Byrum Brown gave Auburn everything the preview promised and then some, going 20-of-35 for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns against the team he'd already beaten once with USF. Keshaun Singleton was his best target, hauling in 7 catches for 99 yards and a score. The interception the preview flagged as a season-long concern showed up again too, and on a night decided by 5 points, that one extra Florida possession was the difference.
Auburn's offensive line, already down Tai Buster with two more starters questionable, held up well enough for Brown to throw for 271 yards, but the price came on the other side of the ball. Florida piled up 495 yards of total offense against a defense that was supposed to be the Tigers' calling card, and Xavier Atkins — the preseason All-American who set the tone in the Baylor escape — did not show up on the stat sheet in any way that slowed the Gators down.
The linescore tells the real story: Auburn led 17-20 at the half after trading scores with Florida, then the Gators pulled away with 14 fourth-quarter points while the Tigers' defense had no answer for Baugh's legs. Auburn's own fourth-quarter push, 15 points, was too little against a team that had already found its rhythm running the ball down Jordan-Hare's throat.
Both staffs got the answer they were looking for, just in opposite directions. Sumrall's Gators proved they can hang in a hostile, one-score environment against a team with a real quarterback, while Golesh's Tigers now know their defense — the unit that was supposed to be the separator — can be had for almost 500 yards when the other sideline has a back like Baugh. Auburn still has Brown, and Brown still has playmakers, but an SEC season built on a shaky offensive line and an underwhelming pass rush is going to be a bumpy one.