Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 17
Auburn, Florida Renew 84-Game Rivalry in 2 Coaches' First SEC Test
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 17

Auburn, Florida Renew 84-Game Rivalry in 2 Coaches' First SEC Test

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 17

Summary

  • Saturday night’s Auburn-Florida matchup opens SEC play for first-year coaches Alex Golesh and Jon Sumrall, turning an unranked game into an early measuring stick for two rebuilds.
  • 84 meetings since 1912 and annual clashes from 1945 to 2002 give the game unusual weight, with Auburn leading the series 43-39-2 even as Florida has gone 12-6 in it since 1990.
  • Sumrall adds a personal edge because Auburn had targeted him in last November’s coaching search before he chose Florida, a decision Tigers fans now get to judge head-to-head.
  • On the field, Florida coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense and running back Jadan Baugh face Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and linebackers Elijah Melendez and Xavier Atkins in a matchup framed as one of the weekend’s most watchable SEC games.

Insights

After rejecting Auburn for Florida, can Jon Sumrall survive his first SEC test in the stadium that desperately wanted him?
Will unprecedented security be enough to contain the explosive fallout of Lane Kiffin's hostile return to Ole Miss?
With legal battles and poached rosters overshadowing the playbook, has college football's off-field drama finally eclipsed the game itself?