Florida’s 3-0 start has already changed the conversation, and now the Gators are getting something else they haven’t had much of: respect in the betting market.
After Saturday’s 44-39 win over Auburn, Florida opened as a 1.5-point favorite for its Week Four matchup with Ole Miss, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That number has since moved to -2.5 points. It comes on the heels of a season-opening run that, for the first time since 2019, has Florida sitting at 3-0 entering a regular-season game.
Jon Sumrall’s team has moved fast under its new head coach. The former Tulane leader picked up his first conference win in Week Three, and the Gators now head into a showdown with Ole Miss with plenty of momentum.
Jadan Baugh has been the engine of the offense, and he kept that role on Saturday night against Auburn. The running back carried 26 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns, including a 53-yard score on 4th and 1 early in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away.
Florida’s offense is carrying plenty of confidence into Week Four. The bigger question is whether the defense can tighten up after Auburn piled up 373 total yards and 39 points.
That task gets tougher against Trinidad Chambliss. The Ole Miss quarterback, and current Heisman Trophy favorite, gave LSU fits on Saturday night with 363 passing yards and three total touchdowns. He has been especially dangerous late in games, which puts added pressure on Florida to keep him in check.
There is one clear area where the Gators can attack. Ole Miss has struggled badly against the run, allowing 159 rushing yards per game through its first three contests, the worst mark in the SEC.
That sets up another big trench battle for Buster Faulkner’s offense, which has still managed to stay efficient on the ground despite the heavy workload. If Florida can lean on Baugh again and force Ole Miss to answer, Week Four could turn into another proving ground for a team that has already surprised plenty of people.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Added More Heat To Floridas Auburn Debate
After Floridas win over Auburn, Jon Sumrall found himself answering questions that reached well beyond the scoreboard. The Florida head coach was asked about the rumors that he had interviewed for Auburns head coaching job in November, and he flatly denied it, pushing back on the idea that there was ever a real meeting of the minds between him and his former SEC foe.
Sumralls blunt response only added another layer to the discussion around Auburns opening, especially with the programs reported insistence on keeping defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin in place. From Floridas side, it was another reminder that coaching searches can get tangled fast, and even a postgame answer can reopen old speculation that the Gators would rather leave in the past. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Found The Formula That Could Change This Season
Florida walked out of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a 44-39 win over Auburn and a reminder that this season may already be taking on a different feel. The Gators are 3-0 for the first time since 2019, and they finally snapped their SEC road drought with a performance that leaned on timely offense and a defense that kept hunting all afternoon.
Jadan Baugh powered the day with 162 yards and three touchdowns, including a 53-yard burst on fourth-and-one that turned into one of the games defining plays. Floridas defense added seven sacks, and when a team can run the ball, finish drives and pressure the quarterback like that, it starts to look less like a hot start and more like a template worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces A Doubt Gators Fans Wont Want To Hear
Florida heads into Week 3 with plenty of intrigue, but The Athletics Manny Navarro is betting the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium ends badly for the Gators. Navarro picked Auburn to edge Florida 28-27, pointing to a matchup that could hinge on whether Jadan Baugh can crack a run defense that has been stout so far this season. For Florida, that means the ground game may have to do real work if the Gators want to keep the pressure off their offense and avoid playing from behind.
The quarterback side of the matchup also looms large, with Aaron Philo and Auburns Byrum Brown factoring into a game Navarro expects to stay tight into the final moments. His prediction has Brown guiding a late go-ahead drive, which is exactly the kind of ending Florida fans would rather not imagine before kickoff. For a team trying to build momentum early in the season, the margin for error in this one looks razor thin. [Read more 🡒]