Alabama vs. Florida Football: Position-by-Position Breakdown

Florida and Alabama will meet for the forth time in as many years on Saturday at 8 PM in The Swamp. 

The Gators are looking to avenge an embarrassing 31-6 loss from a season ago. Will Muschamp and the team have taken a "nameless, faceless" approach when it comes to their games this season, but there is no doubt that the Gators have been waiting for another shot at Alabama. 

Saturday will be a physical and hard-fought game, pitting the two best defenses in the SEC against each other. There are many questions surrounding the game. How will Florida's young defensive line fare against the big, experienced offensive line of Alabama? How will AJ McCarron play in his first game in The Swamp? How will Alabama deal with the speed of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps?

This is a game that is full of great matchups, including the coaches, so before the big game starts let's break down those matchups position by position. 

Quarterback

Alabama and Florida have used their quarterbacks in a similar fashion this season. Both quarterbacks have been asked to manage the game and don't turn the ball over. 

The two quarterbacks have very similar numbers through their first four games. John Brantley is 55-for-86 for 752 yards, four TDs and two INTs. McCarron is 63-for-95 for 779 yards, four TDs and two INTs.

The two stat lines are eerily similar, but this game will be different than the first four. More will be asked of these quarterbacks in this game. Alabama and Florida have two very dangerous and potent rushing attacks, and each team will look to stop the other on the ground. If the defenses are successful in stopping each other the game could come down to which quarterback can win the game for his team. 

With both quarterbacks being so even statistically, the edge must go to Brantley who will be playing in front of his home crowd. While Brantley has heard his share of boo birds during his career at Florida, those boos will pale in comparison to the reaction McCarron will get when he steps onto the field.

The redshirt sophomore will be making his first start in the most hostile environment he will play in all season long. No disrespect to Happy Valley, but this is Florida-Alabama and Florida fans have a bad taste in their mouth after dropping two straight games to Bama. 

Edge: Gators

Running Backs

Florida and Alabama have a very similar offensive game plan centered around running the ball. Both teams have a two-headed rushing attack, and lean heavily on their backs to make their offense move. 

Florida uses two speedy backs, possibly the fastest two players in college football, Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. Combined they have 97 attempts for 730 yards, a 7.5-yards-per-carry average and six TDs. Alabama's duo of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy have rushed 108 times for 806 yards, a 7.4-yards-per-carry average and 12 TDs.  

Both teams use their running backs in the passing game, Florida more so than Alabama, but they are used enough that it should be factored in when comparing the backs. 

Trent Richardson is the Tide's second-leading receiver with nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. Lacy has four receptions for 86 yards. Both Richardson and Lacy are very effective for the Tide in pass protection. On the other hand  Chris Rainey has been Florida's leading receiver. Rainey has 11 receptions for 214 yards and two TDs. Demps has nine receptions for 70 yards. While the running backs have been carrying the passing game as well as the running load, they are still a work in progress when it comes to pass protection. 

If Alabama can keep the duo of Demps and Rainey in front of their defense, they will limit what the two backs can do. The case is not the same for Trent Richardson and Alabama. Richardson can run through and around the opposing defense. The key for Florida will be getting their two playmakers the ball in space; Richardson creates space with his bruising style of running. 

Edge: Alabama

Wide Receiver/Tight End

While the passing attack is not how either team prefers to move the ball on offense, it may be needed if both of these powerful defenses are able to slow down or stop the opposing running game. 

Alabama leans heavily on their senior WR Marquis Maze. The do-it-all player for Bama has caught 20 balls for 226 yards. After Richardson and Lacy, Maze is the next player Florida must focus on shutting down. 

Florida will be playing with all three of their tight ends healthy for the first time this season. Jordan Reed is retuning from a knee injury that has sidelined him since the season opener. Gerald Christian scored the first TD of his career last week against Kentucky, while freshman A.C. Leonard is still trying to find his place in the offense. 

Florida features a wide range of talented receivers who have been praised since the beginning of spring practice. The Gators have not had to lean on their receivers much this season, but the talent is in place. 

With Rainey being so heavily involved in the passing game he is included in this assessment. 

Charlie Weis has said he will "throw the kitchen sink" at Alabama this week, and he will be very creative in getting the ball to his receivers. Look for Rainey to line up in the slot, or even out wide to create mismatches with the defense. 

Edge: Florida

Offensive Line

If the two teams want to run the ball effectively and mix in the pass, the offensive line is the unit that will allow all of that to happen. 

Florida's offensive line faced a lot of turnover from last season. Couple that with learning a new offensive system and you have a recipe for disaster, but not with this unit. 

Transfer Dan Wenger, who played for Weis at Notre Dame, has come in and earned the starting job at LG. He has been invaluable to the offensive line in regards to learning their new blocking schemes. The offensive line is a unit that requires teamwork and camaraderie, and in a seemingly short amount of time the Gators line has created a great bond. As a unit they have only allowed two sacks this season, and are the anchor to the SEC's best rushing attack (259 yards per game).

