Tag: The Swamp

Miami QB Cam Ward has high praise for Autzen Stadium after experiencing The Swamp

Former WSU quarterback Cam Ward defends former Pac-12 venues’ crowd noise after playing in The Swamp at Florida.

Cam Ward would know.

The former Washington State quarterback who now plays for the Miami Hurricanes has played in some of the loudest venues in the country as an opponent: Husky Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and, of course, Autzen Stadium.

Ward played his first game as a Hurricane in The Swamp, the infamous home venue for the Florida Gators. According to Ward, The Swamp was loud, but it doesn’t compare with those West Coast places.

“I played at USC. USC wasn’t packed, but it was louder than this,” Ward said after Miami defeated Florida, 41-17, in the season opener for both teams. “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).”

Now it’s entirely possible Ward was poking the bear of sorts as Florida and Miami has quite the rivalry going. Hopefully, these former Pac-12 stadiums will get their due with how tough it is to play in for opponents.

Michigan’s Lloyd Carr was the first coach from one of the big names in college football to comment on the noise generated at Autzen.

“They are very difficult to beat at home. The crowd is, from every report I get, from every coach I’ve spoken with, a real factor,” Carr said before he took his Wolverines to Eugene. “You have to learn to communicate without talking because talking doesn’t do you any good.”

After Oregon defeated Michigan, 31-27, in 2003, he said: “That’s the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in.”

Beginning in 2024, the rest of the Big Ten is going to find out how right he was.

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A day at the Swamp: Fan’s perspective of Florida’s Week 1 loss to Miami

Florida Gators football managed to leave their home crowd stunned as they were routed by the Miami Hurricanes 41-17.

Florida football was left embarrassed at home in the Swamp by the visiting Miami Hurricanes.

All the months of hope and optimism, the speeches of improvement and change by head coach Billy Napier and his staff, were sucked down the drain as the Hurricanes completely dominated the Gators, 41-17, and left the fans at a loss for words.

From the moment the game kicked off, Miami was in utter control. Miami quarterback Cam Ward looked comfortable all game because Florida’s pass rush was not getting anywhere near him.

Even when Florida blitzed, they weren’t getting to Ward. He had all day to throw and he torched the Gators defense, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns.

On offense, the Gators looked lifeless. As if all the weeks of preparation for this crucial season-opener were thrown out the window.

Florida had just 261 yards of total offense. Yes, that’s it. And imagine what that number would be if running back Montrell Johnson Jr. hadn’t broken away for a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Quarterback Graham Mertz was getting knocked around all day long by the Miami pass rushers and eventually had to exit the game due to a concussion.

It was an all-around embarrassment for this Gators football squad that needed to get off to a strong start to this season. Because the schedule certainly doesn’t get any easier moving forward.

A day at the Swamp from a fan’s perspective

I attended this game as a fan. I had family and friends drive up from Miami (my hometown) and stay in Gainesville for the weekend. We did the whole experience. Tailgating outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was a blast.

The energy was off the charts and there was a sense of belief that this Florida team was going to make some noise on the field that afternoon. Of course, there were a decent amount of Hurricanes fans, but it was all friendly banter pre-game.

As we headed into the Swamp and made our way through a sea of blue and orange, chants of “Let’s go Gators!” echoed through the concourse. Fans were pumped up and ready to see their team play some football.

Jevon Kearse was the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” for the game and by the time Kearse was finished leading the cheer, the Swamp was deafening.

Unfortunately, that was the highest the energy ever got that day.

Right from the opening kick, there was not a whole lot for the Florida fans to cheer about. Miami moved the ball down the field with ease on seemingly every possession and right then you knew that the Gators’ chances of winning the game were slim to none.

As Florida trotted back into the locker room at halftime, they were being showered with boos from the home crowd as they trailed Miami 24-10.

Not long into the third quarter is when we started hearing chants of “Fire Napier!” and “We want (DJ) Lagway!” erupt from the student section.

Water bottles and other debris were being thrown down as fans were displaying their frustration at Florida’s poor level of play on the field.

By the time the third quarter came to an end, the stadium was doing its tradition of playing Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”.

