Jadan Baugh moves past the Heisman hype and has showdown against Georgia on his mind

Maybe the Jadan Baugh Heisman train got stuck at the station around October. It's OK; the Florida Gators star is onto bigger and better things. That means doing whatever it takes to get a win this weekend against No. 3 Georgia. 

That's all that matters to Baugh. Not the numbers. Not the individual awards. Not trying to win a Doak Walker. Not worried about being an All-SEC player. Just the scoreboard and getting the Gators into a position to be part of the CFP discussion.

Saturday's game against the Bulldogs means everything to Baugh. He's from the Atlanta metropolitan area, growing up in Decatur, which is about a half hour away. Georgia recruited Baugh out of high school, but Kirby Smart and his staff thought the running back would be better served playing defense.

This will be Baugh's first chance to play a college game in Georgia, and for it to be so close to his home adds to the importance, but he is keeping his calm right now, because that's what's best for the team.

"I'm trying to put too much emotion into it. If you get too excited, then you'll be overly ready for the moment," Baugh said. "For me, I'm just looking at it as another game and being very detailed. We have to be prepared the right way before we start thinking about the game."

When Florida "Runs the Baugh", it wins the game

Over the past two seasons, Baugh has received 20 or more carries six times, and the Gators are 6-0 in those games. That includes two wins over Texas during that stretch, along with victories against Auburn, Mississippi State, FSU, and Ole Miss. 

Oct. 4, 2025 vs. Texas: 27 carries, 107 yards, TD (W, 29-21)
Oct. 18, 2025 vs. Miss. St.: 23 carries, 150 yards, TD (W, 23-21)
Nov. 29, 2025 vs. FSU: 38 carries, 266 yards, 2 TD (W, 40-21)
Sep. 19, 2026 vs. Auburn: 26 carries, 162 yards, 3 TD (W, 44-39)
Sep. 26, 2026 vs. Ole Miss: 29 carries, 142 yards, 3 TD (W, 52-28)
Oct. 17, 2026 vs. Texas: 25 carries, 91 yards, TD (W, 27-24)

In the Week 7 win over the Longhorns, the game plan was to get the ball in Baugh's hands even if Texas was stacking the box. The numbers weren't particularly special, and no one is bragging about 3.6 yards per carry. But Baugh's longest rush was just 13 yards. 

That meant he was hitting the Longhorns' defense with repeated body blows, and eventually it opened up opportunities for Tramell Jones in the run game as well. Jones' 9-yard rush on 3rd-and-7 ended the game, and at that moment, Texas was completely caught off guard, expecting Baugh to get another carry.

Baugh has made it clear he wants all the smoke from Georgia in Atlanta this weekend. Duke Clark might still be limited, so it's going to be on Baugh to make things happen in the Gators' offense against the Bulldogs. It might be another game on the schedule for the Gators, but it's also Georgia and, for Baugh and Jon Sumrall, it means a little more. 

"Coach said today, 'I'm trying to treat it as another game, but at the same time, it means something,' 

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