Auburn Wire roundtable, staff predictions for Auburn vs Florida

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Auburn football returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday to open SEC play against the Florida Gators.

Both teams will be 2-0 under a first-year head coach entering Saturday. A win would be massive for one coach, as it would boost morale across the fan base. However, a loss would disappoint the other fan base, especially after such a strong start.

Outside of the Alex Golesh-Jon Sumrall storyline, a rivalry will be renewed on Saturday between the Tigers and the Gators. Auburn and Florida have played 85 times in history, but sparingly since 2000. Since then, Auburn and Florida have played only eight times, with the series deadlocked at 4-4. Florida won the last game in the series, 24-13, in 2019, with Auburn winning the last game played inside Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2011, 17-6.

This week, the Auburn Wire Roundtable discusses the main topics surrounding Week 3's game between the Auburn Tigers and the Florida Gators, including the battle of first-year head coaches and the renewal of the rivalry. Here is this week's Auburn Wire Roundtable with Auburn Wire writers Taylor Jones, Phillip Jordan, and Jac Myrick.

What is your takeaway from Auburn's win over Southern Miss?

TJ: "That Auburn found a way to be balanced on offense. It is comforting to see that Auburn can use both the passing game and running game to be successful."
PJ: "The offense did look better than they did versus Baylor, and Bryum Brown did a better job of protecting the football. The defense played well, minus that scoring drive for Southern Miss at the end of the first half. The negative is the sloppy play at offensive line is still there. There were too many penalties that eliminated some big plays for the offense."
JM: "Auburn’s coaching staff is actually doing their job. We saw more of an adjustment from the week before. They rotated the offensive line to see what fit."

What area do you feel has improved the most from Week 1 to Week 2?

TJ: "The offensive line showed signs of improvement, which led to Auburn gaining over 600 yards. The unit could still improve in terms of blocking and cutting back on penalties, but overall their performance led to big gains on offense."
PJ: "For me, it was just an emphasis on running the football and establishing that early in the game. Against the Golden Eagles, Auburn ran the football 51 times for 343 yards."
JM: "I think it’s Byrum Brown at quarterback because he’s going to grow into this role as a starting SEC quarterback. His decision-making was better in Week Two; let’s see if that continues into Saturday night."

How excited are you to see the renewal of the Auburn-Florida rivalry?

TJ: "This game has a special meaning for me. As a young person, I was inside Jordan-Hare Stadium when Damon Duval kicked the game-winner over the No. 1 Gators in 2001, which kickstarted my college football fandom. It is a shame that this rivalry has taken a hit over the many scheduling formats the SEC has tried, but I am glad to see it back, especially inside Jordan-Hare Stadium."
PJ: "Losing this rivalry is one of the many side effects of conference expansion. These two teams have had some legendary encounters. The first one that always comes to mind is in 2001 when the Gators were ranked either No. 1 or No.2 in the nation depending on which poll you were looking at. Florida quarterback Rex Grossman was a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and the Gators' offense could not be stopped. Auburn was starting a freshman Jason Campbell, and had two freshman running backs Carnell "Cadillac" WIlliams and Ronnie Brown. No one gave that Auburn team a chance, but they intercepted Grossman four times and Damon Duval gave them the win with a field goal."
JM: "Beyond stoked, the Gators are a historic football team in the SEC. I know many would want an easier matchup in schools like Mississippi State, Arkansas, or Vanderbilt, but I really wanted either Florida or LSU as Auburn’s third yearly conference opponent."

What do you make of the jabs each head coach has made this week in the media?

TJ: "I think both coaches know what the rivalry means to the fan base. Also, knowing that both coaches were involved in each school's coaching searches makes this even better."
PJ: "I think it's a fun aspect to the buildup of the game. It is clear both coaches are friends and have a lot of respect for each other. Just not this week."
JM: "It’s fun banter between the two. Nothing more than that."

Which Gator has your attention the most this week?

TJ: "Quarterback Aaron Philo. He has 517 passing yards through two games and has two talented targets in Vernell Brown and Dallas Wilson. After seeing Auburn give up over 300 passing yards in Week 1, it will be interesting to see how well they defend the pass in Week 3."
PJ: "The one Florida player that has my attention is running back Jadan Baugh. He is what makes this Florida offense go. He has rushed for 296 yards and five touchdowns in the first two weeks. However, that was against Florida Atlantic and Campbell. The Gators will be playing a much tougher defense on Saturday night."
JM: "Vernell Brown III is a wide receiver with a ton of comparisons to Percy Harvin. What I worry about with him is his punt-returning ability."

What must Auburn do to secure a win on Saturday?

TJ: "Auburn must keep its stable of backs fresh and use them to their full potential on Saturday. Also, 3rd down will be a factor on both sides of the ball."
PJ: "Auburn needs to get off to a fast start and take advantage of being at home. While they do need to limit the Florida running game with Baugh, they also need to establish their own run game with Jeremiah Cobb. Each possession is going to be important, so they will need to limit mistakes and turnovers."
JM: "Clean offensive line play, Byrum Brown staying clean in the turnover column and avoiding offensive penalties."

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn Wire roundtable, staff predictions for Auburn vs Florida

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