GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida and Auburn have not played in seven years.
The Southeastern Conference schedule guru picked a fine year for the two rivals to get reacquainted.
Since Auburn tried to hire Jon Sumrall before the Gators swept in, and since Auburn plucked Alex Golesh from USF, fans of both programs have talked about this game. Sumrall and Golesh have done their fair share of talking, too.
Both first-year coaches have their teams off to 2-0 starts heading into the SEC opener. They have done what they were hired to do.
Come late Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, one team will earn a victory that will go a long way toward winning over its fan base.
"We're ready to embrace the challenge,'' UF cornerback Dijon Johnson said this week. "It's going to be a hostile environment. I can't wait."
Johnson has company.
The sold-out game on the Plains is one of this week's premier matchups and will provide some answers for two programs coming off losing records.
Florida has not beaten Auburn on the road in 27 years, but the Gators have played there only twice in that time, and not since a 17-6 loss in 2011.
A once-familiar rivalry has gone cold. But with new head coaches and renewed hope, it feels like old times.
"I'm very excited to go on the road to their place,'' Florida linebacker Myles Graham said. "I know it's an amazing environment, and there's a lot of history between the two teams. We're ready to go out there and play our game."
Here is our latest edition of The Opening Kickoff for a closer look at the Florida-Auburn game: THREE STORYLINES
Two first-year head coaches. Two proud programs seeking to regain national relevance. The SEC opener for both. That's the kind of matchup that has folks in the South as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs — or so they say.
The Gators have been woeful away from home of late, including a 0-6 record outside Gainesville in 2025. The last time Florida won outside The Swamp, they beat Sumrall's Tulane team in the Gasparilla Bowl to end the 2024 season. You know that is a stat he wants to edit on Saturday night.
Florida lost to quarterback Byrum Brown and Golesh last season when both were at USF. It was a signature win for Golesh in his third season in charge of the Bulls, and a 329-yard performance for Brown (263 passing, 66 rushing). The Gators have a retooled roster and coaching staff, but those who were around will see many familiar faces at Auburn who followed Golesh from Tampa.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
In his first test away from The Swamp, Gators quarterback Aaron Philo will be challenged in new ways at Auburn. Most notably, the crowd noise. Philo has completed 32 of 42 passes (76.2%) for 517 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Philo has performed exactly the way the Gators need him to, and if he continues on this trajectory, Florida will have a strong chance to come home with a win.
As good as Philo has been, junior tailback Jadan Baugh has matched him. Baugh has three consecutive 100-yard games dating to last season and is ranked fifth nationally with 296 yards through two games. Baugh is off to a great start in trying to become the first UF player with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
We'll cheat here and spotlight Florida's offensive and defensive lines. The Gators O-line has done a good job protecting Philo and, aside from a rash of penalties in the second half of last week's win over Campbell, the unit has been steady. The O-line can't let down against the Tigers. Meanwhile, with Brown a threat to run each snap, the defensive line and linebackers must stay with their assignments and shut down the running lanes. Junior linebacker Myles Graham is the defensive leader and will be crucial in helping his teammates stay grounded in the chaotic environment.
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS TE LUKE HARPRING
A transfer from Georgia Tech, Harpring comes from an athletic background. His father is former NBA player Matt Harpring, the Orlando Magic's first-round pick in 1998 out of Georgia Tech. Coincidentally, Orlando traded Harpring to Cleveland two years later for former UF standout Andrew DeClercq. The history lesson helps set up some of the following Q&A:
Tight end Luke Harpring, No. 15,has four catches for 52 yards in his first two games with the Gators. (Photo: Haley Deatherage/UAA Communications)
Q: Why did you want to become a Gator?
A: When I made my final decision to come here, I thought this was the best place for my development. You know, with [tight ends] Coach Kiss [Evan McKissack] and everything that he does — fire that he brings — I think it's really been great. And in the end, this was a great spot for me.
Q: What impact has having several of your former Georgia Tech teammates here had on your transition?
A: Yeah, with Philo, obviously, Bailey and Harrison, it was great. Harrison was my roommate last year at Georgia Tech, so when I came here, kind of made it easy for us, you know, living situation, everything like that. I mean, those are great guys. Those are my guys for life, and you know, with them coming here, it's awesome.
Q: What influence has your dad played over your career?
A: He's always been a real advocate for me, whatever I do. Supportive, obviously. With him in basketball, when I chose to play football, he was all for it. A lot of the moves and body movements and stuff like that kind of led into football. So that definitely helped me.
Q: What led you to football?
A: I just feel like I was more natural at it. Everything kind of came really naturally, catch the ball. The movements and everything felt more natural, and it turned out to be pretty good.
Q: When did you first beat your dad in basketball and what was that like?
