Quest for A Million: Top Gator FB Atmospheres You've Been In

Gator by the Sea

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I've been lucky enough to have attended over 100 Gator games. Most have been in the Swamp, but I've also seen my share of games in Jacksonville, on the road, and bowl games. For great atmosphere, I would agree with many who have already posted about such games as '91 FSU, '93 Georgia, "95 Tennessee, '97 FSU, '06 USCe, '15 Tennessee, '18 LSU, and many others. But the OP asked for stories from places besides the stadium, so here goes:

In December of '96 I moved into an apartment in WPB and my apartment just happened to be near the front entrance. I parked my car outside my apartment, naturally, and it had a UF license plate and sticker, so anyone who paid attention would be able to figure out easily enough which apartment the Gator fan lived in. So every day...and I mean EVERY day, some obnoxious Nole fan (guess that's redundant) would drive into the complex, stop outside my apartment, roll down his window, and blare at top volume the chop music and do the chop out his window. This went on for days and days leading up to the Sugar Bowl, and every day I would sit there in my apartment and take it. I wouldn't retaliate, wouldn't shout anything back, I just sat there and took it. I did,however, take note of the type and color of car this assnole drove.

So game day comes and I watch the first half at a bar in town. As you all remember, the Gators played well in the first half, but the score was still pretty close and I was nervous about a second half Gator letdown/Nole comeback so I headed home to watch the second half in my apartment. Well, the second half was legendary, with Danny having a great night out of the shotgun, Ike's famous stop and pop play, and Terry Jackson putting the exclamation point on a huge Gator win. After I finished going nuts celebrating in my apartment, I went down to my car, drove around the complex until I found the nole's car, and I rolled down my windows....and I blared Queen's "We are the Champions" as loud as I could for several minutes, just savoring the victory and the fact that I got the last laugh.

Go Gators!
 

Windy City Gator

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YLGator

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My top 4 in order are 91 FSU, 86 Auburn, 95 Tennessee and 08 LSU. Those games always get plenty of mention in threads like this so I thought I'd bring up some other games that don't get mentioned all that much.

85 FSU - My first year in Gainesville, last game of the year at the Swamp. It was an absolutely perfect fall day, clear blue skies and Kerwin hit 3 or 4 long bombs to Ricky Natiel and Frankie Neal enroute to a 38-14 shellacking of the Noles. Simply a spectacular day.
89 New Mexico - Last year of the Hall/Darnell regime. Pretty dreadful year in general, but Emmitt ran for 300+ yards this day against New Mexico and we needed every one of those yards to win the game. Emmitt basically put the entire team on his back and won the game singlehandedly. Just a phenomenal individual effort by one of the all-time greats.
90 Auburn - Spurrier's coming out party. Complete beatdown of Pat Dye's undefeated top 5 Tigers. The Swamp came alive that night and continued to rock for the next decade +.
96 LSU - I still remember how cocky all the LSU fans were before this game. They had convinced themselves they were going to take us out. Was the biggest blowout I've ever seen. We jumped on them out of the gate and were up something like 42-6 at halftime. I can still see Danny throwing perfect fades into the endzone over and over again. It was men among boys out there.
 

jaywalker72

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89 New Mexico - Last year of the Hall/Darnell regime. Pretty dreadful year in general, but Emmitt ran for 300+ yards this day against New Mexico and we needed every one of those yards to win the game. Emmitt basically put the entire team on his back and won the game singlehandedly. Just a phenomenal individual effort by one of the all-time greats.
This was the game that Emmitt set the school record for rushing yardage. He was amazing, even for him.
 

MADGator

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In ‘97 I went on a romantic getaway weekend with my wife to Cedar Key. Saturday afternoon she could sense that something was bothering me so she asked what it was. I told her the Gator HalfAssU game had just started. Her response was, Well let’s go watch it!

We found a bar that was full of Gators and we all about tore that place down. One of the best times in a bar ever.
 

GatorTruth133

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'95 and '99 UT

How in the hell I didn't include at least '99 is beyond me. '95 was great, one of my favorites, but the atmosphere is not something I really remember, but I know it was good watching the replay several times in the last year.

'91 fsu was the first gator game I ever attended. That was a great introduction for me to the Swamp. '01 UT even though we lost it was still crazy. The ole miss game with Grier playing his last game in a gator uniform was nuts. Almost felt like the Swamp was back that night.

Grier's last game in the Swamp*, played at Mizzou the next week.



Also, the Kerwin game was before my time, but my older brother lists it as his favorite whenever we talk about the Gators. He also talks about how long it took Kerwin to get to the endzone. Said it seemed like forever.
 

GatorJB

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I don't have the opportunity to attend many games but 2015 against Ole Miss was the greatest atmosphere. And then 2008 at UT was also great, mainly because it was fun watching their obnoxious fans exiting in droves in the second half.
 

78

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I moved down from Chicago to go to school at UF. The intensity and enthusiasm for football were off the chart. Attending UF games as a student was unlike anything I'd ever seen or done. It's still unique almost in a sacred way.
 

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