The Florida Gators went from college football darlings to the latest major disappointment within a 15-day span. They didn’t just lose at home on homecoming; they were embarrassed by the South Carolina Gamecocks, 38-19. It’s not just bad that the Gators lost on homecoming, but it had the Gamecocks snapping an eight-game losing streak in SEC play.

Head coach Jon Sumrall warned everyone to not get over their skis about this team, and his words are coming to fruition in a big way.

“If we play like we did in the second half, we’re about to have a real rude awakening, and we have got a lot of improvement to do,” said Sumrall after the 52-3 win over Campbell. “While I’m really happy to be 1-0 this week, I’m not real pleased with where we are from a maturity standpoint and executing at a really high level all the time because what we’re about to walk into in conference play, we will get absolutely embarrassed if we don’t improve a ton. So a lot, a lot to be excited about, but a lot to work on.”

Jon Sumrall has major soul searching to do

Unfortunately, Sumrall was right about his team. In the last eight quarters, they ahve been outscored 83-36 and been blown off the ball on both sides of the football. The trenches is where you win in college football, and right now, they are struggling in both areas.

The offensive line, which was dominating opponents in the first four weeks are getting destroyed and not protecting quarterback Aaron Philo. They have allowed six sacks and a whopping 17 tackles for loss, with Philo sometimes running for his life under pressure. We knew going into the season that both groups had potential, but major question marks when it came to high-upside talent, especially on the offensive line. Phil Trautwein, the offensive line coach, has done a good job of elevating his unit, but it’s becoming very clear that they need a major talent influx.

This doesn’t include the secondary, who once again got torched by an SEC offense. LaNorris Sellers, who has been nothing short of inconsistent all year, used the Gators as his get-right game. He elevated the offense tenfold, especially on the crucial downs, going 10-16 on third down.

The real question is simple: where do the Gators go from here? They travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns next week, and they all of a sudden aren’t going to add an influx of talent. They could try starting Tramell Jones Jr. instead of Philo, but how much will it matter if the offensive line doesn’t hold up against Colin Simmons, who is on the same level as South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart? Can defensive coordinator Brad White do something different with the secondary to ease the burden on his cornerbacks?

The big thing for the Gators is simple: it’s gut check time, and Sumrall will need to find a way to make serious adjustments. Are they going to be able to fix their deficiencies enough with scheme to not only compete with Texas and the Georgia Bulldogs two weeks later, but possibly get a win over both?

Sumrall also has to be careful with the next few weeks, because another two losses in a row will bring them down to 4-4, and a fanbase that was once rabid for what he was selling could turn on him quickly, as Billy Napier once brought a lot of optimism with him. Being honest about where things are at by calling out your team only works for so long before questions start to arise on what you are failing to do to fix it.

Will Sumrall be closer to Napier or Urban Meyer, who himself went 9-3 in his first season in Gainesville? Needless to say, this is a crucial stretch for the new Gators regime.