A road victory at Auburn returned Florida to the national rankings and gave the Gators their first Southeastern Conference win of the season. Florida defeated Auburn 44-39 on Saturday night at Pat Dye Field, improving to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall.
Florida is ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the LBM Coaches Poll. The Gators returned to the national polls for the first time since they were ranked No. 13 before losing to South Florida last season.
Florida Ends Two Road Droughts
The victory was Florida’s first Southeastern Conference road win since the Gators defeated Mississippi State in the fourth game of the 2024 season. It also marked Florida’s first victory at Auburn since 1999. The result gave Florida a conference win and a national ranking after opening the season on the road in league play.
Florida is off to its first 3-0 start in seven years. Sumrall credited the team’s preparation for handling the environment at Auburn.
“I think our guys were mentally prepared to come on the road, take the challenge, hostile environment, great crowd, backs against the wall a little bit,” Sumrall said.
No. 4 Ole Miss Next at The Swamp
Florida will face No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon at The Swamp. Ole Miss is 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Southeastern Conference play, and the game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.
Ole Miss moved up four spots in the AP Top 25 after defeating LSU 32-24. The game will give Florida an opportunity to defeat a team ranked No. 4 or higher at home for the first time since 2015.
Florida last accomplished that in 2015, when the No. 25 Gators defeated No. 4 Ole Miss 38-10. The matchup will be Florida’s first game after returning to the national polls.
FSB Take
Florida’s return to the rankings follows a significant road victory rather than an early-season result without conference weight. The 44-39 win at Auburn ended the Gators’ droughts against Auburn and in Southeastern Conference road play while establishing the program’s first 3-0 start in seven years. Florida now has No. 4 Ole Miss next at The Swamp with a chance to build on its first national ranking since last season.
Source: Original report