Riding a high-powered offense and Jadan Baugh’s breakout season, the Gators eye their first 3-0 start since 2019 as they face a formidable Auburn defense on the road.
The Florida Gators and newly hired head coach Jon Sumrall are on the brink of achieving something the program has failed to reach since the 2019 college football season.
After parting ways with former head coach Billy Napier midway through the 2025 season, the program decided to hire Sumrall this past offseason. The 44-year-old coach led the Tulane Green Wave to a College Football Playoff appearance last year, and his winning pedigree began to translate to the Gators this offseason thanks to an impressive run in the transfer portal.
Now, with two blowout victories over Florida Atlantic and Campbell under their belt, Sumrall and the program have an opportunity to begin the 2026 regular season with a 3-0 record, which would be the first time since 2019.
Florida, Sumrall’s Future Outlook
Sep 5, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall runs onto the field before a game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn ImagesIn 2019, the Gators began the season with a massive 24-20 victory over the Miami Hurricanes, thanks to a 254-yard, two-touchdown performance from former quarterback Feleipe Franks. This was quickly followed by two additional wins against UT Martin and Kentucky, as Florida outscored opponents 74-21 in the two-game stretch.
Flash forward to the present day, Sumrall and his squad have an opportunity to reach a perfect record through their first three games of the regular season when they square off against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday night.
Florida has been dominant in their first two contests this season. This year, the Gators began the regular season by outscoring their opponents 118-24. The key to the recent offensive explosion has been star running back Jadan Baugh, who has quickly emerged as one of the best at his position. Through two games, the junior playmaker recorded 296 rushing yards and five touchdowns for an average of 10.6 yards per carry.
However, the Gators will encounter their first real challenge of the 2026 season this weekend when they travel to Auburn on Saturday night. Led by former USF standout quarterback Byrum Brown, the Tigers’ offense has dealt with its fair share of woes this year, including Brown throwing three interceptions against the Baylor Bears in Week One.
Still, Auburn’s defense has been the program’s catalyst this season.
When matched up against the Bears, the defense had a field day on former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, forcing one interception and one fumble. To make matters worse, Auburn’s defense held the Southern Miss Golden Eagles’ offense to 221 total offensive yards and eight points in the 43-8 victory.
