'It means a lot to me': Handful of Tigers pumped for return to home state
The Tigers say, regardless of opponent, they approach each week with the the same mentality. And especially this season, there's not much reason to doubt that sentiment.
No. 7 Auburn is not only 5-0 on the season, but also against the spread, beating each team thus far on the schedule by more than it was projected to. Gus Malzahn's squad is one of only four teams in college football to have done that so far this year (SMU, Oklahoma State, Louisiana).
“We treat every game the same,” said senior safety Jeremiah Dinson, a product of Miami. “But, like you said, we're from Florida, so it means a little bit more, just going back to our home state.”
Saturday’s matchup could be a tide-turning one for the possibility of a New Year’s Six bowl berth — or beyond — for both teams. Many view Auburn’s current strength of record as tops in the nation. A win over the Gators would be its third Top-25 victory of the young season — all away from home. Conversely, a loss would theoretically allow Florida to absorb that strong résumé.
But the top-10 tilt against the No. 10 Gators, which serves as Auburn’s first trip to The Swamp since 2007 and its last for the foreseeable future, carries some more weight for a handful of Tigers — 18 of them, to be exact.
Eighteen Tigers on the current roster hail from Florida. Many of them held UF offers and elected to choose Auburn instead — Dinson included.
“I was really close,” Dinson said. “... It was either Auburn or Florida. But, you know, I'm here.”
The banter surrounding the renewed rivalry began Sunday, when sophomore receiver Anthony Schwartz, from Pembroke Pines, Fla., tweeted, “It’s personal.”
His mentions were then flooded by Gators fans that argued Schwartz — who, too, held a Florida offer in high school — shouldn’t take it personally because he could have chosen their team if he wanted. They said he made the wrong decision and would be made to pay this Saturday.
But Schwartz had backup.
“Definitely personal,” sophomore running back Shaun Shivers, from Hollywood, Fla., replied to Schwartz.
Dinson didn’t necessarily disagree Tuesday when asked about the back-and-forth.
“Yeah, you could say that,” Dinson said with a smile when asked if he is taking the matchup personally, as well.
“It means a lot to me,” he added. “I was just talking about, like my freshman year, like I was just talking about just playing a Florida team. And that's what we're doing this week. We're going down there, playing Florida in a real tough environment, in The Swamp. It's real tough down there to play. But it's going to be fun. I know some players on that team, and it's going to be a fun game."
An added nugget of motivation this week for Auburn has been the fact that the Tigers will be Florida’s homecoming opponent this weekend — a game most teams, including Auburn, have traditionally reserved for easier foes.
Granted, the team isn’t in charge of scheduling that matchup. And Auburn will be Florida’s seventh straight SEC homecoming opponent. The Gators are 2-4 in those games.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Tigers — Malzahn included — haven’t been using it as extra motivation.
“Word’s can’t even explain it,” senior defensive end Marlon Davidson said of being Florida’s homecoming game. “But I mean, it’s another game.”
Auburn faces Florida in Gainesville for the first time in 12 years Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS. The showdown is also extra special for Malzahn, who dons his signature visor each week because, as a young coach, he idolized Gators great Steve Spurrier.
For homecoming, Florida will be wearing 1960s throwback jerseys to honor Spurrier’s playing days.
"We haven't been homecoming too many times," Malzahn said. "I'll tell you (how I feel about it) after the game."
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