At that point, Florida was down 38-10 and there was no shot at a come-from-behind victory. The fans needed something to be happy about and that’s when everyone got together and started singing along. For a rare moment all game, the energy was high and fans were smiling from ear to ear.

But the moment the song ended, the stands started to empty quickly and fans were piling out of the Swamp. Not quite the home opener Florida was hoping for.

How often do you see Gators fans leave before the fourth quarter on their home turf? Never. When was the last time Florida got blown out like that at home? It’s been some time.

It was a complete embarrassment by the Florida football team and they need to figure it out as fast as possible because the fans have, if not, are very close to running out of patience.

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The Swamp among top-10 toughest venues in upcoming EA Sports video game

It’s no secret that playing at The Swamp is a nightmare for opposing teams, and the upcoming EA Sports College Football game reflects that.

With only a few weeks left until the release of EA Sports College Football 25, more information about the game is being released to drum up even more hype for the first college football title to hit consoles in a decade.

Rankings Week, as EA Sports is calling it, began with Tuesday’s announcement of the “toughest places to play.” Naturally, Florida’s iconic Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as The Swamp, made the list at No. 10.

Texas A&M‘s 12th Man gies Kyle Field the edge for the No. 1 spot, beating out Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Georgia, in that order. Penn State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Florida State make up Nos. 6-9 on the list.

But how does that affect gameplay?

EA Sports previewed its Homfield Advantage feature in its gameplay deep dive.

“Audio and in-game modifiers such as blurred routes, incorrect play art, confidence and composure affects, and screen shaking are some of the immersive impacts away teams and players will be forced to contend with.”

EA College Football 25 Toughest Stadiums

The development team used historical stats such as home winning percentage, home game attendance, active home winning streaks, team prestige, and more to determine the Top 25 toughest Place to Play.

  1. Kyle Field – Texas A&M
  2. Bryant-Denny Stadium – Alabama
  3. Tiger Stadium – LSU
  4. Ohio Stadium – Ohio State
  5. Sanford Stadium – Georgia
  6. Beaver Stadium – Penn State
  7. Camp Randall Stadium – Wisconsin
  8. Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Oklahoma
  9. Doak S. Campbell Stadium – Florida State
  10. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Florida
  11. Autzen Stadium – Oregon
  12. Memorial Stadium – Clemson
  13. Neyland Stadium – Tennessee
  14. Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn
  15. Williams-Brice Stadium – South Carolina
  16. Michigan Stadium – Michigan
  17. Lane Stadium – Virginia Tech
  18. Rice-Eccles Stadium – Utah
  19. Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium – Texas
  20. Kinnick Stadium – Iowa
  21. Notre Dame Stadium – Notre Dame
  22. Spartan Stadium – Michigan State
  23. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium – Arkansas
  24. Albertsons Stadium – Boise State
  25. Davis Wade Stadium – Mississippi State

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Jaguars have talked to UF, UNF about relocating games for renovation

The Jaguars are, at the very least, preparing contingency plans in the case that they can’t use TIAA Bank Field during renovations.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have contacted the University of Florida and the University of North Florida to discuss the possibility of games being relocated from TIAA Bank Field during future stadium renovations, the schools each confirmed to the Florida Times-Union.

On Wednesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said in a radio interview that a two-year renovation of the Jaguars’ home stadium may happen during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, and that “the team will have to play somewhere else” during the project.

While the veracity of those claims by Curry have been called into question — especially when the Jaguars don’t even have a renovation proposal yet — the Times-Union’s report shows that the team is, at the very least, preparing contingency plans.

“The University of North Florida has had initial contact from the Jaguars, and we understand the team is exploring many options. No decisions from any side have been made, and we look forward to future discussions,” a UNF spokesperson told the Times-Union in a statement.

Similarly, Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said that the Jaguars “expressed interest in having future conversations about where they would play games during the renovation.”

UNF does not have a football team, but the school’s soccer teams and track and field teams play at Hodges Stadium, a 9,400-seat facility in Jacksonville.

The Gators’ Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is significantly larger with a capacity of 88,548. However, “The Swamp” in Gainesville, Fla. is a more than 70-mile drive from TIAA Bank Field.

