When Auburn plays Florida on Saturday night, they will have to slow down an offense that has shown the ability to make explosive plays early this season.
The Gators have opened Jon Sumrall's tenure as head coach by outscoring their opponents 118-24 in their first two games. Now, the two opponents were Florida Atlantic and Campbell, but they have shown the ability to make explosive plays on offense.
"They got some incredible talent offensively. They have, you know, playmakers all over the board," said Auburn defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin in his press conference on Monday.
Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Aaron Philo has played well, throwing for 517 yards with five touchdowns and a completion rate of 76.2%. They have a pair of receivers in Vernell
Brown III and Dallas Wilson who are big play threats on the outside. However, the key to slowing down the Florida offense will be limiting the success of running back Jaden Baugh.
"Starting with their running back. I mean, he's really good balance, body control, great feet; he's explosive, you know, tough to tackle," Durkin said when talking about Baugh.
In the first two games, Baugh has rushed for 296 yards on just 28 carries. That is an average of 10.6 yards per carry, and he has five touchdowns. In the season opener versus Florida Atlantic, Baugh rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns. In 2025, he rushed for 1,170 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He was one of the few bright spots on what was a bad Florida Gators team. If Auburn is able to slow him down, they should be able to limit the rest of the Gators' offense on Saturday night.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Florida's success starts with Jaden Baugh says DJ Durkin
