Gator baiters: Tennessee's rivalry with Florida has never been hotter than it will be Saturday when they battle for position in the SEC East - includes related article

The third Saturday in October historically is the day of reckoning for Tennessee football. It's also the title of a book that chronicles the longstanding late-October rivalry between Tennessee and Alabama.

But when the Southeastern Conference expanded to 12 teams and two divisions, Tennessee fans realized that they had to take the season one third Saturday at a time.

The third Saturday in September is now reserved for Tennessee and Florida. It has become the hottest date in the SEC East.

Florida and Tennessee have been ranked among the nation's top 15 teams each of the last three seasons. Both are ranked in the Top 10 this season. And, although the rivalry lacks the rich tradition of Tennessee-Alabama. Tennessee and Florida have quite a recent history together. It hasn't inspired a book, but it has been a boon for sports joumalists.

Much of what has been written was fostered by off-the-field events:

* In 1984, the Gators' greatest team was inehgible for postseason play because of NCAA probation. Its only consolation was the school's first SEC championship. Six months later, at the SEC spring meetings, they lost that, too. Tennessee officials led the charge to have the Gators stripped of their SEC championship.

* In 1990, the Gators again had the best record in the SEC. But once again, they were on probation. So who goes to the Sugar Bowl in their place? You guessed it. Tennessee.

* In 1991, Vicky Fulmer, the wife of Tennessee Coach Phil Fulmer, had to defend herself against abusive Florida fans during the Gators'35-18 victory at Florida Field.

"I was physically abused," says Fulmer, whose husband was then the Vols' offensive coordinator. "They spat in my face and told me where to go. I was put in a position where I was forced to defend myself. It was awful. I was terrified. Because of that, I would never go back to a game at Florida unescorted."

* 2 Tennessee defensive end Horace Morris, a Miami native, says he was embarrassed to be from Florida because of the way the fans behaved. "Those were the rudest fans I've ever seen in my life. They threw hot dogs at us. They threw Cokes at us. They talked vulgar about us the whole time."

* 9 The most publicized incident of the series occurred before the '91 game. Former Vols assistant coach Jack Sees, who was dismissed amid charges of NCAA violations, faxed hand-drawn plays and notes to Florida defensive coach Ron Zook, a former Vols coach and friend of Sells.

The plan was thwarted by an employee of the copying service, which was near the Tennessee campus. The Kinko's employee recognized the significance of the material being faxed and stopped transmission after 15 of 24 pages had been sent. He then called Tennessee officials and gave them copies.

Zook at first said he didn't receive any material from Sells. Ten days later, he admitted Sells faxed play diagrams three days before the game. Zook fared better than Sells afterward, receiving the game ball after Florida's victory. A month later, a Tennessee fan slugged Sells at a Chattanooga bar.

Whoever delivers the best lick Saturday at Florida Field will be the heavy favorite to win the SEC East.

Florida was the consensus preseason pick to repeat as the SEC East champion. And like last season, this was expected to be a three-team race, with Tennessee and Georgia challenging for the title.

Yet two weeks into the season, Georgia seemingly has played itself out of contention. The Bulldogs were upset in the final seconds by South Carolina in their opener, then were overwhelmed by the Vols, 38-6, last Saturday in Knoxville. It was Tennessee's most lopsided victory since the Vols defeated the Bulldogs, 46-0, in 1936.

Not only is this an obviously talented Tennessee team, but it also is playing with the same enthusiasm that it did in four games last season when Fulmer was the interim head coach. Named as Johnny Majors' successor after the 92 season, Fulmer is 6-0 as a head coach. Even the competition admits that Fulmer can return the Vols to the top of the SEC.

"Tennessee had a terrific game plan against me," says Mitch Davis, Georgia's ALL-SEC linebacker. "I'm not going to lie. They totally shut my game down. Tennessee's running backs ran away from me all night.

"With Heath Shuler at quarterback and the three running backs they have, they have a good chance of winning the conference. "

Their chances seemed much better after last Saturday, and not just because of what transpired at Neyland Stadium. Florida had to rally in the last minute to overcome Kentucky, generany regarded as the worst team in the SEC.

Florida returned virtually its entire offense from last season. The only significant loss was record-setting quarterback Shane Matthews. And doesn't Coach Steve Spurrier always seem to have a record-setting quarterback?