On Thursday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office told Spectrum News 13 that the city’s venues staff hasn’t had any conversations with the Jaguars about the possibility of using Camping World Stadium.

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11 most intimidating 2023 college football environments include these Gator games

Take a look at where the Gators landed on 247Sports’ projection of the 11 most intimidating 2023 environments.

Home-field advantage is a crucial aspect of every sports team’s probability of success thanks in large part to the moral support the local fanbase offers – especially in environments that are more inhospitable than others. College football provides a prime example of how the raucous crowd can swing the momentum in a game regardless of what the prognosticators might have predicted for that day’s matchup.

One of the most formidable collegiate gridiron venues in the nation is nestled in the middle of the University of Florida’s campus, officially named Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but more commonly known as the Swamp. The sunken walls of this fabled field have seen many formidable opponents enter only to crawl away in bitter defeat at the hands of the Florida Gators.

However, Gainesville’s famous gridiron grassland is not the only place where foes go to die. In fact, the Southeastern Conference features several of such venues where the infamous “12th man” looms over the visitors. With that in mind, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford recently put together his projection of college football’s 11 most intimidating environments for the upcoming 2023 campaign. Take a look below at where the Gators landed on the list, which is ranked in order of difficulty.

Brian Kelly isn’t worried about the Swamp’s hostile environment this weekend

Kelly said the team will be ready for the crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Two weeks ago, LSU traveled to its first true road game of the year when it made a trip down to the plains to play Auburn. LSU came out on the good side of that gam with a win.

The Tigers are going to have to play a lot better, though, if they want to beat Anthony Richardson and the Florida Gators in the Swamp. At the beginning of the season, Florida looked like it could be a potential SEC Championship contender as they defeated Utah at home.

Since then, things have cooled off in Gainesville, and the Gators nearly lost to Missouri last week. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked during his time with the media what he thought about playing in the Swamp.

“I think crowd noise has been OK for us,” Kelly said. “We seem to be a little bit more focused and locked in when we get that. You hate to talk in terms of when you turn the music on and you get real loud, the guys pay attention more.

“But the fact of the matter is they did a nice job in their preparation for Auburn and they’re going to have to do that here for Florida because you’re right, it’s a crazy environment and they’re going to have to be locked in this week.”

Saturday’s game against the Gators is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CT.

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Preview and Prediction for Alabama-Florida

Preview and Prediction for Alabama-Florida

No. 1 Alabama is set to travel to Gainseville, FL this Saturday to take on the Florida Gators. It’s no secret that the Swamp is one of the toughest environments in all of college football and the Gators look to use that to their advantage as they try to take down the Tide.

This is without question the toughest opponent that Alabama will have faced in the young season, but are still a 14.5 favorite over the Gators according to tipico.

Florida Preview:

Offensively, the Gators offer a perplexing quarterback situation. Emory Jones has been the starter for the first two games, but backup Anthony Richardson has stolen the spotlight. Jones has been a little inconsistent and that has created the opportunity for Richardson to step in and make plays for the Gator offense. Through two games Richardson has 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another 275 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Alabama will need to be stout against the run this Saturday as Florida has been one of the top rushing attacks in the country to start the season. Through the first two games, as a team, the Gators have run for 763 yards while averaging 8.5 yards per rush.

Defensively, the Gators are still suspect. While they have some talented members along the front seven, the secondary remains a big question mark for Todd Grantham and the Gator defense.

Alabama Preview:

We have seen what Bryce Young can do at home and in a neutral site setting, but now comes a massive test on the road in the Swamp. The Alabama offensive line will need to be solid, and presnap penalties need to remain at a minimum. If the offense doesn’t have any self-inflicted mistakes, they should be able to make some positive plays against a mediocre Gator defense.

Like I said earlier, the Alabama defense will need to make a concentrated effort to stop the rushing attack of the Gators. Limiting big plays from Anthony Richardson will also be critical for the Tide defense. If the Alabama defense performs the way they have through the first couple of games, the Tide should roll in Gainseville.

