Never mind the nevers.
Steve Spurrier has never won in The Swamp -- as a visiting coach. South Carolina has never won in Gainesville. The Gamecocks have never won an SEC East title in football.
All of that can change Saturday. All of the nevers can be negated with a South Carolina victory over Florida.
"This is the most important game in South Carolina history as far as the team is concerned," Gamecocks junior quarterback Stephen Garcia said Saturday after a 41-20 trouncing at the hands of Arkansas.
Well, history might be stretching things.
They were 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation after defeating Florida State on Nov. 10, 1984, after all.
These Gamecocks are 6-3, ranked No. 22, and gradually traveling downstream in the polls since knocking off then No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9. Since then, they have lost to Kentucky and Arkansas and survived a close one with unheralded Tennessee.
As Spurrier correctly noted Sunday, "Florida seems to be peaking right now, and maybe we're going the other way."
The Gators rolled over Vanderbilt 55-14 on Saturday and have won back-to-back games after dropping three in a row.
Still, much is at stake for two foes trying to find their way in a lopsided SEC, a conference in which the West is best and the East is least. Saturday's winner heads to Atlanta on Dec. 4 to face the West winner in the SEC Championship Game.
"This is the biggest game of the year," said UF center Mike Pouncey. "If we win, we're in."
Said coach Urban Meyer: "Obviously, this is championship week in Gainesville, Florida. This is the whole deal. This is it."
The Gators resurfaced in the rankings at No. 24 after dropping out because of consecutive losses to Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State -- all SEC West teams. But Meyer was sounding more upbeat after the Vandy whipping.
"I'm very excited about the chemistry of our team right now," Meyer said. "You see it jelling right now."
An offense that was much maligned only a few weeks ago now looks to be in sync with the advent of a no-huddle attack that features not one, not two, but three quarterbacks: John Brantley, Trey Burton and Jordan Reed.
"I haven't seen or heard of anyone doing it," Brantley said. "I've heard of a two-quarterback system. Not three, though."
Brantley, who began the season taking almost all of the snaps, doesn't mind the reduced role.
"It's not a good feeling when you lose," Brantley said. "But it's a good feeling when you win, even though you might not be the only guy back there. And that's fine with me."
It's Spurrier's job to devise a way to stop the Gators. He's never done it before in The Swamp.
South Carolina has never done it before in Gainesville.
But there's a first time for everything.
"Spurrier knows how to coach those big games, like you saw against Alabama," Brantley said. "You just know that he can coach those big games and South Carolina will be here, ready to play."
Steve Spurrier has never won in The Swamp -- as a visiting coach. South Carolina has never won in Gainesville. The Gamecocks have never won an SEC East title in football.
All of that can change Saturday. All of the nevers can be negated with a South Carolina victory over Florida.
"This is the most important game in South Carolina history as far as the team is concerned," Gamecocks junior quarterback Stephen Garcia said Saturday after a 41-20 trouncing at the hands of Arkansas.
Well, history might be stretching things.
They were 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation after defeating Florida State on Nov. 10, 1984, after all.
These Gamecocks are 6-3, ranked No. 22, and gradually traveling downstream in the polls since knocking off then No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9. Since then, they have lost to Kentucky and Arkansas and survived a close one with unheralded Tennessee.
As Spurrier correctly noted Sunday, "Florida seems to be peaking right now, and maybe we're going the other way."
The Gators rolled over Vanderbilt 55-14 on Saturday and have won back-to-back games after dropping three in a row.
Still, much is at stake for two foes trying to find their way in a lopsided SEC, a conference in which the West is best and the East is least. Saturday's winner heads to Atlanta on Dec. 4 to face the West winner in the SEC Championship Game.
"This is the biggest game of the year," said UF center Mike Pouncey. "If we win, we're in."
Said coach Urban Meyer: "Obviously, this is championship week in Gainesville, Florida. This is the whole deal. This is it."
The Gators resurfaced in the rankings at No. 24 after dropping out because of consecutive losses to Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State -- all SEC West teams. But Meyer was sounding more upbeat after the Vandy whipping.
"I'm very excited about the chemistry of our team right now," Meyer said. "You see it jelling right now."
An offense that was much maligned only a few weeks ago now looks to be in sync with the advent of a no-huddle attack that features not one, not two, but three quarterbacks: John Brantley, Trey Burton and Jordan Reed.
"I haven't seen or heard of anyone doing it," Brantley said. "I've heard of a two-quarterback system. Not three, though."
Brantley, who began the season taking almost all of the snaps, doesn't mind the reduced role.
"It's not a good feeling when you lose," Brantley said. "But it's a good feeling when you win, even though you might not be the only guy back there. And that's fine with me."
It's Spurrier's job to devise a way to stop the Gators. He's never done it before in The Swamp.
South Carolina has never done it before in Gainesville.
But there's a first time for everything.
"Spurrier knows how to coach those big games, like you saw against Alabama," Brantley said. "You just know that he can coach those big games and South Carolina will be here, ready to play."