In each of his three seasons at Duke, Spurrier had to break in a new quarterback. Each time, that quarterback led the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing. In 1990, Spurrier's first year at Florida, Matthews led the SEC in passing.

So it's no wonder Spurrier said during the preseason that he expected Matthews' successor, Terry Dean, to be in the same class with Tennessee's Shuler and Georgia's Eric Zeier.

But against Kentucky, Dean was intercepted four times. Backup Danny Wuerffel, who threw three interceptions, bailed out the Gators by throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, including the winner with three seconds to play.

Tennessee has no questions about its quarterback. Only a junior, Shuler is the best pro prospect at his position. In his first two games, he has completed 29 of 50 passes and thrown for five touchdowns, three to the much-improved Cory Fleming, who could follow other standout Tennessee receivers into the NFL. The Vols have complemented Shuler's passing with a veteran offensive line and three talented tailbacks - Charlie Garner, Aaron Hayden and James Stewart.

"One of the worst fears we had was that their offense would get hot," Georgia Coach Ray Goff says. "I don't know if any offense in the country is any better than they are right now. "

That's no surprise. But the defense is. Tackles Shane Bonham and Paul Yatkowski, who each added strength and about 20 pounds in the offseason, have been outstanding. Morris, who has run the 40- yard dash in 4.48 seconds, has sparked a pass rush that has helped a young secondary intercept five passes.

"I kind of like proving other people wrong," says Yatkowski, a native of Winnipeg, and the third pick overall in the Canadian Football League draft last March. "They said our defense was supposed to be the downside to the team. Well, we're disrupting offenses and having a lot of fun out there. "

The Vols did both in last year's 31-14 upset of the Gators, who were then ranked fourth in the nation. Relying on a four-man rush, they sacked Matthews three times and repeatedly forced him to throw on the run.

Florida's inexperienced offensive line - which started two true freshmen - was overmatched in that game. But by December, that young line had become a team strength, and freshman Reggie Green, who outplayed Alabama All-America defensive end Eric Curry in the SEC championship game, was being touted as the league's next great offensive lineman.

The Gators had another huge disadvantage in that loss to Alabama. Tailback Errict Rhett injured his ankle early and was never a factor.

Now, the Gators have a healthy Rhett, an experienced line and the home-field advantage. In Spurrier's three-plus seasons at Florida, the Gators are 19-0 at

Florida Field.

Vicky Fulmer, better than anyone, knows how tough "The Swamp" is for visitors. She will watch from the press box.

Who shall lead them?

Shane Matthews set more than 60 school records and more than 20 Southeastern Conference records in his three years as Florida's starting quarterback. Yet everything you heard during the preseason indicated the Gators'"Fun'N Gun" offense wouldn't miss a beat without him.

Coach Steve Spurrier would simply plug another quarterback into his system, and the Gators would be off and passing. But just two games into the season, it is apparent Florida might need more than one quarterback to replace Matthews.

After starter Terry Dean threw four interceptions against Kentucky, he was replaced by redshirt freshman Danny Wuerffel, who threw three more interceptions but also led the Gators to two touchdowns and a last-second 24- 20 victory against the Wildcats in Lexington. Overall, Dean was 18 of 30 for 150 yards, and Wuerffel was 10 of 22 for 138 yards.

Spurrier said he wouldn't choose a starter for the game against Tennessee on Saturday until the middle of the week.

"You just put players out there you think will play the best," Spurrier says. "Sometimes, you just go by a feeling."

The feeling was that Dean, a redshirt junior with little experience, would pick up where Matthews left off. He certainly wasn't lacking confidence.

"It killed me not to play all that time," Dean says. "All along, I felt I was the best quarterback on the team."

Says Spurrier: "Terry probably said some things he shouldn't have. The idea was that he was just going to come in there and tear them up. He should have come in gradually without as much fanfare.

"We hoped Terry would breeze through the season. But it didn't happen like that."

Dean and Wuerffel have similar builds (6 feet 2, about 200 pounds) and styles. Each is more.mobile than Matthews.

"I feel both of them deserve to play," Spurrier says. "If one of them is not playing well,the other deserves a chance."

COPYRIGHT 1993 Sporting News Publishing Co.
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