Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown and former Tigers defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who is now at Arkansas, which AU plays on Saturday, have a history of facing off. Brown got the better of Roberts' defense last year.
Brown led USF to victory over Roberts' Florida defense last September. The Bulls stunned the Gators 18-16 in the "Swamp."
Naturally, ahead of the two facing off again, the subject of that USF win was brought up this week.
Roberts claimed that Brown was a better player now than he was during his days in Tampa under the same Joel Gordon offense.
"I think he’s playing great," Roberts said of Brown. "I think he’s a lot better than he was last year. I don’t know what the indications and statistics show, but a lot of times that’s not a true picture of the story. I think he’s a lot more developed as a quarterback right now. His ability to see things, read the coverage, progress through a progression and throw the ball, he’s just show patient in the pocket and things like that.
"He does a really good job running the football, not just quarterback designed runs, but obviously his ability to escape the pocket and create plays with his feet."
Roberts also explained that Brown didn't exactly dominate that Florida defense, but made the plays when it mattered.
Of course, Roberts' defense wasn't the issue in that game. Holding USF to 18 points was perfectly reasonable. Billy Napier's mishandling of weapons like quarterback DJ Lagway, Jadan Baugh, and Ja'Kobi Jackson led to just 16 points.
Byrum Brown has proven more in 2026 at Auburn than at USF
Though Brown isn't pacing toward a similar output in passing or rushing this year, the 22-year-old signal-caller is winning games of much higher significance.
Already, Brown has beaten two SEC teams, not just the Gators. The Georgia win in Athens is the most significant Power 4 upset in college football this year.
Is it ideal that he's lost four games in the conference? No, but most would point to the subpar protection in front of him. There have been shakeups nearly every game up front.
The Razorbacks are a perfect opportunity for Brown to move his stats closer to the gaudy totals of his final year on the Bulls in 2025. Arkansas is No. 15 in defensive efficiency this year in the conference.
Roberts may be less equipped to deal with Brown this time around. We'll see how that bodes for Roberts in his return to the Plains.
There won't be bad blood on Roberts' side. At least for Auburn as a whole.
"It was a great place," Roberts said when asked about his previous time as AU's defensive coordinator in 2023. "There were some really good people and I thought it was a beautiful area and nice place to live. So, I’m excited to go back."
Can't hate that answer. Now spot the ball.
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