The Auburn Tigers were ranked No.2 entering last Saturday’s game with Arkansas. After getting woodshed treatment by the unranked Hogs and losing 27-10, the Tigers need to quickly get over the lopsided loss because a new number two, the Florida Gators, are coming to town Saturday (Oct 14) to take on the reeling Tigers in what has become a must win for Auburn. Kickoff is at 7:45 p.m.
Old Rivals Auburn and Florida play for the first time since 2002, when a string of 58 consecutive seasons of meetings on the gridiron came to an end, when the Gators visit Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn has not played a team ranked as high as Florida’s current No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press poll since 2001, when the Tigers stunned No.1 Florida 23-20 in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN networks, with Full Circle coverage being shown on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU simultaneously.
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Each of the last two games in the Auburn-Florida series were decided in the closing seconds, with each team winning one. In 2001 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Damion Duval nailed a 44-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to lift Auburn to a 23-20 upset of No.1 Florida. Duval’s kick was set up by Karlos Dansby’s interception off Gator quarterback Rex Grossman with less than five minutes left in the game. In 2002 in Gainesville, Auburn rallied from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but couldn’t complete the comeback as Duval’s potential game-winning 23 yard field goal with 30 seconds left was blocked, forcing overtime. The Gators scored on a 25-yard pass from Grossman to Taylor Jacobs in overtime, and then stuffed a fourth-down attempt by Auburn to earn a 30-23 victory.
Florida is off to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1996. The Gators have won their last five games against nationally ranked opponents. Saturday’s game will be the second of three straight games against nationally-ranked opponents for Florida which beat No.9 LSU 23-10, last Saturday and after a bye week, plays Georgia October 28. The Gators lead the SEC in scoring defense and rushing defense. Florida has converted 50.7 per cent of its third-down opportunities, which ranks 10th nationally. Senior quarterback Chris Leak’s 79 career touchdown passes are the most of any active player in NCAA Division 1A and his 9,666 career yards ranks third. Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith each have four interceptions this season, which ranks tied for eighth in the NCAA.
Saturday’s game will include a battle of two of the SEC’s most accomplished receivers. Auburn’s Courtney Taylor and Florida’s Dallas Baker are the top two active SEC receivers in both career catches and career receiving yards. Taylor ranks first in catches with 124 while Baker is second with 122. In receiving yards, Baker ranks first with 1,810, while Taylor is second with 1,694.
The SEC’s leading rusher in 2005 with 1,293 yards and 13 touchdowns, senior Kenny Irons is bidding to become the first player to lead the SEC in rushing in consecutive years since LSU’s Kevin Faulk in 1997-98. Irons would become just the second back to accomplish the feat in the last 20 years. Irons is currently trailing Arkansas’ Darren McFadden for the SEC rushing title.
Auburn saw its bid for an unbeaten season end with a 27-10 upset loss to unranked Arkansas, which shredded the strong AU defense for 279 yards rushing.
Auburn and Georgia found out that one Saturday, one bad performance, can potentially change the course of a season. It's something Florida head coach Urban Meyer likely will stress to his players this week. Meyer said the Gators will look at Saturday's trip to Auburn as a one-game season, then go from there.
Auburn has been installed as a –2.0-point favorite by most Las Vegas Sports-books with a total of 39.
