This year’s Orange & Blue Spring Game will have a bit of a different format, Sumrall said. Instead of two teams, the scrimmage will consist of offense v. defense, where the defense can earn points by making stops and forcing turnovers.

Sumrall on Bailey Stockton and Dallas Wilson stepping up as leaders: “Those two guys, man, they bring it every day. Like, I don't ever have to show up to practice and wonder how Bailey Stockton and Dallas Wilson is gonna bring it. They give great effort. They love competing. They're great teammates. They encourage each other. They encourage the guys around them, and they're fun to coach.”

“Us building up the game more than what it is doesn't help us win the game,” Sumrall said. “What helps you win the game is still what helps you win every game: Protect the football, get the ball off of them. Run the ball, stop the run. Win third downs, stop them on third down. Red zone opportunities. We got to score touchdowns, not field goals. And so those things that come up within a game, explosive plays in the special teams battle. That's what this game's going to come down to. It's not going to come down to a motivational hype speech.”

Sumrall on FL/GA this weekend: “I told our team this morning, this game is different. It's a rivalry game, and you have to have an appreciation for the history of what the game means to our fan base to fully understand that … we have 117 roster players, and 60 of them have never been here for a Florida-Georgia game, and so helping them appreciate how important this game is matters.”

Sumrall on Philo and Jones Jr.: “Here's what I've told both of them moving forward: ‘we're going to need both of you to win football games the rest of this year. I don't know who's going to play how much. I don't know who's going to play when, but we need you both.’ And so I got a lot of confidence in both of them. The way they've handled it is what's made it a non-issue within our football team … they've been great for each other. They got each other's back. They support each other.”

Sumrall on the Gators’ comeback at Texas: “The thing I was most proud of, yeah, winning the game's great, but I was proud of our response. I was proud of our fight. I was proud of the growth we showed in being resilient when maybe we weren't an ideal situation.”

Sumrall on Florida’s growth from the South Carolina loss to the Texas win: “Our guys showed growth from the South Carolina game to that game by, man, picking themselves up, dusting themselves off and just worrying about what they can control right in front of them to fight and scratch and claw to get back into the game.”

Sumrall on UF’s schedule during the bye week: “Monday last week was a non-practice day. Just watched the film from the Texas game, lifted, did meetings and then Tuesday/Wednesday practice — fairly physical, not as long, but an hour-long practice, but still shoulder pads and pads popping. Thursday, a run through day, no shoulder pads, helmets only, and then gave the guys the weekend [off]. Friday, Saturday, Sunday they had to do a check-in in the training room, but no football activity.”

I’m live from The Swamp Restaurant for head coach Jon Sumrall’s eighth appearance at Gator Talk. The weekly show is hosted by the Voice of the Gators, Sean Kelley. Stay tuned for updates.

The Jaguars received a bye week following their loss to the Houston Texans, and after watching their division rivals duke it out in Week 7, they remain atop the division with a 4-2 record. With AFC South teams going winless this week, here’s what it means for the division standings. READ: alligator.org/article/2026/1…

Golden on Denzel Aberdeen: “Yeah, I mean we're thrilled he's back. He's had a really good fall, played really well. I thought he was not good today. You know, I think he needs to be better. He was 3-for-17. He didn't make a three. Took 10 of them.”

Golden on his bench: “Those guys, specifically Urb, he had an off night by his standards. He had really good looks and he just wasn't able to capitalize. And we need more out of Isaiah [Brown]. I think he was a guy that played really well for us last year for a large portion of the season, and he was not himself or his best today.”

Florida overcame a slow start and forced the game to overtime with a last-second jumper made by Denzel Aberdeen, but its comeback efforts fell short with a lackluster 4-for-29 shooting clip from 3-point range. More on the Gators’ 82-76 loss to Baylor HERE: alligator.org/article/2026/1…

FINAL: Florida falls 82-76 in Jacksonville.