Walking off the field for the final time in 2025 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida running back Jadan Baugh had created storylines all throughout his sophomore season, but specifically left a lasting impression of dominance in a rivalry game against Florida State.
In that game, Baugh rushed 38 times for 266 yards and two touchdowns as the Gators won 40-21.
Baugh is now a junior, and while he’s already amounted 28 carries for 296 yards and five touchdowns in 2026 against two lower-tier opponents, the challenges he still presents are formidable.
That’s why when he walks into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night to take on the Auburn Tigers, Head Coach Alex Golesh knows what he is up against.
“They do a really good job, they do a good job formationally, they do a good job motioning and shifting and creating a lot of chaos in that sense,” Golesh said. “Then you've got one of the best running backs in the country, if not the best running back in the country. That's going to be a huge challenge for us.”
Baugh’s stats saw him rush 220 times for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns over the course of last season, while also catching 33 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tigers are currently only giving up 76.5 rushing yards per game, good enough for sixth in the SEC just behind Texas A&M. Despite Baugh having played Florida Atlanta and Campbell though, it does not take away from the fact that he has rushed for an average of 148 yards per game, making him the leading rusher in the conference so far.
Though Auburn is performing at a high level in terms of run defense, Baugh will still throw a lot at DJ Durkin’s unit.
When talking about having a top defense, stopping Baugh is a big step in getting to that reputation.
“Playing as a high level defense it has to start with stopping the run. It's got to be where the whole thing starts and that's all three levels,” Golesh said. “These guys are different. They certainly can spread you out, but there's a million different ways that they're creating. Whether it's zone schemes or gap schemes, they're creating matchups to be able to give room. And you've got a guy in (Baugh) that's powerful, has speed, gets plays behind his pads and has the ability to make you miss in space. Like as complete of a back as you're going to get. So the missed tackles we talked about earlier, that's gotta clean up.”
The last time the Tigers took on Florida was in 2019 in Gainesville, a game that saw the Gators come out victorious 24-13 against a top-10 Gus Malzahn-led team.
While Auburn only gave up 132 yards rushing, the dagger of the game came on an 88-yard touchdown run by running back La’Mical Perine, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
The trend certainly stands true that the running backs will make a difference on Saturday, especially when Durkin pinned Baugh as being and having “balanced body control, great feet, explosive, tough to tackle.”
The Tigers and Gators are set to face off on Saturday night at 6 p.m. CST in Jordan-Hare Stadium, with the game being broadcast on ESPN.
“Man, it's time to start SEC football. I'm excited, our players are excited,” Golesh said.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
