SOUTH CAROLINA OFFENSE VS. FLORIDA DEFENSE:

Syvelle Newton did an admirable job as quarterback for the Gamecocks before losing his starting spot to Blake Mitchell. Mitchell opened the season as the starting quarterback, battled off-the-field issues, and now he is back after a strong performance against Arkansas. I like the decision, but I am a little surprised by it, mostly because Mitchell just hasn't been that good this year. He has thrown 76 passes, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and averages 107 yards per game. Newton has a better QB efficiency and more experience running this offense. Spurrier says both quarterbacks will play, but Mitchell likely will be the man for the majority of the game. Newton is a dual threat, while Mitchell is the typical drop back passer. With Florida's incredible pass rush that is led by defensive end Derrick Harvey, the SEC's leader in sacks, Newton might be better off taking snaps because of his mobility. If the Gators continue to get to Mitchell, don't be surprised to see an early switch.

The intriguing matchup is the SC receivers vs. the UF defensive backs. Having seen most of the receivers in the conference, I believe Sidney Rice is the best one. He is finally back to his old self, averaging 76.2 yards per game, and he has seven touchdowns. Kenny McKinley (60.6 yards per game, three touchdowns) is a good deep threat and a very solid second option for Mitchell/Newton. But the UF secondary is good. It gives up a lot of yards, but comes up with timely turnovers. Cornerback Ryan Smith and safety Reggie Nelson have combined for ten interceptions this year. Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett did dominate last weekend against UF, so it can be done. Not much of an advantage for either side here, but the USC passing game could be slowed down by the dominant defensive line of UF.

The Gamecocks rushed for only 51 yards last week at home against the Razorbacks, but they were without the services of leading rusher Cory Boyd. Boyd feels better and he'll need to have a big day. That is a lot more likely to happen now without two key players on the UF defense. DT Marcus Thomas has been kicked off the team, and MLB Brandon Siler sprained his MCL and is not likely to play. His replacement will be a freshman, Brandon Spikes. Having a freshman playing middle linebacker in a game this big must scare Urban Meyer, although he says Spikes can handle the challenge. The Gators allow SEC opponents an average of 2.6 yards per carry. Their run defense has been phenomenal, but without Siler and Thomas, it will not be as good. Meyer said UF might have to put an extra man in the box. Carolina averages 132.2 rush yards per game. I think 110 yards rushing is more realistic on Saturday.

South Carolina is going to have to figure out a way to neutralize Harvey, Ray McDonald, Jarvis Moss, and the rest of the Gators defensive line. The loss of the two defensive players makes the Gators much more vulnerable up the middle. It could be a completely different defense without them. Still, USC's offense is 10th in the SEC, nothing like what you would expect on a Spurrier-coached team. Overall, the Gators have a defensive edge. For USC to be successful, Sidney Rice must have a huge day. There just aren't enough playmakers on offense for South Carolina, so he must carry the load.

FLORIDA OFFENSE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSE:

With two good quarterbacks and four good receivers, it's tough to figure out why the Gators score only 23 points per game. I think one reason is the lack of a consistent running game. The other is turnovers. Chris Leak has eight interceptions and the team has lost seven fumbles. The offensive line has been above average, allowing 15 sacks this year.

UF's leading rusher is DeShawn Wynn. The Gators have the tendency to forget about Wynn, instead handing the ball off to receivers like Percy Harvin and Andre Caldwell. Watching the tape of Arkansas RB Darren McFadden dissecting the South Carolina defense must have the UF offense salivating. This might not be the game for Wynn to be a workhorse. South Carolina has struggled with speedy RBs like McFadden and Auburn's Kenny Irons, so putting the ball in the hands of the blazing fast Harvin, who is finally close to being 100% healthy, will benefit the Gators. South Carolina enters the game allowing 151.7 rushing yards per contest, so the Gators should have a field day. USC will have to rely on DT Casper Brinkley and his brother Jasper, a linebacker, to slow down the Gators. They are the best players in the front seven.

USC's secondary should be playing much better than it is. Last week, WR Marcus Monk had his way with the Gamecocks' zone coverage. Spurrier said at his press conference that his team played too much zone. He has shaken up the secondary, starting Captain Munnerlyn in place of the struggling Carlos Thomas. However, Thomas will have to play well too because the Gators have a very deep unit of receivers. On some plays, the Gators will line up with two receivers. On others, they'll have five on the field. So the defensive backs will be in for a long day. CB Fred Bennett is the star of the South Carolina defense. Hopefully he'll be matched up with Dallas Baker, and the fans can see two of the best at their positions go head to head. I think the Gamecocks have a slight edge on defense over the UF passing game.

The Gators must commit to the run early and often against South Carolina. Maybe that means Tim Tebow should play a big role in tomorrow's game. Something noteworthy is UF's ability to score on its opening drive. Florida has done that five times in nine games. The Swamp is definitely one of the loudest stadiums in college football, and if the Gators can score first and get the crowd involved, that could be a huge problem for South Carolina. If you look back at the Georgia-Florida game, UF scored on the opening drive and did practically nothing the rest of the way, but it was enough to earn a victory. USC must keep points off the board early.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

I've previewed Florida games twice before. Each time I mentioned that UF is always at a special teams disadvantage because kicker Chris Hetland has been so brutally bad. He has connected on two field goals in eight attempts. The good news is UF blocked two punts last week at Vanderbilt, and the threat of a block will help the punt return game as well. Watch out for Smith and Nelson, the defensive backs, on punt blocks. UF has the eighth best punt return defense in the country thanks to punter Eric Wilbur.

South Carolina is solid on special teams. Kicker/punter Ryan Succop has made 12 of 13 field goals and averages 44.2 yards per punt. Carlos Thomas, the leading kick returner, probably won't be running back kicks this week so he can save his energy for defense. The return game is not very good. There have been no kickoffs or punts run back for touchdowns.

Advantage Gamecocks. South Carolina would love for the game to come down to field goals. UF would not.

PREDICTION:

South Carolina has never won at Florida. The Gators have beaten the Gamecocks 13 out of the last 14 times, but Spurrier beat UF last year in Columbia. Some Gators fans I spoke with are nervous about this game, and they should be.

A typical Gamecocks game involves South Carolina making some big plays and hanging around against the elite teams of the SEC. They are in every game they play, but have no ability to finish. I expect a similar effort Saturday. The Gators will run all over USC and take advantage of opportunities against a secondary that has trouble catching balls and makes mental mistakes.

UF 23
USC 20