Game Day: Auburn at Florida, 3:30 (CBS)

Saturday, October 5

Gainesville, FL

3:30 PM

Florida Gators

Auburn

Lee Corso slips on the 'Gator Head' to the approval of former UF star Emmitt Smith on Saturday morning at the Plaza of Americas. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)

Game Day: Auburn at Florida, 3:30 (CBS)

Saturday, October 5, 2019 | Football, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The significance of a revival to the Florida-Auburn football rivalry — if only for one season — cannot be overstated for the longtime Gators fan. The 2019 mega-showdown at Spurrier/Florida Field not only will carry (potential) national-championship and (definite) Southeastern Conference implications, but also heavy doses of passionate nostalgia.

And multiple memories of Florida heartbreak.

Neophyte UF fans may not have a true appreciation for what the Tigers have done to the Gators over the years; the most formidable years, in fact.

The two teams first met in 1912, then joined the SEC as charter members in 1932. They played annually for nine years before World War II interrupted the series. It resumed in 1946, with the Gators and Tigers playing each of the next 56 seasons before the SEC revamped its schedule and UF lost Auburn as a permanent opponent. Along the way, there were some classics that famously went Florida's way— Steve Spurrier's Heisman Trophy-winning field goal in '66 and Kerwin Bell's two-point conversion in '86 come to mind — but also a handful of gut-punches that undermined the Gators' championship hopes in taking a 43-38-2 lead in the all-time series.

In fact, a case can be made that Auburn is one of the all-time Florida tormentors.

Maybe the 10th-ranked Gators (5-0, 2-0) can exact some historical revenge on the No. 7 Tigers (5-0, 2-0) Saturday at the "Swamp" or maybe another chapter will be added to the list of Florida frustration. Whatever the case, it should be an incredible atmosphere on homecoming weekend, with ESPN's "College Game Day" crew on campus, a sellout crowd and throwback UF uniforms all part of the pageantry.

[Read senior writer Scott Carter's "Opening Kickoff" preview here]

Auburn's **Jerraud Powers** blocks **Eric Wilbur's** punt, a play the Tigers returned for a touchdown in their 27-17 defeat of the Gators, the lone loss in their 2006 national championship-winning season.

Most infamous among the run of UF defeats are the back-to-back Auburn upsets of 1993 and '94, when the Tigers were on NCAA probation and the Gators were in their Spurrier-coached, SEC-dominate hey day. Florida won the league both of those years, but was left out of the national-title conversation because of those losses.

UF was dominating Auburn on the road in '93, up double digits early and threatening to blow the game open, when a 96-yard interception return changed everything. The Tigers went on to win 38-35. A year later, the Gators were ranked No. 1 in the nation when the No. 6 Tigers, armed with a nation-best 17-game winning streak, came to a revenge-minded Florida Field. Five Gators turnovers and a dagger touchdown pass with 30 seconds gave Auburn, 16-point underdogs, a shocking 36-33 upset road win that marked Spurrier's first home SEC defeat.

But there have been others over the past 30 years.

* 1989 — Reggie Slack threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Shayne Wasden on fourth-and-11 with just 26 seconds left to give the Tigers and their insane home crowd a 10-7 victory. UF had won five straight, including all three league games, and had risen to No. 19 in the polls, despite the midseason firing of Coach Galen Hall and promotion of defensive coordinator Gary Darnell to interim head coach. The loss started a tailspin of four defeats over the final five games, but also gave way to the hiring of Spurrier. Auburn, meanwhile, went on to win a share of the SEC crown.

* 2001 — Damon Duval kicked a 44-yard field goal with 10 seconds left for a 23-20 victory over the No. 1-ranked Gators and dealt a blow to UF's national-championship hopes. The kick capped a drive that began on Auburn's 2-yard line with 4:28 to go after the Tigers intercepted Rex Grossman for the fourth time. UF turned the ball over five times and was stifled in posting minus-36 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

* 2006 — Yes, the Tigers handed the Gators their lone defeat during Urban Meyer's first national-championship season by scoring on a blocked punt and fumble return, then intercepting a Chris Leak pass late in the fourth quarter to set up a field goal that put the game out of reach. UF, of course, rebounded nicely.

* 2007 — Wes Byrum, a freshman, kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired for a 20-17 win that silenced more than 90,000 at Florida Field, including eventual Heisman winner Tim Tebow. The Tigers, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead, snapped the Gators' 18-game home winning streak.

* 2011 — Auburn held Florida to a measly 194 yards of total offense and just two field goals in handing Florida a 17-6 defeat in the first season under Coach Will Muschamp. No, it didn't ruin any title aspirations, but it was the last time the two teams squared off.

That was eight years ago.

Florida and Auburn will make up for some lost time Saturday. Maybe the Gators can make up for some lost opportunities as well.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS, with the network's A-team crew of Brad Nessler on play-by-play, Gary Danielson providing analysis and Jamie Erdahl working the sidelines. The game will be rebroadcast Tuesday at noon on the SEC Network.

Also, check out the "First & 10 Pre-Game Show," hosted by GatorVision's Shelby Granath, coming from the field via Facebook Live on the Florida Gators page at 2:10 p.m. This week's loaded lineup includes chats with Mullen, quarterback Kyle Trask, wide receiver Josh Hammond, an interview with ESPN college football analyst Gene Wojciechowski, self-made social-media celebrity Scooter Magruder and former UF tight end/Gator Radio Network sidelines reporter Tate Casey.

Finally, follow senior staff writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry on Twitter (@GatorsScott and @GatorsChris) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage content from the game Saturday night and fresh content Sunday, as well.