Sumrall seeking signature win
Jon Sumrall with Florida Gators players during their introduction before his first game as head coach against Florida Atlantic. Photo courtesy of Alex Shepherd, @agentshep on X and @alexshepherdphoto on instagram.
Written by Chris McLean / September 18, 2026
It will be almost 19 years to the day that I will set foot back in Jordan Hare. That was my first time there. But it wasn't for the Gators. That day, I was there to see the USF Bulls, who would go on to tear the hearts out of the Tiger faithful on an overtime throw by quarterback Matt Grothe.
Fast forward to this past season. Both Auburn and Florida were going through coaching searches. Tulane’s Jon Sumrall was the primary focus for the Tigers, while the Gators set their sights on the white whale, Lane Kiffin. However, Florida was unable to win that battle after LSU joined the market as well, so they pivoted to Sumrall. This would alter Auburn's plans. So they zeroed in on Alex Golesh, formerly of USF.
Florida fans would lose their collective minds, present company included. (https://www.haterradio.com/articles/scott-stricklin-is-killing-us-softly)
While Auburn fans were none the less happy with the Golesh hire.
Over the last 9 months though, Gator fans have turned that let down into a realization that they might have actually hired the right guy. To that end, Sumrall brought in playcalling genius Buster Faulkner to run the offense. And after the first two games, they scored 118 points, the best output to start a season since 2009.
Conversely, Golesh is the primary playcaller for Auburn. The Tiger offense put up 17 and 43 points respectively in their matchups against Baylor and Southern Miss.
Sumrall is not a stranger to Golesh. They were American Conference coaches in their previous stops. In fact, in 2024, Sumrall's Green Wave squad bested Golesh's Bulls team 45-10. The game wasn't particularly close, as Byrum Brown was injured for a good portion of the game and Darian Mensah, now at Miami, led Tulane with 326 yards and 3 TDs passing.
Another connection between these teams is Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who previously held the same title at Florida in the 2010s. The Auburn defense has been quite stout to start the year, only allowing 24 points between their two opponents.
Additionally, thirteen USF players followed Golesh to the Plains and are already making contributions. Notably Brown, a good number of his receivers and some of the offensive line.
Sumrall is looking to get his Florida career off on the right foot. The first part was bringing a more explosive offense to the Swamp. Now, he needs a signature win. And although Auburn is not one of the top teams in the SEC, a win on the road, in this conference, will go a long way to building good will from the fan base.
Lord knows we were mired in sub par play for over 4 years with Sun Belt Billy and the Boys.
This game will mean a whole hell of a lot for both programs. James Di Virgilio of the Gator Nation Football Podcast posited that this "game is a tentpole" for the Gators. Leaving the Plains with a 3-0 record will have the Gator faithful singing Sumrall’s praises and will have them wanting more out of this season. A loss could be devastating and forebode rough results as they navigate the rest of their schedule.
Here's hoping my USF connection will resurrect those good vibes from long ago and favor Sumrall & the Gators and not Golesh & the Tigers.
See you on the Plains.
