Florida’s Jadan Baugh rushed for 162 yards with three touchdowns, and the Gators opened Southeastern Conference play with a 44-39 win over Auburn on Saturday night in Auburn, Ala.
Baugh carried 26 times and found paydirt on runs of 2, 33 and 53 yards as the Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) were victorious in the first meeting between the schools since 2019.
Florida quarterback Aaron Philo was 15-for-22 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Gators produced 495 total yards — 252 through the air and 243 on the ground.
For the Tigers (2-1, 0-1), Byrum Brown was 20 of 35 for 271 yards and threw TD passes to Keshaun Singleton, DeShawn Spencer and Chas Nimrod. Brown rushed for 65 yards and a TD.
Cormani McClain set the Gators up on the game’s first possession when he intercepted Brown at the Auburn 41.
Baugh put Florida ahead 7-0 with a short run, but the Tigers’ Da’Shawn Womack intercepted Philo, resulting in Alex McPherson’s field goal from 40 yards.
The Gators went ahead 14-3 on Duke Clark’s 20-yard run, but Auburn’s Jeremiah Cobb plunged in on a short run at 12:38 of the second quarter to cut it to 14-10.
Florida’s Patrick Durkin was good from 26 yards for a 17-10 advantage, but Brown found Singleton for a tying, 4-yard pass. Durkin’s 28-yard boot at the end of the half left the visitors with a 20-17 lead.
The margin grew on the first drive of the second half, which ended with Baugh scoring his second TD on a 33-yard scamper for a double-digit lead. Florida doubled up Auburn when Philo found Dallas Wilson on a 20-yard score with 6:30 left in the third.
Brown found Spencer from 10 yards out late in the third to make it 34-24, but the Tigers, led by first-year coach Alex Golesh, struggled to slow down Philo and the Florida offensive attack.
On fourth-and-1, Baugh blew through the Auburn defense and rambled 53 yards for his third score at 12:38 of the fourth for a 41-24 edge.
Brown scrambled in from 21 yards to make it a nine-point game with 6:10 remaining, but Durkin made a 40-yard kick.
Nimrod scored on a 35-yard pass from Brown with 24 seconds left, but Auburn could not possess an onside kick.
