Many years in college football, most games do not carry as high of a magnitude within the first two weeks of the season. That statement is true, until a team pulls off a shocker.
On Sept. 6, 2025, that is exactly what the USF Bulls did, going into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and taking down the Florida Gators on a walk-off field goal.
Where are some of those USF players now? At Auburn University. Who is their head coach? Former Bulls head man Alex Golesh.
On Saturday, the Auburn Tigers will welcome Florida into town for the SEC opener of the 2026 season. As is natural, there are memories that those USF players have of that game.
Many people did not favor the Bulls to come out on top in that contest, but wide receiver Chas Nimrod said it was about holding steady and taking things slow that afternoon.
“It was really just taking it play by play and not getting too high or too low,” Nimrod said. “Obviously there's big plays in games and the ebbs and flows in a game, but everybody did a good job of staying poised and just doing our job. Not trying to do too much.”
However, it is a new year, and the players are fully aware that things are different.
So for guys like center Cole Best, there is not any extra weight on his shoulders after having beaten the Gators already.
“One week at a time,” Best said. “Treat every opponent the same. No game is bigger or smaller than any other. Got a lot of respect for those guys over there. Lot of returners. Lot of respect for the head coach. We're gonna have a great game plan for them. We're gonna study the heck out of them, and we're gonna be ready to roll. I'm excited for the game.”
The Tigers have two weeks of film that they are getting through on Florida, as the Gators have taken down Florida Atlantic and Campbell this season.
Through the early studies so far, Byrum Brown recognizes the challenge they present.
“They're physical. They're sound,” Brown said. “They get after the Q, but we're focused on us; focused on what we got to do. We have a great plan in place to take care of that and we'll be just fine.”
Best, meanwhile, gets to experience the Florida defense on the front line, and has recognized the physicality the unit presents along with the solid basis of communication the players have with each other.
With some key returners coming back, he understands the mistakes the Gators make are few and far between.
“That's really just a bunch of high-effort guys, and you can tell they're really sound players,” Best said. “A lot of them have played a lot of ball, so you see a lot of veteran-type stuff on film where guys just know where they need to be. Eyes are where they need to be. Not really a whole lot of young guy mistakes, if you will. That's what I see when I think of that bunch.”
Florida has key defensive experience on its staff, with Head Coach Jon Sumrall being a defensive-minded guy, while Defensive Coordinator Brad White came from SEC foe Kentucky and linebackers coach Greg Gasparato was the defensive coordinator for Sumrall at Tulane.
So when it has come to watching the film that the Gators have against their first two opponents, guys like Brown know the strengths are still there despite the caliber of opponent not being the same.
“You watch their games, and then you obviously go back,” Brown said. “Their DC came from Kentucky, so watched some Kentucky film as well. Just a balance of both, and get what you can out of it. But it's essentially the same thing, just not against Power 4 opponents.”
Auburn will take on Florida on Saturday, with kick-off set for 6 p.m. CST on ESPN.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
