Florida coach Jon Sumrall shares son's angry text after loss to South Carolina
Florida head coach Jon Sumrall recounted a message from his teenage son during the Gators' 38-19 home loss to South Carolina on Saturday. The defeat ended a four-game winning streak for the team, which Sumrall took over this season after stints at Troy and Tulane. On his weekly Gator Talk show, Sumrall detailed the family's reaction to the upset against the 3-2 Gamecocks. The loss occurred at The Swamp in Gainesville, marking a significant stumble for a squad that had dominated then No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 just two weeks earlier. Sumrall noted that the family was not accustomed to losing, particularly in games where his teams were heavily favored. After the final whistle, Sumrall asked his wife where their son, Sam, was. She replied that the 13-year-old had left early because he could not watch the team lose. Sumrall later checked his phone in the locker room and found a text from Sam that read, "Dad, I don't know if this is forgivable." The coach responded by telling his son that there were things he had done that Sumrall was unsure he could forgive either. Earlier in the evening, Sam had also texted his father saying he was angry and did not want to do anything except perhaps punch something. Sumrall also described consoling his 13-year-old daughter, who was crying as the Florida band sent the team off the field. She told her father that she hated losing for him, to which he replied that he felt the same way. The South Carolina team built a 17-10 lead in the first half before dominating the final two quarters of the game. While other upsets occurred in Week 6, the Gators' collapse at home against a reeling opponent was described as inexplicable by Sumrall and observers of the season. The result followed a previous blowout loss on the road to Missouri, leaving Florida with a mixed start to their campaign under new leadership.
Florida head coach Jon Sumrall recounted a message from his teenage son during the Gators' 38-19 home loss to South Carolina on Saturday. The defeat ended a four-game winning streak for the team, which Sumrall took over this season after stints at Troy and Tulane. On his weekly Gator Talk show, Sumrall detailed the family's reaction to the upset against the 3-2 Gamecocks. The loss occurred at The Swamp in Gainesville, marking a significant stumble for a squad that had dominated then No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 just two weeks earlier. Sumrall noted that the family was not accustomed to losing, particularly in games where his teams were heavily favored. After the final whistle, Sumrall asked his wife where their son, Sam, was. She replied that the 13-year-old had left early because he could not watch the team lose. Sumrall later checked his phone in the locker room and found a text from Sam that read, "Dad, I don't know if this is forgivable." The coach responded by telling his son that there were things he had done that Sumrall was unsure he could forgive either. Earlier in the evening, Sam had also texted his father saying he was angry and did not want to do anything except perhaps punch something. Sumrall also described consoling his 13-year-old daughter, who was crying as the Florida band sent the team off the field. She told her father that she hated losing for him, to which he replied that he felt the same way. The South Carolina team built a 17-10 lead in the first half before dominating the final two quarters of the game. While other upsets occurred in Week 6, the Gators' collapse at home against a reeling opponent was described as inexplicable by Sumrall and observers of the season. The result followed a previous blowout loss on the road to Missouri, leaving Florida with a mixed start to their campaign under new leadership.