Quarterbacks
Edge: Georgia
I would initially give the nod to Quincy Carter in a direct comparison with Doug Johnson. But Carter has a more daunting task facing the Florida defense than Johnson does facing the Georgia defense. Carter is more mobile, the Bulldogs' second-leading rusher. He throws the ball well. He is the key to their offense and makes everything happen. He has only thrown three interceptions, indicating that he takes care of the football. Carter is more liable to run than Johnson, a pocket passer. What concerns Steve Spurrier about Johnson is that he has thrown nine interceptions.

	GILMORE'S GRADES
	Florida		Georgia
		QB	X
	X	RB
	X	WR/TE
	X	OL
	X	DL	X
	X	LB	X
	X	DB
	X	Special teams	X
	X	Coaching

Running backs
Edge: Florida
If Earnest Graham plays, the Gators get the certain edge. If he weren't, they would still have an advantage. The Gators have depth, spread people out and have good speed. Robert Gillespie is solid, and Bo Carroll is averaging more than seven yards a carry. Before he got hurt, Graham was averaging more than six yards a carry. When the passing game is going, they run well enough to almost be impossible to stop. Georgia will be heavily dependent on Jasper Sanks. He must be consistent to take some pressure off Carter. Tennessee was able to shut down Georgia's ability to run. So I like the Gators' running game better than Georgia's.

Receivers/Tight ends
Edge: Florida
Florida should have Travis Taylor back in the lineup, giving the Gators a clear edge. They have great depth. With Taylor out, Darrell Jackson stepped up with some big touchdown receptions. Florida has productive receivers that you have to like. On the other hand, the Bulldogs are relying on freshman Terrence Edwards for big plays. He has scored six touchdown catches, but he went through a slump where he was dropping balls and seemed to lose some confidence. Georgia's most consistent receiver might be tight end Jevaris Johnson. That's fine for keeping drives alive, but against Florida's defense, the Bulldogs need big plays from Edwards catching the ball downfield or Carter running. Short passes to Johnson won't win the game for Georgia.

Offensive line
Edge: Florida
Florida has a veteran offensive line. Right tackle Kenyatta Walker has been the Gators' most solid performer. They are averaging 171 rushing yards a game, which makes the Florida passing game go. Even though the Georgia line is younger and inexperienced and has held up well at times to get the running game going, much of the credit goes to Carter's athleticism. I give Florida the edge because Georgia will face intense pressure and has not opened holes for a consistent running game like the Gators have.

Defensive line
Edge: Even
This is a closer matchup than people would expect. Alex Brown and Gerard Warren stick out for the Gators, who have the No. 1 rush defense in the nation. They turned up their level of play in a big game against Tennessee, going after Tee Martin. On the other side, the Georgia defensive line is underrated. Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud are playing well, and Charles Grant has emerged, getting three of the team's 11 sacks last week against Kentucky. Plus, the Bulldogs are fourth in the nation against the run.

Linebackers
Edge: Even
Both schools are complementary to what the defensive coordinators are trying to do with their schemes. Kevin Ramsey at Georgia and Jon Hoke at Florida. They are both zone-blitz oriented teams, and use the linebackers in the run support and the blitz package. They have similar schemes and aggressiveness going after the quarterback. I can't distinguish between the two units based on their performances so far.

Defensive backs
Edge: Florida
Strong safety Marquand Manuel has stepped in for Rod Graddy and done a great job, although no one really talks about him. He has been a big force in the run game and has made a couple of big hits in the secondary. The only weakness he has is in single coverage against a speedy receiver or against a back out of the backfield. I don't see Georgia, however, getting that matchup against Manuel. Cornerback Bennie Alexander is better than what I have seen from the Bulldogs. The Florida secondary stepped up its game against Tennessee. The Gators played great coverage, and I expect them to do it again. Georgia, while playing good man-to-man coverage, has yet to show an ability to raise its level of play in a big game.

Special teams
Edge: Even
I don't see the game coming down to special teams. Field position will be important in terms of punting and where the offenses start. Neither team will consistently move the ball up and down the field with long drives because of the defensive schemes. It's going to take big plays to win the game. So the shorter the field, the better. I can't give one team an edge over the other.

Coaching
Edge: Florida
I rarely ever pick against Steve Spurrier. He tends to push the right buttons and motivate his players the right way. He knows exactly what he is doing by putting pressure on Johnson. Spurrier has been a big-game coach, suckering opponents into the right kinds of situations to make big plays.