Auburn and Florida meet Saturday night in a rivalry that dates to 1912, with both programs breaking in first-year head coaches and neither team ranked in the Top 25 heading into the game.
The two schools have played 84 times, and from 1945 to 2002 they faced each other every season. Auburn holds the all-time series lead, 43-39-2, but Florida has won the majority of meetings since 1990, going 12-6 in that stretch, a run that began when Steve Spurrier took over as the Gators’ coach.
The rivalry has produced some notable upsets over the decades. In 1994, Auburn beat a top-ranked Florida team as 17.5-point underdogs, handing the Gators their only loss of the regular season. In 2006, Auburn defeated a second-ranked Florida squad, the only loss that Gators team suffered on its way to a national championship. The following year, a 2-2 Auburn team upset a top-five Florida squad in Gainesville, the first home loss of head coach Urban Meyer’s tenure with the Gators.
This year’s matchup carries added weight because it marks the first Southeastern Conference game for both Auburn head coach Alex Golesh and Florida head coach Jon Sumrall. Both programs are looking to establish themselves early in conference play under new leadership, and a loss is likely to raise questions for whichever team comes up short against a program in a similar rebuilding position.
There is also a personnel storyline tied to the coaching change. Sumrall was reportedly Auburn’s top choice in its coaching search last November before he chose to take the Florida job instead, a decision that has added to tension between the fan bases heading into Saturday’s game.
On the field, the matchup features Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner against Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who is regarded by many in the conference as one of its top defensive minds. Florida running back Jadan Baugh will also face an Auburn linebacker duo of Elijah Melendez and Xavier Atkins.
Kickoff is set for Saturday night, around the same time as the marquee matchup between Ole Miss and LSU in Oxford, Mississippi.
