COLUMBIA --- Steve Spurrier swears it makes no difference who's on the other sideline.
That seems hard to fully believe since few have as deep a love for Gator blue and orange than South Carolina's head ball coach, also one of Florida's most famous and beloved players and coaches.
Still, Spurrier says the bachelor's degree, Heisman Trophy and national title ring he earned in Gainesville hold little significance this week when his Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) take on No. 1 Florida (9-0, 7-0) on Saturday.
It's a hard case to make, particularly with Spurrier's legacy so tightly linked to The Swamp.
"The fact he's a great football coach and his record is one of the best in college football history, that has as much to do with the fact that he's a great Gator on top of that," Florida coach Urban Meyer said.
Meyer knew he'd have to tackle Spurrier's shadow quickly after joining Florida in December 2004. Spurrier was the school's first Heisman winner in 1966 and led the Gators to their first national crown 30 years later.
"He knows how I feel about him, he knows how I feel about his resume," said Meyer.
Spurrier says the emotional tug of the game has lessened over time. So there won't be a twinge of feeling watching his former team on the sidelines?
"No, I don't think so," Spurrier said.
Spurrier acknowledged his past factored in to the 2005 game when he faced Florida for the first time. After that, though, it has been "these are my guys here (at South Carolina) and really we're trying to find some plays and give ourselves a chance to stay on the field, make some first downs."
Few did that as well as Spurrier as Florida quarterback and coach.
Spurrier was a brash, good-looking kid who grew up in Tennessee when he arrived at Florida in the early 1960s. By the time he left in 1966, Spurrier owned most every passing record the Gators had and won the Heisman.
He enhanced his aura during 12 highly successful seasons as Florida coach. Not only couldn't opponents catch up to Spurrier's passing schemes, rival coaches couldn't keep up with the ball coach's verbal jabs. The result was six SEC, a national championship in 1996 and a swagger that clings to the program today.
Spurrier left Gainesville in 2001 for the disastrous two-year jaunt with the Washington Redskins in 2001. He then sought a new challenge at South Carolina.
Spurrier might have inadvertently had a hand in building Florida's latest championship run.
When the Gamecocks defeated nationally ranked Florida 30-22 in the first Spurrier-Meyer matchup four years ago, Meyer kept the Gators on the plane after it landed back home to let them the play he saw was unacceptable.
"There were a lot of things on my mind, on my staff's mind, that I let fly right there," Meyer said. "It was one of the turning points we had."
ALL-TIME RECORD
Steve Spurrier is 108-37 against everyone in the SEC except Florida, which has won three of four meetings. A closer look at the coach vs. his former school:
YEAR RESULT
2005 W, 30-22
2006 L, 17-16
2007 L, 51-31
2008 L 56-6
Source: gamecocksonline.cstv.com
SATURDAY'S GAMES
- Georgia Tech at Duke, Noon (ESPN2)
- Clemson at N.C. State, Noon (Fox-Ch. 54)
- Furman at Georgia Southern, 2 p.m. (no TV)
- Florida at South Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (CBS-Ch. 12)
- Auburn at Georgia, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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i hope they tie 0-0. i hate both of 'em.
Smartie (not) no tie in college football
I hope Carolina wins so it possibly ruins Florida's chance at another title. They do not look that great this year. The officials keep helping them out though.
actually, tinvols, their comes a time, when, a college football game is declared a tie. i was wondering, are you a ut fan? because, if you are, their is an excellent article in todays ac, about 3 of their fine young football players. it describes how they use their spare time ROB PEOPLE AT GUNPOINT, and steal all their money. what? i've heard of junior college transfers, but, sounds like ut has been scouring the state correctional institutions to fill their needs.
Gee, smartie (not), your posts provide considerable evidence of: poorly developed social skills, extraordinary anger and envy asserted with regard to Georgia's lone claim to world-class academic standing (that would be Georgia Tech), substandard command of the English language and syntax, and neanderthal-like intellectual capacity. Accordingly, I suspect that there may be some common bond that you have with the (alleged) reprobates on the UT football team. Perhaps that bond is shared matriculation experiences at those "state correctional institutions," about which you reminisced in your last post.
The Knave, I couldn't say it better myself.