The Florida-South Carolina game two years ago was all about Steve Spurrier facing his former team for the first time. Last year's meeting was all about Spurrier's return to Gainesville.

Now?

''The story line is over, really,'' Spurrier said. ''I've been here three years, and their coach has been there three years. It's not a story.''

It still might be a subplot, especially since Spurrier and the Gators will always be linked. But the series is no longer focused on the ol' ball coach, and both programs are relieved.

''I'm glad that's kind of disappeared,'' Florida coach Urban Meyer said. ''The first year, that's all the discussion was. That's kind of disappeared. It's certainly disappeared around our team. But it's always going to be there and it should be there.''

Spurrier won Florida's first Heisman Trophy in 1966, returned as coach in 1990 and won 122 games in 12 seasons. He received widespread credit for revolutionizing the Southeastern Conference with his innovative, wide-open passing attack and led the Gators to their first national title in 1996.

He went 68-5 in Gainesville, creating one of the best home-field advantages in college football. He even nicknamed the stadium ''The Swamp.''

His shadow still looms large, too.