A: I'd say like my freshman year of high school. I just remember we were playing one-on-one in the driveway one day and I blew by him. I'm like, 'Oh, he might not have it anymore.' He was a good little player.
THREE DIGITS
9 — Cities that have hosted a Florida-Auburn game since the schools first played in 1912: Auburn, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Montgomery, Miami, Columbus, Tampa, Mobile and Atlanta. 12 — Coaches who have served as head coach for the two programs since they last met in 2019. Florida has had Dan Mullen, Greg Knox (interim), Billy Napier, Billy Gonzales (interim) and Jon Sumrall. Auburn has had Gus Malzahn, Kevin Steele (interim), Bryan Harsin, Carnell Williams (interim), Hugh Freeze, DJ Durkin (interim) and Alex Golesh. 187.3 — Average yards rushing per game for Baugh in his last three games (266 vs. Florida State, 160 vs. FAU, 136 vs. Campbell).
The Gators are 17-11 vs. Auburn since 1980. They trail the all-time series 43-39-2.
Auburn is 21-5 all-time in SEC openers at home. The last time the Tigers hosted UF in their SEC opener was 1955.
Florida and Auburn played every season from 1945-2002. They have faced each other only four times since.
Florida was the first opponent to play at Auburn Stadium — now known as Jordan-Hare Stadium — when the stadium was dedicated on Nov. 30, 1939. The game ended in a 7-7 tie.
The Gators are averaging 4.42 points per drive, which ranks second among FBS programs.
Sumrall is the first UF coach to make his road debut at Auburn since Al Buser took the Gators there way back in 1917 and lost 68-0.
Sumrall is 0-4 all-time vs. Auburn, dropping a pair of road games as a player at Kentucky in 2004 and as a Kentucky assistant in 2020. He also suffered losses to the Tigers as a Kentucky graduate assistant in 2005 and as a Troy assistant in 2016.
The Gators have scored in an NCAA-record 475 consecutive games. Florida was last shut out in a 16-0 loss to Auburn in 1988.
Auburn defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin owns the unique distinction of being the only man to serve as head coach at both schools. Durkin led Florida to a victory over East Carolina in the 2014 Birmingham Bowl as interim coach, and a season ago, Durkin went 1-2 after taking over as Auburn's interim coach following the firing of Hugh Freeze.
Gators receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who has been sidelined with an ankle injury since the first drive of the season opener, played for Auburn a season ago. He started all 12 games and led the Tigers with 58 receptions for 534 yards and three scores. He is listed as questionable for Saturday. And don't forget sophomore Vernell Brown III, who returned two punts for touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass. Brown is the kind of game-changer who threatens opponents every time he has the ball.
CHARTING THE GATORS
The return of first-year Gators head coach Jon Sumrall to the state where he spent his formative years has fueled internet stories, talk radio and podcasts this week. Florida and Auburn haven't played much recently, but the rivalry is storied. A look at how other Gators coaches in the modern era fared in their first game against the Tigers:
"You feel 91. You feel his competitive energy on game day. I don't even have to look, and you can, like, feel him walking behind you. You can hear him. He loves football. He loves being around football. He's a little bit of a junkyard dog in that regard." — Gators defensive coordinator Brad White on defensive lineman Jeramiah McCloud
"When you attack the preparation in the training room and use all your resources and then take your days off, and then the tough days when you're not feeling your best, you have to attack those days as days where you get another opportunity to recover. I am blessed. I just love being on the field, so whatever it takes to be back out there with my guys." — UF cornerback Dijon Johnson on his road back to the field quicker than many expected after a season-ending knee injury in 2025
"He said we were friends? Not this week, we're not. I've got a ton of respect for Jon. We were both assistants in this league at the same time, and he did a great job at Troy, a high-end job at Troy. Did a high-end job at Tulane. I've got a ton of respect for how he works, a ton of respect for who he is. I think he does it the right way, competes like crazy. I've got a lot of respect for him. This week, don't care." — Auburn head coach Alex Golesh on his counterpart Saturday night
THEY WROTE IT
Florida aims to do better against quarterback Byrum Brown in SEC opener, writes Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.
They show the poise they did in the first three halves of the season and avoid the penalties and mistakes they committed in the second half against Campbell. Meanwhile, they give Philo time to throw and keep Auburn's defense off-balance so Baugh has room to run. And when on the road, win the turnover battle. The Gators are +3 through two games and must protect the ball in hostile territory.
WHY AUBURN WILL WIN
Brown takes over the game the way he did in the final stages of last year's USF win at The Swamp. Auburn has also been good on third down, converting 17 of 33 (51.5%) overall and 4 of 5 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers' chances of winning increase dramatically if they string together long drives to keep UF's offense off the field.
