Let the game begin - highly anticipated football game between rival schools Tennessee and Florida

On Monday, September 23, either Steve Spurrier or Phillip Fuhmer will have to deliver one hell of a pep talk.

One will have to convince his team that all is not lost, that it's only late September, that a championship is still there for the taking.

If he's persuasive enough, his players might buy it. But don't try selling that on the street in Gainesville, Fla., or Knoxville, Tenn., especially Knoxville. There, the winner of Saturday's Tennesse-Florida game can advance past Go, collect $200 and make reservations for the Sugar Bowl-host of this year's national title game. The loser? The loser seems

The Vols know all about being second banana; they've been to the Citrus twice in the past three years. In that time, they have won an impressive 29 games, but zero championships.

The bane of Tennessees existence over that period has been Florida. The Vols haven't beaten the Gators since 1992. Even then, Tennessee couldn't win the SEC East ruining its chances by losing in the last minute to Arkansas and South Carolina in October. The beneficiary? East Tennessee native Steve Spurrier, whose Gators that season claimed the first of four consecutive SEC East titles under his reign. The Vols still are waiting for their first under Fulmer, who has won 35 of 42 games as Tennessee's boss. But his winning percentage won't be worth a decimal point in Knoxville if he's 35-8 after Saturday.

Vols fans are weary of losing big games. They're weary of playing in the Citrus Bowl when their bitterest rivals are playing for national championships. If this year's potential run for No. 1 is ended three games into the season, who do you think they'll blame?

In a preseason news conference, Fulmer was questioned about the devastating effect another Florida loss would have on him and his staff. "What are they Pass it on. Spurrier (right) can count on Wuerffel being on target and hopes his new defensive coordinator vexes the Volunteers. going to do? Eat you?" Fulmer asked.

Don't give'em any ideas, coach. If Spurrier eaves Neyland Stadium with a smirk on his face, a few good-ol' Vols fans might think long and hard about taking a bite out of Phil. The Vols ended a ninegame winless streak against Alabama last season. Now they've lost three in a row to the coach they love to hate, the guy wbo left home (Johnson City, Tenn) to be a Heisman hero.

Spurlier even brought a Duke team into Neyland Stadium and walked away a winner in 1988. At Florida, he has beaten - worse yet, baffled-the Vols for three consecutive games.

Me second half of last year,s UT-UF game was the most baffling of all for the Volunteers. Tennessee led 30-14 late in the second quarter; Florida won, 62-37. In an incredible 12-minute stretch of the second half, the Gators scored five touchdowns.

"Offensively, we just hit a groove," Horida quarterback Danny Wuerffel said of the spectacular turnaround. Sometimes you can't explain what happened. I know from an offensive standpoint that we really fed off the defense."

Florida players say a jolting tackle by strong safety Lawrence Wright on Tennessee receiver Joey Kent led the charge in last year's game. In the second half, the Gators forced a pair of Jay Graham fumbles that led to short touchdown drives.

The secondaries again will play a huge role. Both teams have veteran, heavy-hitting defensive backs who. will be under the gun from the start The Vols will be chasing receivers Reidel Anthony and Ike Hilliard, who combined for 12 catches, 171 yards and five touchdowns (four by Hilliard) in last year's game. Tennessee counters with Kent and Marcus Nash, each of whom already has more than 200 yards receiving through two games.

The running games aren't as certain. Graham, who set a single-season school record last season by rushing for 1,438 yards, managed only 56 yards on 25 carries against UCLA which raised questions about Tennessee's revamped offensive line that features just one starter from 1995.

Florida will play without tailback Fred Taylor, suspended for the first four games. Elijah Williams, Terry Jackson and redshirt freshman Eugene McCaslin must carry the brunt of the running load. The ground game will be pivotal. In their past three meetings, Florida has averaged 165 yards rushing, Tennessee 89.3

But Florida's passing game is what haunts Tennessee fans. They remember last year's game like last night's nightmare. Never mind that beat Ohio State in the - what else? - Citrus Bowl, finished 11-1 and ranked second to Vlorida,s third in the final USA Today/CNN poll. None of that changed what happened September 16 at Florida Field in Gainesville.

Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning was asked when Vols fans started thinking about this year's Florida game. "When did we play last year?" he said. "The day after that,

Indeed, WQBB-AM in Knoxville has kept the game front and center with what it bills as "The World's Longest Pregame Show" - which began in January.

Now, finally, comes the much-anticipated, much-hyped rematch: two top-five teams, two Heisman Trophy candidates (Manning and Wuerffelj, and possibly the largest crowd ever to see a regular-season college football game on a campus. Tennessee's Neyland Stadium was enlarged to 102,544 seats in the off-season. The standing-room crowd could push the attendance past 107,000. Add a national TV audience on CBS and the largest media turhout ever for a game at Neyland Stadium, and it could be the perfect, hostile setting for the Gators to regain the credibility Nebraska beat out of them on January 2.

Not only did the Cornhuskers donlinate Florida physically in their 62-24 Fiesta Bowl victory, they left folks second-guessing Spurrier's offensive game plan. "We thought we could throw it up and down the field," Spurrier said. We sort of always fifth we can do that They were No. 2 in the nation in run defense. We hoped to run a little bit, but we felt our best chance was throwing."

