Florida HC Jon Sumrall Details Biggest Challenge in Defending Byrum Brown

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The Florida Gators are looking to start the new college football season on a high note as they try to move to 3-0 for the year.

Florida will be taking on the Auburn Tigers this weekend, giving the Gators their first taste of SEC action this season. The Gators took down Florida Atlantic and Campbell to get their first two wins at home.

Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown presents a lot of problems for defenses due to his unique skill set. Florida head coach Jon Sumrall knows Brown can be an issue for the Gators, and he will be trying to stop him in the best way possible.

For the season, Brown has thrown for 485 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. While his passing numbers don't pop off the page, Brown has shown an impressive ability to be a dual-threat quarterback.

The veteran has rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown. Part of what makes Brown's game explosive is his ability to get out of the pocket to make plays with his legs.

Sumrall is well aware of this, having faced Brown while he was at South Florida two years ago. But the Florida head coach believes that Brown is a better player than he saw him previously.

"I think he's more polished as a quarterback. I think he sees the field a little bit better and cleaner; that comes with the experience. That's any quarterback as you're maturing.
I think he's a good player. He's got arm talent to make throws all over the field. He's a big guy in stature. He's a physical guy, and I think he's just playing with confidence because he's got a lot of time in this system. He's been in this offensive structure for a while now, and he's played a lot of football. I mean, the guy's played a ton of snaps.
There's no substitute for the experience he has and he's a poised player who — not a lot that he hasn't seen," Sumrall said.

In the 2024 game, Tulane took down South Florida 45-10. Brown threw for 134 yards with no touchdowns, while rushing for negative-12 yards and one touchdown.

Tulane's defense was able to contain him fully, and Sumrall is hoping for more of the same with the Gators. But having the playmakers at Auburn is very different than what Brown used at South Florida.

If the Gators ' defense can pressure Brown while limiting his running ability, it could be a tough night for the Auburn signal-caller. But this is much easier said than done, and Florida has a real challenge on their hands this weekend.

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