Alabama's offensive line is led by do-it-all lineman Barrett Jones. Jones has played four different positions on Alabama's line this year out of necessity. The unit is strong up front, but could have their hands full with the speed Florida will bring at them with their front seven.

Edge: Florida  

Front Seven

These are two fast, physical, hard-nosed defensive fronts. Both head coaches have a defensive pedigree and their defenses mimic the attitude of their coaches. The Tide comes into the game with the second total defense nationally, while the Gators come in at eighth. 

Florida features a young defensive line who is still wet behind the ears. Three of the four starters on the line are from the same recruiting class and have a strong bond that carries onto the field. The line has been led by sophomore Dominique Easley, who has become an emotional leader for the whole team.

Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins have brought experience to the young Gator defense, and have become playmakers in their own right. Jenkins has been great against the pass, while Bostic provides an extra punch against the run. 

Florida's line started off slowly getting to the quarterback, but has picked up the pace and pressure the past two games, recording seven sacks, nine QB hurries and two forced fumbles. Florida's starting front seven have held opponents to 226 rushing yards on the season. Most of those came to Kentucky (134) in garbage time with the Gators second string in the game. 

Alabama's front seven are more experienced than the Gators and have been equally stingy on defense. The Tide have five sacks, 15 QB hurries and two forced fumbles on the year. They are led by their experienced line backing corps of senior Jerrell Harris, junior Courtney Upshaw and junior Dont'a Hightower. Hightower is leading the team in tackles (25), tackles for loss (4.5) and is second on the team in QB hurries (two). 

The Gators have less experience, but they are hungry and are up to the task of stopping Alabama's two-headed rushing monster.

Edge: Gators 

Secondary

The two secondaries are far from similar in age, but almost identical in playing style. They will be key in trying to force turnovers and prevent either team from striking with a big play. These are two ball-hawking secondaries that will play aggressive and could determine the outcome of the game. 

This is the youngest Florida secondary in school history. Florida starts two sophomores and two freshmen in their secondary and the group has had to grow up fast. Sophomore safety Matt Elam has stepped up as the early leader. Elam is second on the team in tackles (17) and leads the team in interceptions (two). The Gators secondary plays aggressively which has caused them to be heavily penalized. They will need to limit their penalties against Alabama to be successful. 

Alabama comes into the game with a veteran secondary. They play fast and they are a physical unit. Junior Dre Kirkpatrick leads a unit comprised of DeQuan Menzie, Mark Barron and Robert Lester. 

While Florida's secondary has exceeded expectations this season, Alabama's secondary is arguably the best in the country. Florida's is good, but not quite at that level yet. 

Edge: Alabama

Special Teams

Great special teams play has become a staple for Florida football. The battle for field position will be very important and both Alabama and Florida have players on special teams that can flip the field in the blink of an eye.

Florida has used several players in their punt and kick return game. Chris Rainey being the most effective on punt returns, averaging 14 yards per return with one TD. 

Marquis Maze is the main return man for Alabama. He is averaging 16.84 yards per return and also has a TD to his credit. 

Both return games have game-changing potential, but are so evenly matched a winner couldn't be picked. 

As far as kickers, Florida has enjoyed the return on Caleb Sturgis who missed most of last season with a back injury. Sturgis is a perfect 11-for-11 in field goals and 18-for-18 on extra points, and is an early favorite for the Lou Groza award. 

Alabama's place kicker is Jeremy Shelley. Shelley is 7-for-9 for field goals and 19-for-19 extra points. 

In a game that is set to be a defensive struggle, a field goal could determine the outcome. 

Edge: Florida 

Coaching

This is a topic that has been discussed ad nauseum all week. There have been references to "teacher vs. student" and even a Star Wars reference that Muschamp nor I could quite follow. What does a Padawan have to do with football again?

Nick Saban gave Will Muschamp his first major coaching job at LSU, then hired him when Saban moved to Miami. Saban admits that he made a mistake when he did not promote Muschamp to defensive coordinator of the Dolphins.

Blah blah blah—as coach Muschamp said it best, neither he nor Saban will play a single snap on Saturday. Still, with all the media attention that the coaches have drawn it became necessary to include them in the article. 

Saban has been a successful college coach wherever he has gone, winning three SEC championships and two national championships.

Muschamp is in his first year as a head coach, and while he has started his year off great, this really isn't a fair comparison. Not yet at least. 

Edge: Alabama

Prediction Time

Saturday night brings a lot of promises to everyone at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and everyone who tunes in at 8 PM. 

Alabama and Florida are two powerhouse defensive-minded teams that will come ready to play. 

In the end, Florida will be able to create enough of a push to slow down the potent Alabama rushing game and pressure first-year starter AJ McCarron into a couple of turnovers.

Charlie Weis has his hands full but is an offensive guru and will find a way to get Demps and Rainey into space. The Swamp will be rocking, and Midtown, Gainesville will be humming into the wee hours of the morning. 

Caleb Sturgis will be the key for the Gators and his kicking will be the difference in a very tight matchup.

The Gators come away with the upset, and get ready for their biggest road test of the season the following week in Baton Rouge. 

Final: Florida 23 Alabama 21