Myles Graham knows exactly what Saturday means.
After two lopsided wins to open the season, Florida is stepping into SEC play for real, and the linebacker sees the kind of stage that can define a player’s name inside the program. Graham, the Gators’ leading tackler and defensive voice, said Monday that this is the sort of moment players come to Gainesville for.
“It’s different,” Graham said Monday. “It’s definitely a different level of intensity because at Florida, these are the games that you come here to play.
These games that you dream of. Being a top player in these games makes you a legend.
“That’s a big deal for everybody.”
Florida heads to Auburn on Saturday looking to keep its 2-0 start rolling, but this one comes with a different kind of pressure. Auburn is 2-0 as well and has turned Jordan-Hare Stadium into a difficult place to survive, with 23 straight sellouts in the 88,043-seat venue. The Tigers also bring a defense led by All-SEC linebacker Avery Atkins and coordinated by DJ Durkin, who once served as Florida’s defensive coordinator under Will Muschamp.
Auburn’s coaching staff adds another layer to the matchup. First-year Tigers coach Alex Golesh already has a major win on his résumé this season after leading USF to an 18-16 upset in Gainesville in Week 2, the result that sped up Billy Napier’s eventual exit at Florida.
“Have a real challenge on our hands,” Sumrall said. “Auburn is a really good football team; a lot of talented players, a good coaching staff. We gotta be ready to go.”
Florida, though, has plenty of its own firepower. The Gators’ skill group starts with Jadan Baugh, Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson, a trio that has already produced big numbers through two games.
Baugh has rushed for more than 130 yards in wins over FAU and Campbell. Brown posted 111 receiving yards against FAU and added consecutive punt return touchdowns against Campbell.
Wilson, meanwhile, caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown against Campbell.
Quarterback Aaron Philo said Monday that getting those players the ball is the job in front of him. After strong showings in his first career road start, he enters the week with five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, and he ranks third in the SEC with a passer rating of 214.12.
“Having those kinds of weapons, I got to get the ball in those guys’ hands and let them go make plays,” Philo said Monday. “Whatever I can do to get that done is what I need to do.”
Sumrall believes Philo is built for this kind of assignment, though he also made it clear that Auburn will be a new test for him as a starter.
“He hasn’t played in an environment like this as a starter, so we’ll find out,” Sumrall said. “But I believe in him because he’s competitive.
He’s a good leader. You can tell his teammates like playing with him.
“He’s just the kind of guy that you like having on your side because he’s confident in nature, not easily rattled.”
Florida’s trip will also hinge on cleaner play up front. Sumrall pointed to inconsistency along the offensive line outside of left tackle Bryce Lovett, and he wasn’t pleased with five penalties against Campbell, including unnecessary roughness calls on the first two possessions of the second half.
“We got to play cleaner at times,” Sumrall said.
Sumrall knows the road challenge well. He was 18-8 away from home across two seasons at Troy and two at Tulane, and Auburn is familiar territory for him personally, too. He grew up 200 miles north in Huntsville and is married to an Auburn alum, Ginny, whose family is in the area.
Still, he made it clear where his loyalties sit this week.
“There’s ties. But Florida pays my mortgage,” Sumrall said. “So, any family that is pulling against us, they ain’t my family.
“I don’t care what their last name is.”
Florida visits Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
In Other News...
Byrum Browns Unusual Auburn TD Was No Fluke
Byrum Browns night against Southern Miss was packed with the kind of production Auburn will happily take every week, from 319 yards of total offense to three touchdowns in a 43-8 win. But the play everyone kept coming back to was the one that looked almost too unusual to be part of a normal game plan: Brown hauling in a touchdown pass on fourth-and-3, a catch that doubled as his first reception in two seasons and Auburns first quarterback touchdown reception since 2012.
There was nothing gimmicky about it, at least in Alex Goleshs view, who said the call was routine for that situation. Brown, for his part, framed it in the most practical terms possible, stressing the need to do whatever it takes to score. For Auburn, the bigger takeaway is that the Tigers have a quarterback who can create answers in more than one way, even if one of them looks rare enough to stand out long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Is 2-0 But Alex Golesh Sees A Bigger Problem
Auburn is 2-0 under Alex Golesh after a 43-8 win over Southern Miss, and the Tigers have shown signs of progress on both sides of the ball. The running game and passing game were cleaner than they had been in the opener, giving Auburn a more balanced look and a little momentum heading into a tougher stretch.
Still, Golesh was quick to frame the outing as sloppy rather than satisfying, a reminder that the scoreboard does not erase the mistakes that pile up over four quarters. Auburn has some fine-tuning to do with conference play looming, and the urgency in Goleshs tone made it clear the Tigers cant afford to let the better moments cover for the things still breaking down. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Ground Surge Feels Real But One Bigger Test Still Awaits
Auburn left the Southern Miss game with a rushing performance that looked a lot more like what this offense wants to be. The Tigers averaged 6.7 yards per carry and piled up 343 rushing yards, with Alex Golesh leaning on a balanced ground effort that included Omar Mabson II, Jeremiah Cobb and Byrum Brown. Even with penalties wiping out some gains, the overall picture was better than what Auburn had been putting on tape, and it gave the run game a tangible step forward.
The question now is whether that surge holds up once the competition sharpens and the pressure turns up on the offensive line. Auburn still wants cleaner, more consistent execution in the run game, and the coming weeks should bring a real look at how much of this improvement is sustainable. For a unit still sorting out its identity up front, the next few games may say more than one encouraging afternoon ever could. [Read more 🡒]