The Florida Gators entered the AP Top 25 on Sunday after a 44-39 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, landing at No. 21. Florida is one of 10 SEC teams in the Top 25, while its appearance marks the Gators' first time in the AP Poll since being ranked 13th going into Week Two of the 2025 season.  

“Alright, no bad wins. Always good to win. We still have a lot to improve upon. That’s not our best football. We’re going to get there," Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said. 

Florida had been just outside the top 25 over the past two weeks. Dominant wins over FAU and Campbell in the first two weeks weren't enough to convince voters to rank them, but that changed this past weekend. 

The Gators got the job done against Auburn largely in part to the offense. The offense produced 495 total yards, went 5-for-5 in the red zone, went 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts and punted just once. 

“I knew we were going to do what we did on offense tonight," Sumrall said. "...offensively, I knew we were going to run the ball on them; I knew we were going to throw the ball on them. They’re good up there, but I felt like we were better."

Star running back Jadan Baugh stole the show against the Tigers. He recorded 26 carries for 162 yards and three touchdowns. That includes a 53-yard touchdown and a 33-yard touchdown. With his 162 yards, Baugh became the first Gators running back since Fred Taylor to have four straight 100-yard games. 

"Honestly, that's what I saw: daylight," Baugh said about his 53-yard touchdown. "That was about it. I feel like my line, my o-line, they came out. They had a mentality that we were going to seal the game. And that's what we wanted to do."

Starting quarterback Aaron Philo had a strong SEC debut with the Gators. He completed 15 of his 22 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The former Georgia Tech signal caller looked composed in his first road start, making the right reads and placing the ball where only his receivers could catch it. 

"I thought he handled it really well, you know," Sumrall said. "I got a lot of confidence, and our team has a lot of confidence in him."

Florida's sophomore receiving duo Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson also shone in the win. Brown III led the team with 86 receiving yards and five receptions. Wilson slightly trailed Brown III, logging four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Another notable takeaway from the Gators' opening SEC victory is the defense's performance along the line of scrimmage. The Gators' defense had seven sacks and eight tackles-for-loss in total. Florida's trench work also stifled the Auburn rushing attack. The Tigers rushed for 102 yards on 31 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per rush. 

Edge rushers Jayden Woods and Emmanuel Oyebadejo led all Gators with 2.5 sacks each. Defensive lineman DK Kalu and linebacker Jaden Robinson also recorded a sack each. 

Florida faces No. 4 Ole Miss in the Swamp on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. 

Enjoy our content? Make Florida Gators on SI a Preferred Source to see more stories from us on Google: https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=si.com