Florida Things and Other Auburn Connections
Auburn and Florida have played a million times, but only four times since 2002. This lack of playing each other has caused olds and youngs alike to forget what makes up Florida and the many connections to Auburn. Let’s take a look.
🐊 Florida Things
🥤 Gatorade was invented for Florida football.
You knew this, but in 1965, University of Florida researchers developed a sports drink to help Gator players deal with the Gainesville heat and dehydration. So yes, the entire sports-drink empire basically started because Florida football players were sweating too much. Sounds like a personal problem.
💰 “Mr. Two Bits” started because one guy got mad at Florida fans.
In 1949, George Edmondson heard fans booing the Gators, stood up and started the “Two Bits, Four Bits…” cheer. He kept doing it for about 60 years, and Florida still brings out an honorary Mr. Two Bits before games. Maybe I should do this for the idiots,
🐊 Steve Spurrier invented “The Swamp.”
Florida Field didn’t really become The Swamp until Spurrier started pushing the nickname in 1992, despite the athletic department not liking it. Of course, Spurrier won out, and it stuck. Just like Tommy Tuberville calling Jordan-Hare the Jungle, which is now what we call the basketball student section. Naturally.
🎸 They stop everything for Tom Petty.
Between the third and fourth quarters, Florida fans sing “I Won’t Back Down” in honor of Gainesville native Tom Petty. The tradition only started in 2017, and I hate that Florida gets to claim it. We can all enjoy Tom Petty.
🤝 Everybody locks arms and sways after the third quarter.
Florida’s old “We Are the Boys” tradition gets the whole stadium standing, locking arms and swaying together before the fourth quarter. Very intimidating. Or very summer camp. It’s very different than Swag Surf.
🐅 Auburn Connections
🔁 Eric Singleton just went from Auburn to Florida.
Singleton caught 58 passes for 534 yards and three touchdowns for Auburn in 2025, then transferred to Florida for 2026. Now Auburn gets to see him again considerably sooner than expected. It’s ok, we have a better single.
👋 Marcus Davis went straight from Auburn’s staff to Florida’s.
The former Auburn receiver and team captain coached Auburn’s wide receivers from 2023-25 before Jon Sumrall hired him to coach Florida’s outside receivers this season. Now I guess I have to forget that he pretty much won the 2013 Texas A&M game for Auburn.
👀 Sumrall was heavily connected to the Auburn job before Florida hired him.
When Auburn and Florida were both searching for coaches last offseason, Jon Sumrall was widely discussed around Auburn as the the best option to replace Freeze. Then he went to Florida and Auburn got the better coach in Alex Golesh. Now his first SEC road game as Florida’s coach is at Jordan-Hare. And Golesh beat Florida (and Baylor’s DJ Lagway) with South Florida last season.
👰 Sumrall married an Auburn graduate.
Jon Sumrall’s wife Ginny went to Auburn, and Florida’s own site says she was actually one of the people who encouraged him to take the Florida job. So there should be at least one conflicted family group text this week, but he says they’re no longer his family.
😈 Auburn has ruined some very good Florida seasons.
Auburn upset #4 Florida in 1993 by a score of 38-35, on the way to an undefeated season. Then they went to Gainesville in 1994 and beat the #1 Gators 36-33 on Patrick Nix’s late touchdown pass to Frank Sanders. That series has a long history of Auburn just being better. Let’s not forget that their very own Emmitt Smith, Tim Tebow, and Urban Meyer next beat Auburn.
