​GAINESVILLE — “Our long national nightmare is over.”Gerald Ford famously uttered those words in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace and Ford inherited a nation desperate for a fresh start.OK, so maybe replacing Billy Napier with Jon Sumrall isn’t quite Watergate.But judging by the mood inside a sold-out Swamp on Saturday night, Gator Nation was ready to celebrate Liberation Day, too.Florida blew out FAU 66-21 in Sumrall’s inaugural game and scored more points than a UF team ever has in a head coach’s debut, but this didn’t feel like another season opener against an overmatched opponent.After four years of Napier, it felt like an exorcism.The crowd of 90,295 – the fifth-largest opening day crowd in school history – was loud. The sidelines were alive. The offense had juice. The head coach had a pulse.Florida football felt like Florida football again.That alone was worth celebrating.Napier, it should be noted, made his coaching debut at James Madison on Saturday, and – no joke – the Dukes were penalized 15 yards before the game even started. Napier wasn’t just a losing coach at Florida. He was a boring coach, which at UF might be the more unforgivable sin. His news conferences often sounded like quarterly earnings calls. If Napier had been captain of the Titanic, he would have calmly explained that the organization was experiencing some temporary buoyancy challenges.Sumrall?He probably would have punched the iceberg and broken it up into cubes.That’s the difference Gator fans have embraced since Sumrall arrived from Tulane preaching urgency, toughness and accountability. Saturday night, they finally got to see whether all that talk translated to football.It did.The most anticipated debut besides Sumrall belonged to quarterback Aaron Philo, operating new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s system to near perfection. Philo completed 16-of-21 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He launched a perfectly placed 63-yard bomb to TJ Abrams to set up another score..More important than the numbers was the feeling. Florida played offense with pace, aggression and explosiveness. Philo’s passing was precision; Jadan Baugh’s running (14 carries, 160 yards and three TDs) was violent and explosive. Vernell Brown’s receiving (six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown) was electric.Related Articles Bianchi: Scott Frost needs Alonza Barnett III to end UCF’s quarterback curse Commentary: Hope and hate in the race for governor | Steve Bousquet Bianchi: UCF’s Big 12 growing pains need to become growing gains Commentary: Monsters who abuse children hide in plain sight | Pat Beall Bianchi’s pigskin pandemonium: ‘Canes crowned, Dolphins winless, Gators dancing, Jags Super, Knights rising — and Norvell survives! There was purpose in the offense. There was creativity. There was – dare we say it? – fun. The Gators finished with a whopping 624 yards of total offe