Aaron Murray is leaning Florida in Saturday night’s SEC opener, and he’s not exactly hiding the reasons why.
On his Air It Out podcast, the former Georgia quarterback said the Gators have the edge when they head to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a matchup of 2-0 teams and first-year coaches. He sees Florida’s skill talent, likes the roster overall, and even put a score on it.
“I like Florida. I like their skill.
I just think they're a better overall team right now. I think the Gators get it done even on the road, 24-7.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Florida trying to snap a six-game road losing streak. The Gators also have to deal with Jon Sumrall’s track record against Auburn, which sits at 0-4 overall and 0-2 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Still, Murray’s confidence in Florida goes beyond a simple gut pick. He believes the matchup on that side of the ball lines up well for the Gators, especially with Myles Graham anchoring the front.
“This defense is built to stop Auburn,” Murray said. “They're big, fast and physical up front, led by Myles Graham.”
ESPN’s SP+ model is on Florida’s side too. It gives the Gators a 63% chance to win and projects a 26-21 final.
Auburn, though, has already shown it can handle Florida. Alex Golesh and quarterback Byrum Brown beat the Gators 18-16 in Gainesville last season while they were at South Florida.
Now Brown is back in a bigger spotlight, and Murray thinks the quarterback has to speed things up. Brown opened the year with three interceptions in a 17-16 win over Baylor, then bounced back with 319 total yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers in a 43-8 win over Southern Miss.
“Too many times in Week 1 and Week 2, he was late, and he was indecisive,” Murray said. “When he plays on time and in rhythm, I don't care what his arm looks like.”
Murray also flagged Saturday as Aaron Philo’s first road start. The Georgia Tech transfer has thrown for 517 yards with five touchdowns and one interception, and he’s added two rushing touchdowns. Murray, who played at Jordan-Hare three times with Georgia, expects the atmosphere to be a real factor.
“It’s going to be loud. It's going to be difficult to communicate.”
That’s where Murray’s warning came in for Philo: don’t try to do too much.
“Do you resort back to that gunslinger, 'let me rip it in there' kind of mentality?” Murray said.
“That is my one plea to him: Don't do it, man. Just continue to dink and dunk, get these playmakers the football and trust Jadan Baugh and his ability to run.”
Baugh has rushed for more than 100 yards in three straight games, dating back to last season. Against Campbell, he went for 136 yards and two touchdowns in Florida’s 52-3 win.
Murray also noted that Florida’s offensive line has only been tested against Florida Atlantic and Campbell so far.
There’s some uncertainty on Auburn’s side at receiver, where Eric Singleton Jr. is questionable with a sprained left ankle. Murray pointed to Chas Nimrod as the Tigers’ top threat on the outside. Nimrod, a former Tennessee receiver, caught 23 passes for 466 yards at South Florida last season before a season-ending injury.
And Murray isn’t sold on Auburn’s offensive line, either. He said he’s “very concerned” about how it will hold up against Florida’s front after the group had trouble moving the pile against Baylor.
On defense, Auburn does have one proven disruptor in Xavier Atkins. The linebacker led the conference with 17 tackles for loss last season, and Murray’s message on him was simple:
“You have to account for 17 at all times.”
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Jon Sumrall has made the caution part of the message clear, stressing that there is no sense in pushing either player back too soon and inviting a setback. It leaves Floridas opener with a few moving parts on both sides, since Auburn has one player out and two more listed as questionable, but the Gators immediate focus is less on the Tigers injury report than on whether two important additions can be trusted to go at full speed. [Read more 🡒]
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Florida Walks Into A Familiar Auburn Test With More At Stake
Alex Golesh and Jon Sumrall know each other well enough for this to feel like more than just another SEC game. Their coaching paths have crossed before, and now they meet again with Florida heading into a tough road test at Auburn, where familiar faces and familiar schemes tend to make the margins even thinner. For the Gators, it is another chance to see how their latest version holds up when the opponent across the field already understands how much of this matchup can come down to coaching as much as talent.
Auburn will also ask plenty of questions of Floridas defense with Brown set to make his first SEC start after transferring from USF, a move that adds another layer to a game already loaded with familiar ties. Sumrall has already noted Browns improvement and acknowledged how difficult Auburn can be at home, which only heightens the stakes for Florida as it tries to leave with more than a hard lesson from another familiar Auburn setting. [Read more 🡒]