Overall Thoughts & Score Prediction:

Alabama is coming off what you could call a let-down performance this past weekend against Mercer. After dominating Miami in week one, the Tide came out a little flat against the Bears. Both the players and the coaches have mentioned this week that they were not happy with the product that was put on the field last Saturday. Let’s see if that helps motivate the team to look more polished against the Gators.

Score Prediction: Alabama 38 Florida 20

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Where does The Swamp rank among the top-10 college football venues for fan atmosphere?

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium aka The Swamp stands tall among its college football peers when it comes to providing the ultimate fan experience.

Ask any Florida Gators fan where the best place in the world to watch a college football game and 11 times out of 10 they will tell you, “The Swamp.” And in complete fairness, they 100 percent correct.

Homerisms aside, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has been among the elite venues for collegiate gridiron action since Steve Spurrier first bestowed the endearing title to the home of the Fighting Gators, and that tradition continues to this day. While not everyone will agree that Florida Field — which now also bears the name of the Head Ball Coach — is the greatest location in the nation, there is a general consensus among the sports media that it is a top-tier locale.

Riley Gates over at 247Sports took a stab at ranking the top 10 college football venues in terms of fan atmosphere, and unsurprisingly, The Swamp not only cracked the list but appeared among the top five. In fact, it landed right at No. 5 according to Gates, and here is his explanation why.

UF President Fuchs ‘fully and firmly committed to following CDC guidelines’ for football

After comments post-game by coach Dan Mullen asking for a full house in The Swamp vs LSU, the university’s president answered back.

Ostensibly in response to Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen’s comments after the road loss to the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, university president Kent Fuchs took to Twitter to set the record straight regarding any crowds allowed on campus, including Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a.k.a. The Swamp.

His cumulative tweets offered the following with links to sources.

“UF remains fully and firmly committed to following CDC guidelines for every part of our campus from classrooms to athletic venues as well as the guidance of our own experts at @UFHealth and local and state health officials.

This includes physical distancing by ensuring 6 feet between yourself and others and wearing a mask or cloth face covering. Although adherence to the guidelines restricts our behavior and limits the occupancy of our facilities…

these preventative measures remain the most effective ways to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is important that all members of the UF community and our campus visitors follow this guidance.”

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Florida State-Florida odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Florida State at Florida college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Florida State Seminoles (6-5) will take on the Florida Gators (9-2) this weekend in an ACC-SEC clash at The Swamp in Gainesville. Kickoff from Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

We analyze the Florida State-Florida odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Florida State at Florida: Three things you need to know

1. Florida State’s leading rusher, Cam Akers, is expected to return on Saturday after missing last week’s game against Alabama State with an unspecified injury. He has 1,042 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

2. Florida has won back-to-back games in dominant fashion after losing two of its previous three games. The Gators beat Missouri 23-6 two weeks ago after blowing out Vanderbilt 56-0 the week before.

3. Florida has won six games at home this season while Florida State’s win at Boston College ended a six-game road losing streak dating back to last season.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Florida State at Florida: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Florida 30, Florida State 17

Moneyline (ML)

Florida is the heavy favorite in this matchup with the game on home turf. As a result, the -1000 moneyline on the Gators is steep and not worth betting — even though Florida should come away victorious.

The Gators are just 3-7 against the Seminoles in their last 10 meetings and 1-5 in the last six.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Florida to win would return a profit of $1.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Gators enter as 17.5-point favorites, which isn’t surprising given how much better they’ve been this season. Florida State has limped through a disappointing campaign, but the Seminoles have scored 87 points in their last two games, so if they can score enough, it’ll be tough for Florida to cover the spread.

Not to mention, Florida State is 6-3 ATS in its last nine games against the Gators. Bet the SEMINOLES (+17.5, -106) to cover the spread.

Over/Under (O/U)

The O/U is 53.5 in this matchup and both teams come in hot offensively. The Gators defense has been dominant this season, and in the last 19 games between these two teams, the total has gone under 14 times.

Bet the UNDER 53.5 (-106) on Saturday because it’ll be tough for Florida State to get much going offensively.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @camdasilva and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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