For all the high powered offense, Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks and NFL-caliber running backs and receivers this Florida-Florida State rivalry has every year, it's the defensive ends, or more importantly the ability to stop them, that might play the biggest role in this series in recent years.

Expect the same tonight when Florida's Alex Brown and FSU's Jamal Reynolds take the field. Both are two of the best in the game and have the ability to take over at any time.

Florida State's Brett Williams controlled Brown a year ago, and FSU won. In 1997, the Gators managed to silence Andre Wadsworth and came out with the win.

And while Brown was silenced last year, he's capable of blowing up at any time. Just ask Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer.

	Florida DE Alex Brown is a sacking force, including this one of South Carolina's Phil Petty.

Last season, Brown single-handedly dismantled the Vols. When Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer finally got a chance to look at the tape, he couldn't believe what he saw before his eyes. As Fulmer sat there, he couldn't help but curl up watching Tee Martin absorb blow after blow from the seemingly possessed Brown.

When the beating was finally finished, the gaudy statistics -- five sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and two pass deflections -- still didn't do Brown justice.

"I watched a lot of that game film and he just beat us up and down the field," Fulmer said of last year's game. "He had a phenomenal game, something you don't see a lot of."

It's something Brown hasn't seen since. Perhaps it's because he set the bar too high in 1999, with fans expecting him to all but rule the world this year, but more likely it's due to a host of double- and triple-teams from the opposing offensive lines.

Either way, it's left Brown frustrated, still waiting for a breakout game entering the final week of the regular season. The high-octane defensive end, who set a Florida record with 13 sacks last year, has just 6.5 sacks thus far in 2000.

He was manhandled by Tennessee the second time around, contributing just four tackles in a narrow Florida victory back in September. But a dominating performance against arch-rival Florida State tonight, with a host of NFL scouts in the building drooling over him and Reynolds, could go a long way to putting a frustrating season behind him.

Florida coach Steve Spurrier said this week that Brown, who doesn't talk much to the media because of the bulletin-board material he often provides, is on the verge of having a huge game.

"His playing with a lot of effort right now -- our whole defense is," Spurrier said. "It's almost a completely different unit since we've gotten back from Mississippi State. Alex is almost back in that mold where he was."

It's that Mississippi State game in which Florida surrendered a whopping 517 yards and 47 points. It was the worst defensive performance for a Gator team since 1971. Since then, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has noticed a change as well.

"It looks like they've had a blood transfusion or something," he said. "They're playing defense like they mean it, like they're serious about it. And Alex is a big part of that."

While Brown has stolen most of the national attention over the last two years, it's Reynolds who's considered a better pro prospect. Reynolds is currently ranked the No. 2 senior prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.'s big board.

Reynolds, who benches over 500 pounds, has tallied 12 sacks this year to bring his career total to 23.5. He was a pure nightmare for Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick in last year's Sugar Bowl, slamming Vick to the Superdome turf three different times. The Seminoles' single season sack record is 19, held by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware.

"Jamal, to me, I would say he's more powerful and Alex is more skillful," Bowden said. "Brown is more of a speed guy, where as Jamal just sort of comes right at you."

The great debate
While many look at rankings, championships, statistics and believe it or not performance to determine their vote for the Heisman Trophy, some are suggesting a peek at a birth certificate when deciding on Weinke.

That's because the senior quarterback, who spent six years in minor league baseball before returning to Florida State in 1997, is 28 years old. Some argue that's an unfair advantage, that Weinke is a man playing a boys game.

Some of the statistics he's put up this year would support that. With 129 yards passing against Florida, Weinke will set the ACC career passing mark Saturday. His winning percentage of .939 is the NCAA's 7th-best all-time. Statistically, he's the school's all-time most decorated passer.

And Bowden thinks the age talk is nonsense.

"There's been a lot of talk about that lately and it doesn't seem fair," Bowden said. "Being too short or being too tall isn't counted against you. I don't see why this should be. It doesn't fit as far as I'm concerned. It certainly isn't his fault."

Bowden considers that maturity factor as Weinke's biggest asset.

"He's got all the tools you look for -- he's tall, very intelligent and has a great poise and demeanor about him that a quarterback needs. There's an excellent arm, a quick release and that maturity factor. That maturity is the best thing we've got going for us this year as a team."

The oldest player to ever win the Heisman is former Oklahoma quarterback Billy Simms, who was 23 when he won the award.

Two-headed monster
Florida coach Steve Spurrier, who will use two quarterbacks, senior Jesse Palmer and redshirt freshman Rex Grossman, understands the pressure to name a No. 1 quarterback, but doesn't buckle under it.

Spurrier, a former Heisman-winning quarterback, has the highest of expectations for his signal-callers and has found positives and negatives with both Palmer and Grossman.

"People are reluctant to support a two-quarterback system because it isn't done that often," Spurrier said. "It's just like they used to say you can't throw the ball and win in the SEC. It's not so much traditions, but just an old way of thinking that this is what you have to do to win a championship."

Palmer, who came off the bench to rally Florida from an 18-point deficit against South Carolina last week, was named the starter early in the week, but then Spurrier reneged the next day.

"Rex is a freshman and he understands that Jesse has been here awhile and deserves a chance," Spurrier said. "And Jesse understands that when Rex played early in the season, he played extremely well. So I certainly think there is a mutual respect and understanding that they both deserve to play."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com.