Florida Football Has Things to Prove at Auburn
Florida football is set to face its first true test this week when they take on Auburn on the plains of Alabama on Saturday night.
The Gators defense in routs against FAU and Campbell allowed a combined 24 points and 606 yards, with FAU accounting for 396 of them in Florida’s season opener. While showing improvement in Week 2, the team’s potential weaknesses will be made evident against Auburn’s offense.
UF defensive coordinator Brad White said Tuesday several players showed improvement, including linebacker Myles Graham, who’s emerged as one of the leaders on the Gators defense.
“He’s that really stabilizing force,” White said. “There’s never a high, there’s never a low. You can feel his intensity … but it’s not this out of control feeling when you’re with him.”
Florida’s defense is facing an essentially brand new Auburn offense led by first-year coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon. Both coaches came to Auburn (2-0) after spending several seasons with South Florida.
Another notable name on the Auburn offense is quarterback Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh from USF, alongside five wide receivers: Christian Neptune, Jeremiah Koger, Keshaun Singleton, Kory Pettigrew and Chas Nimrod. Brown was part of the Bulls team that defeated Florida in a bitter 18-16 loss in The Swamp last season. Their familiarity with Gordon’s strategies could prove to be dangerous come Saturday.
The Tigers’ offense has earned a little more than 1,000 offensive yards in their first two games. The Tigers have defeated Baylor, 17-16, and Southern Mississippi, 43-8 this season.
“Our guys have to do a great job of being ready to play at their level consistently all night,” White said. “It’s going to be a fist fight, a rock fight in there and we got to be ready for that kind of battle.”
Florida’s offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner will also face a significant challenge heading into the SEC opener for both teams. Auburn, specifically, poses a threat on the defensive side of the ball.
Auburn’s defense is led by coordinator DJ Durkin, who successfully led his unit to a No. 12 national ranking in rushing defense and No. 30 in total defense in 2025.
Faulkner spoke on Durkin’s ability to stay “one step ahead,” praising his memorable defense scheme.
“You can see his defenses everywhere he’s been,” Faulkner said. “They play with their hair on fire. They play fast. They play confident … It’s going to be a big challenge for us on the road.”
In Saturday’s game against Campbell, the Gators earned eight penalties for 95 yards, five of which were flagged on the offense. Entering his first SEC game as a Gator, quarterback Aaron Philo faces a different environment than he had the first two weeks of the season, meaning composure and communication will be vital to stay clean on the field.
Faulkner expressed no doubt in the Philo, noting the quarterback competition over the summer as a sign he’s able to perform under pressure.
“We know that playing on the road in the SEC is really tough,” Faulkner said. “You’re not just playing against 11 defenders; you got the crowd and we’ve got to do a great job of handling that. One thing about him is he’s cool, calm and collected. We’ll coach him through it.”
As Florida takes its last few days to prepare for conference play, the approach remains straightforward.
“We’re going to prepare the same way every week no matter who we’re playing,” Faulkner said. “Now we just get a chance to go on the road and do it.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Football
