GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Dan Mullen had sleepy eyes. He had a hoarse voice. He grabbed a cup of Starbucks to help crank up for the day.
On the morning after Florida's 34-3 dismantling of Tennessee two weeks ago, Mullen drove to work to prepare for the following week's game with HBO cameras aimed in his direction. He looked and sounded like a coach ready to flip the page on yesterday and tackle today.
"For us to accomplish our goals, we have got to be a better team from one week to the next,'' Mullen said on the debut episode of "24/7 College Football" that debuted on Wednesday night. "At Florida, you are expected to win. Those are the expectations here and I embrace those expectations. One of the reasons I came back here was to win. And if we're not constantly improving from one week to the next, we have no chance of accomplishing our goals of winning the SEC East and playing for the SEC championship."
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The No. 10-ranked Gators (5-0, 2-0) have completed their slow build to the season's most difficult stretch, starting Saturday against No. 7 Auburn (5-0, 2-0) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They took care of Miami in the season opener. Beat up UT Martin in the home opener. Came back at Kentucky in the SEC opener. The Vols and Towson went away by a combined score of 72-3 the past two weeks.
Now, it's test time.
If the Gators are to continue their march back to relevancy under Mullen -- they enter Saturday's game with a nine-game win streak, the program's longest in a decade -- winning games like Saturday's is what that looks like.
It's why Mullen came here.
For more on the Florida-Auburn game, here is this week's edition of The Opening Kickoff:
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THREE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS CB MARCO WILSON
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Cornerback Marco Wilson, No. 3, is ready for a defensive boost with the likely return of fellow cornerback CJ Henderson on Saturday against Auburn. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Q:Â There is a big push to have "The Swamp" filled early for this one, why is that important?
A: That's super important, because at the beginning, that's when people will be really spooked. Usually, towards the end of the game, you're already used to what's going on so they come out loud right away, you're going to be worried about this and that because it's loud. The beginning part is really important.
 Q: What's it like to have CJ Henderson likely back on the field?
A: It definitely means a lot to get CJ back. We've missed him out there, but the young guys have done a great job of filling his spot. Now that he's back, just really excited to have that guy back.
Q:Â Does defense need to take ownership of winning this game?
A:Â I think we always look at it like that because defense is usually what's going to win the game when it comes down to it. We can score the ball, and we can stop people from scoring, so we're really important, so we always look at it as we've got to go out there and be the better defense.
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THREE STORYLINES
This is an opportunity for the Gators to make a statement that they are one of the best teams in the country and worthy of their top-10 national ranking. Most pundits are picking Auburn to win, so the Gators have ample motivation for the first top-10 matchup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2012.
A pair of inexperienced quarterbacks take center stage in one of the most-anticipated home games in years. Gators redshirt junior Kyle Trask will make his third career start and first against a team the caliber of the seventh-ranked Tigers. Auburn true freshman Bo Nix will make his sixth career start in the same stadium his father Patrick Nix once defeated UF with a final-minute TD throw.
Dan Mullen was not pleased with how the Gators' offensive line performed in the first half of last week's win over Towson. Mullen ripped into the unit, knowing what was ahead: Auburn's talented and physical defensive front, anchored by 6-foot-5, 318-pound defensive tackle Derrick Brown, one of the best defensive linemen in the country. Florida's O-line vs. Auburn's D-line is a matchup to watch.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCHÂ
Sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts has three touchdown catches in the past two games and is no longer a secret weapon. Still, he is a matchup problem whether against Towson or Auburn. Pitts' recent emergence has been a comfort for Trask and it will be interesting to see how his mere presence on the field impacts the game.
Auburn sophomore running back JaTarvious Whitlow (92.6 yards per game 7 TDs) is having the kind of season many expected from Gators senior Lamical Perine. Whitlow is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and someone Florida's defense must try to prevent from taking over on extended drives.
Gators senior defensive end/linebacker Jonathan Greenard has been a disruptive force all season and could be a huge factor Saturday if he has a similar impact. Greenard has played a pivotal role in helping the Gators overcome the absence of senior defensive end Jabari Zuniga the past three games.
THREE DIGITS
 105-17 –Scoring edge in second half for Gators through five games. 2,006– Career rushing yards for UF's Lamical Perine, who surpassed the mark in last week's win over Towson. 3 –Consecutive losses for Gators to Auburn, matching longest streak since 1987-89 when the schools played annually.
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INJURY REPORT
 OUT: WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder); QB Feleipe Franks (ankle, out for season); DL Elijah Conliffe (leg); DB C.J. McWilliams (Achilles, out for season); LB/DB David Reese (Achilles, out for season). PROBABLE: CB CJ Henderson (ankle), DE Jabari Zuniga (ankle), LB Ventrell Miller (shoulder), WR Freddie Swain (undisclosed), S Jeawon Taylor (shoulder), S Shawn Davis (undisclosed).
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PRESS CLIPPINGS
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A glance at some of the latest stories from around the internet covering the Florida-Auburn game:
The Gators feel they are back on track. Can they stay there? Question posed by Matt Baker of TampaBay.com.
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THE OTHER SIDE
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Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn surfaced on the national radar as the Tigers' offensive coordinator when they won the national title in 2010 with Cam Newton at quarterback.
He spent another season as OC after that, became head coach at Arkansas State for a year, then returned to Auburn as head coach in 2013.
Despite all that, Malzahn is making his first appearance in "The Swamp" on Saturday. Oh, and he's also calling plays again.
Andy Staples of TheAthletic.com with more on Malzahn's latest call:
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Gus Malzahn quote that I wish he'd said before I wrote this story:
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BOTTOM LINE
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Can the Gators run the ball against Auburn? That seems to be the million-dollar question everyone has for this highly anticipated matchup between a pair of SEC rivals that unfortunately don't play very often these days. I don't know if they can or not. They will certainly try. Still, you can be sure Dan Mullen and Gus Malzahn, two of the most innovative offensive coaches in the country, will find ways to get the ball into their playmakers' hands. I seem to be the rare observer who thinks this game could turn into a higher-scoring affair. At least that's what I'm hoping. If the winning team scores 20 or less points, I like Auburn. If it's 30 or more points, I like the Gators. If it's in the middle, flip a coin. Most of all, I like the fact the Gators have a home game that seems everyone is interested in. Sort of feels like old times.
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