs over the results. Florida is allowing 22.8 points and about 351 yards per game. The run defense has been the stronger side at 103 yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the pass defense sits near 248 yards allowed per game.
Against Auburn, the Gators scored 44 and still needed a late stop in a 44-39 win. Ole Miss was cleaner at 28 points allowed, yet the defense has not matched the offense.