Give first-year South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier credit.

At least he made an attempt, a feeble one, though, at downplaying the emotions surrounding his first meeting Saturday in Columbia against his alma mater Florida.

Spurrier said he wonders what the big deal is, that plenty of coaches have played against their old school, like former Georgia player Pat Dye coaching for Auburn against the Bulldogs.

Did Dye win the Heisman Trophy at Georgia, as Spurrier did as Florida's quarterback in 1966?

Did Dye win six SEC championships and a national title at Georgia, as Spurrier did at Florida from 1990-2001?

Nice try, Stevie.

Pat Dooley, columnist for the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun and host of a daily two-hour talk show on the Gainesville station that carries South Carolina games and Spurrier's Thursday night call-in show, could have 24-hour-a-day shows this week.

"There's a lot of Gator fans who are against Spurrier," Dooley said. "They feel he made a late decision after the 2001 season and left them in a lurch when he went to the Redskins. They feel because of that, they got stuck with Ron Zook and recruiting was hurt for a year.

"There's a small percentage of fans who actually might be rooting for him. There's also some who say, 'Hey, he did a great job when he was here and we appreciate what he did, now let's go beat him.' "

Some of Spurrier's former Florida players have mixed emotions about the game.

Former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel told the Gainesville Sun that he "wasn't nervous about this game early in the year, but now I'm concerned." Doug Johnson, who followed Wuerffel as Florida's starting QB, said that knowing Spurrier the way he does that if "he wanted to win one game all year, this is it."

Even some current Florida players that Spurrier didn't recruit, such as quarterback Chris Leak, say they were attracted to Florida's program because of Spurrier's legacy as a player and a coach.

"You were always a fan of the Florida Gators, especially if you played offense," Leak said. "They always had a big-time offense."

"Part of being a Gator is knowing the history and the legacy of the program. You see all of his (Spurrier's) records and Heisman Trophy and things like that. He's a big reason that Florida football is where it is now."

Spurrier tried hard in his Sunday teleconference to diffuse emotions.

"I had 12 wonderful years there, and I thought it was time to move on," Spurrier said of his Florida coaching stint. "Hopefully, our fans are happy I'm the coach here, and Florida fans are happy with their coach (Urban Meyer). Everybody's happy, so let's go play the game. That's what we should focus on, but we probably won't."

Spurrier made it clear that he's a Gamecock now.

"Once you spend a year with your guys and your team, that's just your team," Spurrier said. "Where you were three or four years ago doesn't enter in a lot. You try to live in the present, as most coaches do and most players do."

Spurrier understands that while some Gator fans still like him, he believes Florida fans should back their team, even Spurrier's friends who have taken his free tickets for Saturday's game.

"They're supposed to root for the Gators," he said. "They all say, 'We pull for South Carolina every game but one,' and I sort of say that's where I am, too. I pull for Florida every game but one."

Former Florida safety Lawrence Wright, who coined the phrase "if you ain't a Gator, you must be Gator Bait," agreed with his old coach.

"You know I'm going for my team," Wright said. "My old coach is a Gator, too, so he understands."

But if you think this game is big, just mark down next Nov. 11. That's when Spurrier and the Gamecocks have to play Florida in The Swamp.