SEC's top guns meet when Gators travel to Ole Miss

OXFORD, MISSISIPPI - With No. 6 Florida on national television seemingly every week, Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning gets plenty of chances to watch Gators quarterback Rex Grossman. <br> <br> ``He&#39;s an exciting player. He&#39;s probably one of my favorite players to watch in college football right now. Because he competes, they throw the ball a lot and he&#39;s had some great success at Florida,&#39;&#39; Manning said. ``He&#39;s a fun player to watch.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Grossman, however, has only seen snippets of Manning. <br> <br> ``Honestly, I haven&#39;t seen too many games of his, but I have seen some highlights in one or two games,&#39;&#39; Grossman said. <br> <br> The two most popular - and probably most talented - passers in the Southeastern Conference will get their first live look at each other Saturday when Florida (4-1, 2-0) plays Ole Miss (3-1, 1-0) for the first time in seven years. <br> <br> Grossman threw for 3,896 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2001, while Manning was setting 17 school records in his first season as a starter. <br> <br> Coming into this season, Grossman and Manning were on nearly every list of Heisman Trophy hopefuls - Grossman as one of the favorites after finishing as runner-up to Eric Crouch for the award last season. Manning was considered more of a longshot. <br> <br> So far, neither has been quite as accurate or efficient this season as they were last, but both seem to be getting better every week. <br> <br> Grossman&#39;s Heisman hopes seemed to fade away when he was battered by No. 1 Miami in a 41-16 loss. But he&#39;s becoming more comfortable with Florida&#39;s new offense, and probably jumped back into the Heisman race with 324 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Tennessee. <br> <br> Manning began the season with consecutive sub-200-yard games. He bounced back by setting a career high in passing yards each of the next two games. <br> <br> Grossman ranks first in the SEC, averaging 285.5 yards per game. Manning is second at 281.5 yards per game. <br> <br> ``They&#39;re both excellent quarterbacks, they both have great releases, they both have great accuracy, they both are leaders, they both are winners,&#39;&#39; Florida coach Ron Zook said. ``But I think their styles are a little bit different.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Manning&#39;s laid-back attitude has earned the New Orleans native the nickname ``Big Easy.&#39;&#39; As the son of Ole Miss&#39; most beloved football hero, Archie Manning, greatness has been expected of Eli Manning since he was a teen. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t think his personality allows it to weigh on him,&#39;&#39; Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe said. <br> <br> Grossman&#39;s confidence borders on cockiness. How else to describe an Indiana native who, when not recruited by Florida, sold himself? As a high school senior in 1998, Grossman showed up at then-Gators coach Steve Spurrier office with high school game tapes in hand. <br> <br> Last week, as the Gators were sweating out a 41-34 victory over Kentucky, Grossman was enjoying himself. <br> <br> ``If you saw Rex in the fourth quarter, he was laughing,&#39;&#39; Zook said. ``I just looked at Rex and said, ``Rex, this ain&#39;t funny to me.&#39; But I mean, that&#39;s what you love about Rex.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Grossman is thicker and more mobile than the 6-5 Manning. <br> <br> While Grossman is more likely to go deep, Manning directs an offense that relies heavily on short and mid-range throws. <br> <br> They also take a different approach to being participants in the much-anticipated shootout. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s always fun to play another team that has a really good quarterback,&#39;&#39; Grossman said. <br> <br> Manning, on the other hand, said matching passes with the SEC&#39;s top gun provides him no extra incentive. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s going to be a fun game to play against Florida, just because they&#39;ve had a tradition of success the past few years,&#39;&#39; Manning said. ``I&#39;m not really as worried about Rex as I am the Florida defense.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Manning&#39;s not out to avenge his brother, either. Peyton Manning was 0-4 against the Gators while at Tennessee. <br> <br> ``Really I&#39;m just trying to go out there and win this game for Ole Miss and for our season this year,&#39;&#39; Manning said.