The Gators, five-receiver, no-back alignment exposed Wuerffel to a relentless pass rush that forced a safety and three intercely tions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Conversely, in last season's second-half success against the Vols, the Gators flourished by sending out fewer receivers and maximizing pass protection.

In fact, Tennessee has barely slowed the Gators the past three years, as Florida has averaged 44.7 points and won by an average margin of 21. That margin could have been considerably worse. The Gators led, 21-0, in 1993 and beat UT much worse than the 41-34 final suggests. Two years ago at Neyland Stadium, Florida won, 31-0, after leading 24-0 at halftime. Sometimes criticized for running up huge scores, Spurrier was unexpectedly compassionate calling plays in that second half. He wasn't as kind last season. With 5:30 to play, Wuerffel threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 62-30.

I dont blame coacb Spurrier for throwing at the end," Fulmer says. lt's our job to stop it. If I can get 62 on him one day, I'll get

The hit wasn't as direct as the typical Spurrier barbs, which have spiced up the heated rivalry and made him the Anti-Coach in Big Orange Country

Before the 1994 game, Fulmer spoke glowingly of the Gators: "The only saving grace for people in our conference and our country is they can't put but 11 on the field. They look like clones. You keep waiting for them to graduate, and it doesn't even seem like they graduate." Two days after the Gators, 31-0 victory, Spurrier told the Jacksonville Quarterback Club: Phil wanted to tell everybody the Gators have had the best personnel over the last four or five years, which is a good little copout for coaches who are not winning." Spurrier later apologized for his comment.

But Fulmer wasn't merely poor-mouthing his chances before the game. No coach believes more in the power of recruiting. As well as the Vols recruited under predecessor Johnny Majors, Fulmer believed he would recruit better. He has. In addifion to Manning, the Vols have three other potential NFL first-round picks: Graham, Kent and defensive end Leonard little. The Vols had almost as much star power under Majors at times, but Fuhner's talent runs deeper, especially on a defense that has speed to burn.

That was evident in a season-opening rout of UNLV and a subsequent 35-20 victory over UCLA. The question for Saturday: Are the Vols fast enough for Florida?

UCLAS speed was greater than what we saw against UNLV," Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis says. We adjusted in the second half. But we've got to be able to adjust much quicker because our next game is going to be even faster."

If you want to see how fast check the video from last year's second half when the Gators scored 41 points. Vols cornerback Raymond Austin has watched the second half again and again. You look back at 11-1 last season and that second half, Austin says. "It was a slap in the face."

Florida knows the feeling. After being steamrolled bv Nebraska, the Gators second to third in the aforementioned coaches poll (the Vols moved up to second). One coach voted the Gators 13th. Wonder whom Spurfier suspected?

"I voted Horida high-very high," Fulmer said dufing the poll controversy. Two months ago, at a news conference, Fulmer said he voted Horida third.

At the same media gathering, Spurrier was asked where he put Tennessee on his preseason ballot. "High-very high," he said with a smile.

The coaches poll didin't alleviate Tennessee's embarrassment from last September, however. The humilation has silice become inspiration. trainer put motivational things on the board when we were working out (in the summer)," Austin savs. Sometimes, he just put second half.' I'm sure they (the Florida players) look at the Nebraska game the same way."

Spurrier's response to the staggering bowl defeat was to hire Kansas State defensive coordinator Bob Stoops, whose Wildcats led the country in total defense and ranked second in scoring defense in 1995. Stoops favors man-to-man coverage in the secondary and employs a variety of blitzes. It's a very aggressive scheme," Manning says. "Its going to fit Florida's style of play very well."

Sure enough, through the first two games, the Gators, defense had scored a school-record five touchdowns, including two by big-play cor.

We've.got a plan in place that people know what to do," Spurrier says. Our players are not going to be confused. At fimes last year, we were. At fimes, we didn't play very hard."

The new, improved plan is Stoops' baby. Spurrier is concentrating on offense. And he didn't like what he saw from Wuerffel in the season opener (15-of-28 for 224 yards and one touchdown), even though Florida swamped Southwestern Louisiana, 55-21.

Why he threw like he did, we don't have the answer right now," Spurrier said afterward. Hopefully, he got the message be needs to throw a lot better than that."

While other Gator quarterbacks have struggled to cope with Spurrier's criticism, Wuerffel thlives on it A week later, in a rout of Division I-AA Georgia Southern, Wuerffel was 15-of-16 for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

You know you're playing for a coach who's very intense," Wuerffel says. l would rather play for someone who demands perfection rather than accepts mediocrity."

Wuerffel has been anything but mediocre against Tennessee. In his first start against the, Vols, in 1993, he was 19-of-38 for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, as a junior, he was 29-of-39 for 381 yards and six touchdowns.

Austin is convinced the Vols are better prepared this time.

We have more experience, veteran guys that have been through the wars," he says. l think we're very secure.

Last year's game brought us closer together. We know how hard we prepared over the season. Then Florida ended up in the national championship game. It hurt a lot."

For the loser on Saturday, it won't hurt any less.

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