Jadan Baugh is doing this every single week now. The Florida junior ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries in Saturday night's 44-39 win at Auburn, moving the Gators to 3-0 and giving Jon Sumrall a signature road victory in his first season at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It marked Baugh's third consecutive game with at least 130 rushing yards and multiple rushing scores, and his second straight three-touchdown performance. Through three games he is up to 458 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, numbers that had already put him in the early Heisman conversation before he arrived in Alabama.
He set the tone immediately. Baugh punched in a score at the right pylon just six minutes into the game, capping a three-play, 41-yard drive that quieted the crowd before Auburn had run an offensive snap. The Gators found their footing after halftime behind him, leaning on the ground game to control the fourth quarter as Auburn pushed late.
The season has been a steady escalation. Baugh opened with 160 yards and three touchdowns against FAU, a stat line only two other Gators have produced in the past 30 years, joining Fred Taylor and Jeff Driskel. He followed it with 136 yards and two scores against Campbell before Saturday's performance.
Article Continues BelowEntering Week 3, Baugh already led the SEC in rushing yards, yards per game, yards per carry, rushing touchdowns and points scored. He also carried the top PFF rushing grade in the FBS at 93.9 and had gone 377 straight carries without a fumble.
Florida's defense did its part too, sacking Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown five times while pressuring him throughout. The Gators will need to clean up their discipline, though, after committing 16 penalties in the win.
The schedule does not get easier. Florida hosts Ole Miss next week in a matchup that will test whether Baugh can keep this pace against a defense built to stop him. If he does, the Heisman talk will only get louder.