The Miami Hurricanes have confronted the swagger of Florida Gators wide receiver Louis Murphy -- ''U stands for university, and we're the real university'' -- every time they've approached their lockers this week.

Here's one for the Gator Nation, defiantly delivered in response by UM left tackle Jason Fox: ``They're going to look pretty dumb when they come out and we stick it to them.''

The war of words will morph into the game of football at 8 p.m. Saturday, when the real fun begins at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Surrounded by a capacity crowd of more than 90,000 bleacher-stomping, Gator-chomping fanatics, the fifth-ranked Gators and the unranked Hurricanes will meet for the 54th time since 1938 -- and the first time since 2004.

This one will be on ESPN, with the College GameDay crew in tow.

''At night, I can't sleep,'' UM tight end Dedrick Epps said. ``In meeting rooms, I get jitters. I'm amped. I'm ready.''

Fueled by the star power of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, the return of heralded receiver Percy Harvin and a lightning-fast cast of playmakers, the Gators are equally revved. UF has lost its past six games to Miami since 1986, but these supercharged Gators are favored by 22 ½ points.

''They picked the Giants to lose the Super Bowl,'' UM center Xavier Shannon said when asked if the point spread was a slap in the face.

The Hurricanes haven't been among college football's elite for several years. They finished 5-7 last season and began 2008 with a 52-7 victory against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Charleston Southern. Two days later, the Gators swamped Hawaii 56-10.

''It's no secret. It's just a fact: They're as talented a team as there is in college football,'' Gators coach Urban Meyer said on the heels of Murphy's statement. ``I think there will be enough motivation this week just because our guys know a lot of the players that they will face.''

Meyer insisted his players ''don't get caught up in the hoopla of the game at all. This is a new generation,'' he said. ``They just want to get to that game and play.''

MARVE READY TO GO

As if going to The Swamp weren't daunting enough, UM redshirt freshman quarterback Robert Marve, suspended for the Canes' opener, will take his first snap in a college game.

''He's coming to a big atmosphere,'' said UF defensive tackle Javier Estopinan, a fifth-year senior out of South Miami High. ``They always have a good defense, and he practices against them every week, so I'm sure he'll be ready.''

Marve was so excited at this week's news conference that he could hardly stand still.

''My goal is easy,'' he said. 'Get the ball in the playmakers' hands. We have a lot of guys around here who can do great things with the ball.''

Marve will have plenty of targets available. In last week's opener, 11 UM players -- four of them freshmen -- caught at least one pass each. Overall, 18 first-year freshmen played last week for UM, reflecting UM coach Randy Shannon's belief that the hope for this team is in its future.

''Even though it's Florida, we're going to play the young guys in the first quarter,'' Shannon said. ``The older guys are our nucleus, and the younger guys our foundation. If all of them can play and contribute in the game, we feel like we have a good shot.''

FRIENDSHIPS ON HOLD

Shannon believes the UM-UF rivalry, a bitter one at best, died for the most part when the teams stopped playing every year in the late '80s. He said the real excitement comes with the friendships previously formed in high school, friendships interrupted for one night by a violent game. Twelve current UM players shared high school locker rooms with Gators. The next time the two teams meet will be at Dolphin Stadium in 2013.

''Guys get a boost from playing teammates,'' Shannon said. ``It's a rivalry within themselves. I guarantee you there are phone calls going back and forth between players.''

Hurricanes safety Anthony Reddick and receiver Leonard Hankerson played at St. Thomas Aquinas with UF safety Major Wright and offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert.

UF receiver Deonte Thompson played at Belle Glades Glades Central with UM receiver Travis Benjamin, tailback Damien Berry and safety Randy Phillips.

''Most of us know those guys,'' Reddick said. ``So, after the game, we can pick on each other.''

And the hype?

UM wide receiver Khalil Jones calls it just that.

''Of course it gets you fired up, but we have a lot of respect for those guys,'' Jones said. ``[Trash talk] is not going to change the course of the game. It's just smoke.''

UM tailback Graig Cooper said he didn't even know UM was a 22 ½-point underdog.

''I don't care about none of that,'' he said.

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