No. 7 Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at No. 10 Florida (5-0, 2-0), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (CBS).
Line: Auburn by 2 1/2.
Series record: Auburn leads 43-38-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
A first loss for one the Southeastern Conference’s five remaining undefeated teams. Considering both still have to play No. 5 LSU and third-ranked Georgia, the loser could have a tough time making the league title game and the College Football Playoff.
KEY MATCHUP
Auburn’s vaunted defensive front versus Florida’s struggling offensive line. The Tigers have NFL talent across their D-line that features seniors Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown. Auburn only has 13 sacks, but ranks third in the league against the run. Gators coach Dan Mullen ripped his O-line after another lackluster performance last week and challenged them to play better.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Auburn: Sophomore RB JaTarvious Whitlow is averaging 92.6 yards a game on the ground and ranks second in the league with seven touchdowns, including at least one in each of the last four weeks.
Florida: Senior LB Jon Greenard is wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. He’s tied for the league lead with four sacks, but he also has 6 1/2 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception.
FACTS & FIGURES
It’s the first game between the teams since 2011, a hiatus spanning more than 2,900 days. … Auburn has won three straight and four of five in the series. Florida has won 13 of the last 16 meetings in Gainesville. … The teams played every year between 1927 and 2002 (except for wartime hiatuses). … Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and Florida’s Mullen are two of the five SEC head coaches who call plays. Both also wear visors as a nod to retired coach Steve Spurrier. … Malzahn went 2-3 against Mullen at Mississippi State. … Malzahn has beaten every team in the SEC except for Florida during his seven seasons at Auburn. … Florida expects to have six injured players back, including speedy cornerback CJ Henderson and disruptive defensive end Jabari Zuniga.
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