The Southeastern Conference’s best offensive and defensive units face off Saturday when No. 4 Florida (8-1, 6-1) hosts No. 25 South Carolina (7-3, 4-3).This will be South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s second visit to Gainesville, Fla., as the Gamecocks’ head coach. Spurrier led Florida to six SEC titles and a national championship in 12 seasons as its head coach.The Gators and Gamecocks boast the conference’s No. 1 scoring offense and No. 1 defense in terms of total yards allowed, respectively.Florida’s offense averages 42.8 points and 407.4 yards per game.Gators coach Urban Meyer said his young running backs have been key to an offense that has put up more than 40 points in each of its past four games.He said he waited to play his young backs because he thought they weren’t ready to play.”To put an athlete out there that’s not ready . . . it usually sets them back a year,” Meyer said. “[Freshmen] Jeff Demps or Chris Rainey, [sophomore Emmanuel] Moody, I just didn’t feel they had the look in their eye.”Spurrier, once hailed an offensive genius while at Florida, brings a defense into Gainesville that has allowed 256.5 yards and 15.6 points per game.Spurrier brought in coach Ellis Johnson from Mississippi State to be his defensive coordinator this season. The Gamecocks ranked ninth in the conference last season in total defense, allowed 378.1 yards per game.Spurrier said Johnson has a clause in his contract that gives him a bonus if his defense finishes in the top six in the SEC in total defense.”He’s going to hit that one,” Spurrier said.BULLDOGS SNIFF THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN VS. ‘BAMA Mississippi State (3-6, 1-4) rolls into Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday to face No. 1 Alabama (10-0, 5-0) after the Crimson Tide squeaked out a 27-21 win against LSU in Tiger Stadium.Despite giving up three turnovers to LSU, Alabama’s defense intercepted four passes to overcome the team’s offensive mistakes.”We overcame a lot of adverse situations in the game,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban.Mississippi State has won the past two matchups, 24-16 and 17-12.”We have not played well against Mississippi State the past few years,” Saban said. “We need to play our best football.”BATTLE OF DISAPPOINTMENTSTwo teams who haven’t met high preseason expectations collide in Auburn, Ala., when No. 10 Georgia (8-2, 5-2) faces Auburn (5-5, 2-4) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.Auburn was picked by the media to win the SEC Western Division title, while Georgia carried a preseason No. 1 ranking.”It’s one of those rival games where records don’t mean much,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “The last 12 times we’ve played, the underdog has won seven times out of 12 . . . there’s a lot of pride riding on this game.”Auburn sophomore quarterback Kodi Burns has started the past four games for the Tigers after junior quarterback Chris Todd started five straight games.”[Burns] was making some decisions in the passing game that got him in a little bit of trouble,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. “He’s a very active quarterback . . . we continue to add things in the offense to try to give him a little bit more variety of what we can do with him.”Richt is still shuffling his offensive line after freshman right tackle Justin Anderson went out with a foot injury against Kentucky.Anderson is the third starting offensive lineman — after sophomore Trinton Sturdivant and junior Vince Vance — Georgia has lost to injury this season.Richt said sophomores Josh Davis and Kiante Tripp will work at right tackle to replace Anderson.”By the end of [Wednesday’s] practice we’ll have a pretty good feel of who would start the game,” Richt said. “But I have a feeling both of those guys will play.”—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]