Washington Huskies fans are very familiar with Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward. The signal caller, who spent his last two seasons at Washington State, has become a very popular sleeper pick for the 2024 Heisman Trophy and got off to a fast start in Miami’s 41-17 victory over the Florida Gators in The Swamp, throwing for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns.
If anyone watching felt that the crowd of 90,544 in Gainesville didn’t faze Ward at all, it’s because he was built for it thanks to his time playing in the Pac-12 and more specifically, playing in the 2023 Apple Cup.
“I played at USC. USC wasn’t packed, but it was louder than this,” Ward said after the game. “I played at Oregon and it was louder than this. The Pac-12 gets misspoken for. The Pac-12, that’s where I believe real football is played. … Washington was one of the loudest environments I’ve played (in).”
The aptly named Greatest Setting in College Football has made life very tough on opposing quarterbacks throughout its lifespan and should continue to do so in 2024, as the crowd noise forced three penalties against Weber State, two false starts and a delay of game.