Jadan Baugh set the tone and Florida never let Auburn fully settle in.
Baugh rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night as Florida edged Auburn 44-39 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams and two new coaches. Aaron Philo added 202 passing yards and a score for the Gators, who moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
Florida’s offense came at Auburn from every angle. The Gators piled up 245 rushing yards and 252 through the air, a balanced night that kept the Tigers chasing. Vernell Brown III hauled in five catches for 86 yards, Dallas Wilson finished with four receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown, and Kahleil Jackson’s 48-yard pass to Amir Jackson on a trick play turned into one of the game’s biggest moments.
“I knew what we were going to do on offense tonight. ... I had no doubt,” Florida coach Jon Sumrall said. “I was probably more concerned about our defense, to be honest with you.”
The ground game was especially punishing after halftime. Baugh carried 26 times and averaged 6.2 yards per rush, then took over the second half with 106 yards and two touchdowns. Duke Clark added a 50-yard touchdown after breaking through a couple of Tigers on his way to the end zone.
That offensive variety gave Sumrall a major road win in Year 1 in Gainesville.
Auburn, meanwhile, spent too much of the night digging out of a hole. The Tigers finished with 373 yards, but only 102 came on the ground, forcing them into a heavier passing load than they wanted in Alex Golesh’s conference debut.
“Story of the game is that middle part of it," Auburn coach Alex Golesh said. "The defensive explosives, obviously the double pass was a dagger, the explosives given up. Don’t know how many that was, but it felt like it’s inopportune times, and then you’re fighting back and going back.”
Golesh was also left frustrated by the start. Auburn managed minus-3 yards in the first quarter before eventually finding a rhythm, but the opening stretch put the Tigers behind the curve again.
“The first three drives were abysmal: three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out," he said. "About as abysmal as you can get, and then just leave the defense out there for as long as we do.”
Byrum Brown completed 20 of 35 passes for 271 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for Auburn (2-1), and he also ran for 65 yards and a score. His final touchdown was a 35-yard Hail Mary to Chaz Nimrod with 24 seconds left, but Auburn still came up short.
Auburn did show life before halftime. After the Tigers had only minus-3 yards in the first quarter, they put together a 16-play stretch that covered 150 yards and produced two touchdowns to tie the game at 17 just before the break.
But the second half told a different story. Auburn struggled to sustain drives, took four sacks and was hit with six penalties as Florida’s offense kept answering.
Florida hosts No. 8 Ole Miss next Saturday. Auburn hosts Vanderbilt next Saturday.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Wont Love How Alex Golesh Framed The Vanderbilt Game
Auburn is still trying to find its footing in the SEC, and Alex Golesh is approaching Week 4 like a coach focused on the long view rather than a single alarm bell. He said the matchup with Vanderbilt is not a must-win, instead stressing preparation, consistency and the process of building the program the right way. Golesh also pointed to the Tigers recent defensive issues as an area that has to improve if this team is going to settle in and compete the way it wants to.
That framing may not sit well with a fan base that is already anxious about the early-season picture, especially with Vanderbilt entering unbeaten and working with a new starting quarterback. Auburn does not have the luxury of ignoring the stakes in conference play, and the game offers another test of whether the Tigers can tighten up on defense and show real progress in a league that rarely gives anyone much room to breathe. [Read more 🡒]
Byrum Brown Is Fueling Auburns Biggest Early Season Debate
Byrum Brown has quickly become one of the biggest reasons Auburn has stayed interesting through the first few weeks of the season. Entering Week 4, he ranks fourth in the SEC in passing yards with 756, while also adding 180 yards on the ground, and his production has come with a little bit of everything attached. He has thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions, and Auburn has leaned on a receiving group that includes transfers from USF and a true freshman as it tries to sort out its offensive identity.
The bigger question around Brown is how much of Auburns early offense should run through him while the rushing attack continues to struggle. He has already delivered in key moments, including a notable game against Florida in which he accounted for multiple touchdowns, and that kind of playmaking can change how the Tigers approach every week. For Auburn, the debate now is not whether Brown matters, but how far his arm and legs can carry an offense still looking for more balance. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Need To See Which In-State Standouts Are Taking Off
Karlos Mays rise is another reminder that Alabamas best high school talent is already drawing national attention, and Auburn fans have plenty of reason to keep tabs on it. The defensive lineman, committed to Ohio State, is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state and the top-ranked lineman recruit in Alabama, putting him right at the center of the in-state conversation even as the next recruiting cycle starts to take shape.
There is also a broader pattern worth watching from last years top Alabama names once they got to college, with CD Morgan, EJ Crowell and DeShawn Spencer all beginning to show signs of early impact. Spencers path is especially relevant on the Plains, since Auburn coach Alex Golesh played a role in recruiting him, another small reminder that the states high-end talent is already linked back to Auburn in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]