Florida Challenging Fans to Bring Noise Saturday
It is no secret that Florida’s matchup with No. 9 Texas is important. The Gators enter Saturday on a three-game losing streak and are welcoming the Longhorns back to The Swamp for the first time since 1940.
But with its back against the wall, Florida (1-3, 0-1 SEC) is relying on its home-field crowd to be the difference. Gators coach Billy Napier understands the stakes and pleaded with fans attending the game.
“We need BHG (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), Steve Spurrier Field and The Swamp to be special this Saturday. We need to get in there early and we make this what it’s always been around here — one of the epic game day atmospheres and environments,” Napier said. “I know our fans are excited about this one. This one should be a fun day at the park. We need their help.”
Florida is no stranger to big games, as this will be the eighth time under Napier that it will face a ranked opponent, and it’s 4-3 in those games. Ironically, the most recent win came last season against Ole Miss, which was also ranked No. 9 at the time.
Like many teams that have failed to escape The Swamp, those ranked foes brought in talented quarterbacks but watched them struggle under the pressure of 90,000 fans rooting against them. Often, opposing teams can’t communicate with the crowd noise drowning out their calls.
“I can see how it affects other teams and other quarterbacks in communication, so it’s a game-changer,” linebacker Myles Graham said. “Our Gator Nation is a game-changer in itself. It gives us the upper hand. We’ve just got to go take care of business.”
Graham believes having that so-called “12th man” advantage can be critical when it comes to forcing negative plays. The noise can be so deafening that Florida’s defense also has a difficult time with on-field communication. Yelling works most of the time, but sometimes the defense must rely on hand signals.
“When Gator Nation – and it’s third down, third and long and they’re roaring, I can’t even hear my linebacker next to me. I can’t hear J-Rob (Jaden Robinson) or Aaron [Chiles] or Pup [Howard] of those guys,” Graham said. “Gator Nation brings it every single time. They sell out every single time, so we appreciate them.”
Texas starting quarterback Arch Manning will be the next signal caller trying to overcome this hostile environment. Manning is making just his second career road start, with his other coming in Week 1 against Ohio State, where he was 17-of-30 for 170 yards, and threw one touchdown and one interception. While Ohio Stadium is one of the largest stadiums in the country, it is arguably still not as challenging a place to play as The Swamp.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian understands that challenge as his team prepares to open conference play on the road at one of the more difficult places to play in the country.
“[It’s] a very difficult place to play,” Sarkisian said. “A place that has been known around the country as one of the more difficult places to play.”
Getting off to a fast start is critical for Florida. A big reason why Florida has struggled this season is the slow starts. In two of the three losses, the Gators have trailed at halftime.
The Gators want to be the aggressors and take the fight to Texas (3-1, 0-0). Napier made it a point of emphasis during the team meeting this week, even joking when a reporter asked about the importance of getting off to a fast start: “You were in my team meeting yesterday.”
Not only did he talk about the team getting off to a hot start, but he called out the fanbase, doubling down on arriving early to the stadium and making an impact from the opening kickoff.
“Certainly at home, the energy that comes from starting fast,” Napier said. “This is a 3:30 kick. So this is one of those where we need people to kind of wrap the tailgate up and get in there early. Let’s get in there and be prime when that first kick is teed up. It’s going to be critical.”
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football
