Florida prepares defense before Campbell visit

University of Florida admin September 10, 2026 0 Comments

Florida prepares defense before Campbell visit

Sometime near 5 a.m. one morning this week, a group of underclassmen wandered quietly through the west side of the University of Florida’s campus. College mistakes, of course. Memories they will hold deep into the years to come, those that grow more colorful with distance rather than in the dimmed moments they unfold.

But these men had no buttons missing on their polos nor bruises they would fail to remember earning when they roll over in the coming hours. Well, maybe a few of those. No, clad in matching Nike shorts and T-shirts, they walked at a pace that would make anyone else frivolous enough to stroll at such an hour stare drowsily, even if for a few breaths, wondering for what reason they must be moving so quickly. Then they scanned into Florida football’s cathedral, the massive Heavener Football Training Center, and questions subsided.

Last Saturday, Florida (1-0) beat up in-state cousin Florida Atlantic 66-21, the yield of 622 yards of offense and a defense that forced three turnovers. Next, as is rule in the land of Power 4 teams: another nonconference tune-up. This Saturday, FCS challenger Campbell (2-0).

In the wake of an Indiana national championship that came with a nonconference schedule of Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State (and no shame to Old Dominion, it held the Hoosiers to a 27-14 tug-of-war), college football powers are looking less to prove themselves before their conference slates and more to rattle their depth chart into place. A 12-team College Football Playoff exacerbated that, schools avoiding unnecessary challenges. An early season loss won’t slice you from playoff contention. But if all those surrounding you (and there are many 12-team contenders) beat up Group of 5 foes, then the framing, come December, is slightly harder.

So Florida, following suit, will divvy out six figures for Campbell, otherwise recognized as the Fighting Camels, to venture to Gainesville. Another question: what does a Power 4 team do during one of these weeks, when they surely feel they should almost definitely undebatably win, yet a loss would heave them into the constellations of infamy?

“That was not the standard or the bar that we want to set for how to play defense around here,” Florida defensive coordinator Brad White said this week, regarding the 21 points Florida allowed FAU. “Again, a lot of it, when you watch the tape, wasn’t an effort thing. It was an awareness thing, understanding football and basic football IQ.”

Florida’s primary focus this week has been on defense, maybe the product of scoring the school’s most points in six years last weekend (66) and the Gators’ punter (Alec Clark) never taking the field. FAU’s quarterback passed 57 times in response, part of an up-tempo attack that Florida coach Jon Sumrall said intentionally challenged a defense he’s regularly worried about this summer. The Gators return, essentially, eight starters from last year on that side of the ball. Florida allowed 24 points per game, about middle of the pack in the NCAA, which means continuity also requires improvement.

Among those, two South Florida cornerbacks, J’Vari Flowers and Ben Hanks III, each struggled against the Owls. The Gators appeared to lack situational awareness, providing receivers too much space in short-yardage third-down situations.

“Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly. We had a hard time keeping pace with them,” Sumrall said. “I don’t think we’re as good as we think we are. I think we got some guys who feel like we’ve arrived in some spots.

“That will be addressed.”

By no means, either, does it help that Campbell hasn’t shied away from questioning the looming fate of its first SEC game in program history.

“Every locker room at the FCS level, those guys want to be at the Power 4 level,’’ coach Braxton Harris said. “We’re going to compete, and we’re going to Florida to win a football game.”

In some ways, that might aid Florida. Waking up against an FCS foe requires some creativity. With the jawing underway, Sumrall’s taken advantage.

“I want to be careful here,’’ he said. “I don’t care who you’re playing; as soon as you get complacent or overconfident, this game will humble you really, really fast.”

And in a battle to avoid one of college football’s growing traditions becoming an embarrassment, sometimes you need to manufacture the next battle. Practice will be before sunrise this week.