John Sumrall has Florida at 3-0 again after wins over FAU, Campbell and Auburn. The No. 21 Gators now face No. 4 Ole Miss in The Swamp at 3:30 p.m., with a chance to turn that start into something more than a fast opening.
2019 season comparison
Florida’s current start matches the 2019 season, when Dan Mullen’s team also opened 3-0. That year turned on a different quarterback path after Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury against Kentucky, and Kyle Trask took over at quarterback.
The Gators kept rolling after that, reaching 6-0 before losing to LSU. They finished 11-2 and beat Virginia 36-28 in the Orange Bowl. This year’s start brings back that same early-season record, but under a different coach and with a different feel in Gainesville.
Jon Sumrall in Gainesville
Sumrall has brought a new identity to Gainesville, and the results have shown up in the standings. Florida has already beaten FAU, Campbell and Auburn to reach 3-0, giving the Gators a start they had not posted since 2019.
The improvement stands out because the seven years since 2019 have brought only two seasons over.500 and four head coaches. Against that backdrop, a 3-0 start is less about one win total than about whether Florida can hold a level that has been rare there for years.
Ole Miss in The Swamp
The next test is immediate: No. 4 Ole Miss comes to The Swamp at 3:30 p.m. Florida has already answered the first question of September with three straight wins. What comes next is whether Sumrall’s team can keep the start intact against a ranked opponent that arrives with a higher number beside its name.
