Florida vs. Auburn: Previewing the Tigers' Home Matchup with the Gators

The No. 24 Auburn Tigers (4-2, 2-1 SEC) return home to face the Florida Gators (4-2, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT, airing on ESPN.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from lopsided SEC losses last weekend. The Tigers fell at Arkansas 38-21, while the Gators were downed 41-11 at LSU.

Expect an exciting game, as the last four meetings between the teams were decided in the final minute. Auburn emerged victorious in three of the four.

The Opponent: Florida Gators

The Gators, in their first year under head coach Will Muschamp, are looking to recover after two straight losses to two of the top teams in the nation. Florida fell to No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama over the last two weeks.

The Florida offense is led by multi-purpose threat Chris Rainey. The running back leads the team in both rushing and receiving, with 433 yards rushing and two scores this season, while catching 16 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Jeff Demps and wideout Andre Debose are also key contributors to the Florida attack.

The Florida defense is ranked 11th in the nation, giving up 291 yards per game. The depth chart is full of highly-touted players recruited by Urban Meyer, but they’ve struggled in the last two games, especially against the run.

Key players to watch are linebacker Jon Bostic, who leads the team with 42 stops and three sacks, and standout defensive tackle Jaye Howard. Safety Matt Elam is the linchpin of the secondary.

Tigers vs. Gators

This will be the 83rd time the Tigers and the Gators have clashed on the football field. Auburn holds a 42-38-2 advantage in the all-time series.

Auburn is 25-8-1 against Florida at Jordan-Hare Stadium, winning the last two meetings at home.

The Tigers' overall and SEC winning streaks have been snapped this season, but their home winning streak is still alive. A win over Florida would be Auburn's 12th  straight at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Tigers Have Uncertainty at Quarterback

Junior Barrett Trotter was largely infective against Arkansas, and his struggles have put some uncertainty into the starting quarterback position. Trotter was just 6-of-19 for 81 yards and an interception on Saturday.

While Frazier will likely remain at the wildcat spot this season as his role continues to expand, Clint Mosely could see more time under center if Trotter falters.

Head coach Gene Chizik stressed in his press conference on Tuesday that Trotter remains the starter heading into the Florida game, but left the door open that anyone could be replaced at any position.

"I expect him to play well, but I expect everybody around him to play well with him," Chizik said. "Barrett is our quarterback today, and he is our quarterback on Saturday."

Auburn Still Banged Up at Wide Receiver

Part of Auburn's struggles in the passing game on Saturday came from the absence of both Emory Blake and Trovon Reed. Reed missed his second straight game with a shoulder problem, while Blake was unable to go after injuring his ankle against South Carolina.

Other wideouts like Quindarious Carr and DeAngelo Benton had a chance to step up and make plays, but they were largely ineffective and plagued by drops. Running back Onterio McCalebb was the only player to catch more than two passes against Arkansas.

It's still up in the air whether either player will be able to play against Florida, but Auburn's suddenly moribund passing game could only benefit from their presence.

Dyer Experiencing Heavy Workload

Sophomore running back Michael Dyer was receiving a relatively light workload earlier in the season, but Auburn has really stepped up his usage over SEC play.

Dyer has carried the ball 62 times over the last two games, the most by an Auburn player since Kenny Irons totaled 65 carries against Georgia and Alabama in 2005. Expect more of the same versus Florida against a run-defense that has given up more than 200 yards in each of their last two games.

Dyer enters this week's game ranked ninth in the nation, with 657 yards and eight touchdowns.

Tigers, Gators Tumble in Polls

Losses by Auburn and Florida dropped both teams down the polls, and this week's outcome will be especially important with the first BCS rankings coming out.

The Tigers dropped from No. 15 to No. 24 in the AP Poll, and fell out of the USA Today Poll. Florida is the top "Also Receiving Votes" team in each poll after falling from No. 17 in the AP and No. 18 in USA Today.

The winner of Saturday's game should be able to get back into the polls and make an appearance in the first BCS rankings.

Florida falling out of the poll made a bit of history this week, as it's the first week since December 1982 that no teams from Florida are ranked in the AP Top 25.

Brantley Still Sidelined for Florida

Florida's offense will be without John Brantley for the second straight game after he suffered a sprained ankle against Alabama. Brantley has thrown for 942 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Either true freshman Jacoby Brissett, who started against LSU, or classmate Jeff Driskel could see time against Auburn. Brisset was 8-of-14 for 94 yards with a touchdown and two picks against LSU, while Driskel missed the game with an ankle injury of his own.

"They both are going to practice through the week," Muschamp told the AP on Monday. "Based on the injury report I got this morning, Jeff should practice today. How limited he will be, I do not know that. But those guys will work with Jacoby as being the starter at this point and we'll work through the week and progress to see who practices the best."

Florida Running Backs Look for Big Plays

The Auburn defense has been susceptible to big plays this season, and they'll be challenged by Florida's lightning-quick duo of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps.

Both running backs cracked the 2,000-yard career rushing mark this season, and both are capable of breaking a big play either running or catching the ball. Since 2007, Demps leads all active players with 7.2 yards per carry, while Rainey is third with 6.6 yards per touch.

Demps, who is also an NCAA champion in the 60-meter dash, has an 84-yard rushing touchdown this season, while Rainey caught a pass for an 85-yard score.

Florida's third running back, junior Mike Gillislee, ripped off a 60-yard run for a touchdown this season. All three will be looking to rebound after facing two of the nation’s stingiest defenses in consecutive weeks.

Lemonier Stepping Up for the Auburn Defense

Sophomore defensive end Corey Lemonier was seen as a potential star after a strong training camp, and he is starting to step up for the Tigers after a slow start.

Over the last three games, Lemonier has 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and one forced fumble. He is now tied for second in the SEC with 4.0 sacks on the season.

The Tigers' defense has improved after a bad start to the season, and Lemonier's progress has played a big part. Look for him to challenge for conference honors if he continues to make plays over the rest of the season.