'Behind Enemy Lines' Auburn-Florida preview with Gators Wire
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Auburn football's long-awaited SEC opener is upon us, which means it is time for another edition of "Behind Enemy Lines."
The Tigers open SEC play this Saturday night against the Florida Gators in Jordan-Hare Stadium. This year's matchup is the first between these long-time SEC rivals since 2019, and just the eighth meeting since 2000. This game also features two first-year head coaches who have moved from the American Athletic Conference to the SEC.
Alex Golesh produced quality offensive numbers as the head coach at USF, and pulled off a few upsets, including one over Florida last season. He goes opposite Jon Sumrall, who moved to Gainesville from Tulane after leading the Green Wave to the College Football Playoffs in 2025. Both coaches are still working to make an impression with their respective fan bases, and the winner will certainly take a giant step forward in reaching that goal.
What else should you know about Week 3's matchup between the Tigers and Gators? We reached out to Gators Wire lead writer Adam Dubbin to help us preview the game from the Florida perspective, and he delivered.
From Jon Sumrall to Aaron Philo, here's everything you need to know about the Florida Gators. Here is this week's "Behind Enemy Lines" with Adam Dubbin of Gators Wire.
Has Jon Sumrall won over the Gator fanbase?
Like Alex Golesh, Florida's Jon Sumrall is tasked with winning over a fanbase in his first year on the job. How well has he done that so far?
"The general sentiment is excitement — Sumrall (with a huge assist from Buster Faulkner) has turned Florida's offense back into something that resembles the squads from the Gators' glory days. It also further cements the ire that the fanbase had for Billy Napier's insistence on not carrying a designated offensive coordinator on his staff. Of course, the early results came against inferior opponents, so everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how the team performs this weekend against Auburn.
"But overall, the Gator Nation is pleased with the results it has seen so far," Dubbin writes.
How much of a factor is revenge in this game?
Last season, the Alex Golesh-led USF Bulls upset the Florida Gators in The Swamp. Golesh is now at Auburn, and Florida has moved on from the Billy Napier era. How quickly have Gator fans moved on from the defeat?
"I don't think Florida fans even think about the USF upset last year anymore. It was an abysmal season, punctuated by abysmal losses like that one — pretty much everyone has already turned the page. Sure, Alex Golesh was on the sidelines and Byrum Brown was the quarterback for that one, but I'm not certain anyone is using the transitive property to associate Auburn with that USF team this season.
I think the sentiment is more strongly focused on the rejuvenation of a rivalry that was once among the best in the SEC, and beating the Tigers in the conference opener is seen as a major step in the Gators' return to relevance," Dubbin writes.
Expect Auburn's defense to be tested in Week 3
Jon Sumrall made a statement by hiring Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech to lead the Gators' offense. Dubbin says the offense has been the most impressive part of the Gators' new look through two games.
"It is definitely the offensive side of the ball — particularly the play of Jadan Baugh — that has impressed me. Vernell Brown III's continued development has also been encouraging and the wide receiver room as a whole appears to be a force to be reckoned with. With a few exceptions, the disciplinary issues seen during the Napier era also appear to have been resolved, much to my delight," Dubbin writes.
Does Aaron Philo make the offense go?
Florida quarterback Aaron Philo moved to Gainesville with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech and is finally getting the chance to lead an offense. Dubbin believes Philo is a vital part of Florida's offense, but that Auburn's focus should be elsewhere.
"I wouldn't focus on Philo too much, as he is more of a field general in the vein of Graham Mertz than what we have traditionally been accustomed to at Florida. Don't get me wrong, he makes smart decisions and knows how to run Faulkner's offense to a T, but he has not shown the ability to effectively throw the ball downfield yet, so defenses can stack closer to the line even on obvious passing plays.
As for the offense as a whole, Auburn must find a way to contain Baugh while also shutting down the receivers and tight ends. Just because Philo's effectiveness is limited to within 15-20 yards from scrimmage doesn't mean that he can't find ways to get the ball to his playmakers. Florida's O-line has been solid as well, but we're hoping to see that corps continue to coalesce as the season wears on," Dubbin writes.
Byrum Brown is still fresh on the Gators' mind
Byrum Brown passed for 263 yards and rushed for an additional 66 in USF's win over Florida last season. While most of Florida's 2025 team has moved on, Florida can not forget about the talent Brown possesses.
"While the USF loss is ostensibly water under the bridge, we certainly cannot forget Byrum Brown's pesky performance last year, and I expect he will be an issue this year. Florida's secondary is still figuring some things out and the D-line hasn't faced a dual-threat QB like him this season, so if Brown is sharp on Saturday, it could be a long night at Jordan-Hare Stadium," Dubbin writes.
It has been too long since Auburn and Florida have played
These two SEC rivals have played 85 times in history but have only played seven times since 2000. How special is it to see the flame of this rivalry again?
"Absolutely stoked. It is truly a travesty that this rivalry was lost in the shuffle over the past two decades and hopefully things pick up where they left off. No offense, but Auburn is among my top-three hated schools, so seeing the two orange and blue schools battling on the collegiate gridiron is a welcome turn of events.
Of course, for Florida this matchup comes at the cost of two of our other longtime rival games against Tennessee and LSU, so that aspect is a bit of a downer," writes Dubbin.
The margin of error is thin
Saturday's SEC clash between the Tigers and Gators is sure to be a classic. We asked Dubbin the question of "Florida beats Auburn IF…."
"… (Aaron) Philo continues his superb game management, Baugh has another 100-plus-yard performance, and most importantly, Florida's defense comes together for a full 60-minute effort. But the margin of error on the road against a formidable SEC opponent is razor thin, so a lot of things need to go right for the Gators," writes Dubbin
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: 'Behind Enemy Lines' Auburn-Florida preview with Gators Wire
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