Florida Game

[Lawrence Wright]

That's incorrect. UT has NEVER been Spurrier's first choice. He and I graduated high school in 1963 and it was well known, throughout the state, that he was not going to any university, anywhere, that ran a single-wing offense. A plethora of newspaper articles were written about this.... well-known fact.

opcorn:

 

[Vol737]

University of Oregon will give us a run for the money on any big game.

And their cheerleaders whip most others hands down. And I thought the USC cheerleaders in their tight sweaters were something!

 

[Coach_Z]

Easy, Z. 99 has been welcomed on this board for a long time now and will be continued. Very good knowledge of the game and understands the rivalry. 99 and LawGator both good hardcore rival fans that know from whence they speak.... and have earned much respect here.

I know........
They're not bad. I mean no harm.
I just....I just hate Florida so much.

 

[RyNeyland89]

University of Oregon will give us a run for the money on any big game.

Just wait until this season and you will understand how loud Neyland truly is in primetime. Last years OU game was so loud that I plugged my ears because it was so damn painful.
I'm making a speech to my section before the Florida game. I need to make sure the fans know how crucial this is for the program.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Just wait until this season and you will understand how loud Neyland truly is in primetime. Last years OU game was so loud that I plugged my ears because it was so damn painful.
I'm making a speech to my section before the Florida game. I need to make sure the fans know how crucial this is for the program.

Based on my travels, Death Valley and Jordan-Hare are louder than Neyland.

I was in Neyland in '98 and '04 for both UF losses. Yes, it was loud when we missed our kick and Wilhoit made his, but it wasn't consistently loud, especially with over 100K in attendance.

I was in Death Valley in '97 when LSU ended our 25-game SEC win streak and '07 when Les Miles converted a half dozen 4th downs.

I was also at Jordan-Hare in '01 when we were #1 and AU upset us, then again in '06 when AU handed us our only loss of the season.

Big game in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night is the standard...it's consistently ridiculously loud for 60 minutes. Their fans are relentless.

The Swamp is no slouch either...turn up the volume on this.
https://youtu.be/fpKy73Rojr8

 

[Neyland Law Vol]

Based on my travels, Death Valley and Jordan-Hare are louder than Neyland.

I was in Neyland in '98 and '04 for both UF losses. Yes, it was loud when we missed our kick and Wilhoit made his, but it wasn't consistently loud, especially with over 100K in attendance.

I was in Death Valley in '97 when LSU ended our 25-game SEC win streak and '07 when Les Miles converted a half dozen 4th downs.

I was also at Jordan-Hare in '01 when we were #1 and AU upset us, then again in '06 when AU handed us our only loss of the season.

Big game in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night is the standard...it's consistently ridiculously loud for 60 minutes. Their fans are relentless.

The Swamp is no slouch either...turn up the volume on this.
https://youtu.be/fpKy73Rojr8

With that record and history in visiting UF's away games will you please come to Neyland on September 24, 2016?

 

[Lawrence Wright]

With that record and history in visiting UF's away games will you please come to Neyland on September 24, 2016?

I was also at Neyland in 94, 96, 00, 02, 06, 08 and 10.

 

[Nationdom]

Based on my travels, Death Valley and Jordan-Hare are louder than Neyland.

I was in Neyland in '98 and '04 for both UF losses. Yes, it was loud when we missed our kick and Wilhoit made his, but it wasn't consistently loud, especially with over 100K in attendance.

I was in Death Valley in '97 when LSU ended our 25-game SEC win streak and '07 when Les Miles converted a half dozen 4th downs.

I was also at Jordan-Hare in '01 when we were #1 and AU upset us, then again in '06 when AU handed us our only loss of the season.

Big game in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night is the standard...it's consistently ridiculously loud for 60 minutes. Their fans are relentless.

The Swamp is no slouch either...turn up the volume on this.
https://youtu.be/fpKy73Rojr8

Does it make you mad that Tennessee is better than Florida in literally every category besides Hiesman winners? Tennessee has more tradition, more wins, more bowl wins, more all Americans, more conference titles, more nattys, more nfl players and more wins. And we did it all with no talent base. Plus we have Neyland, that speaks for itself. Lol at Jordan-Hare and Autzen. It's Tennessee and Alabama and then everyone else in the SEC bud.

 

[ajvol01]

UT didn't run back an opening kickoff in the 2006 Cal game.


Cal received the opening kickoff and a UT special player just tackled the Cal returner (Marshawn Lynch) around their 30...nothing too special.

Edit: Andre Mathis on the play actually knocked one Cal player (starting TE) out of the game.

Really fired up the team.

 

[Iam4utalways]

And you're getting this from where?


Leap colossally Volunteers.

Spurier has said in past interviews that Tn was running an offense that didn't fit him so he went to Florida instead(I'm not even sure UT wanted him). At the O&W game he talked about growing up going to games at Neyland as a fan of the program.

Now is the time to join the party. 2016 is a special year.

Jump higher Vols.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Does it make you mad that Tennessee is better than Florida in literally every category besides Hiesman winners? Tennessee has more tradition, more wins, more bowl wins, more all Americans, more conference titles, more nattys, more nfl players and more wins. And we did it all with no talent base. Plus we have Neyland, that speaks for itself. Lol at Jordan-Hare and Autzen. It's Tennessee and Alabama and then everyone else in the SEC bud.

Actually, it's Alabama and everyone else in the SEC. Please don't get that twisted.

And last I checked, UF leads the all-time series over UT.

I have no issue conceding UF's place historically with Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn or Georgia. I also wouldn't trade the last quarter century for any of those schools...guess I have to play the hand I'm dealt.

And spare me the "no talent base" nonsense, as if the state of Florida was the SEC's most populous state for the past 80+ years. Try the last 30-35 years, and it's no coincidence UF's had UT's number during that stretch...and the demographics aren't changing anytime soon.

Neyland is an awesome venue for college football, it's my favorite road trip in the SEC. But it's nowhere close to being the loudest venue in the SEC. LSU wins, hands down.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Spurier has said in past interviews that Tn was running an offense that didn't fit him so he went to Florida instead(I'm not even sure UT wanted him). At the O&W game he talked about growing up going to games at Neyland as a fan of the program.

Now is the time to join the party. 2016 is a special year.

Jump higher Vols.

So you admit your original claim that "UF was always Spurrier's second choice after UT" was garbage.

Sweet.

 

[TrueOrange]

Andre Mathis on the tackle - actually knocked the Cal return man unconscious if I recall correctly.

Really fired up the team.

Not right.

I just watched a recording of it on YouTube this afternoon. The return man on the kickoff was Marshawn Lynch and he just gets tackled regularly on the kickoff return.

You can watch the opening kickoff at 3:30 in the video below.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHXwbmPMsw[/youtube]

As someone pointed out, a Cal blocker got lit up by one of our special teams players, the crowd noticed and some got excited. (Fun fact, it was their starting TE Craig Stevens. He's in his 9th year playing in the NFL.) He also is seen in the video moving his leg and arm and talking to their staff the entire time he's lying on the field, so safe to say he wasn't knocked unconscious.

But that video above and Lynch's 12 carries on the day seem to suggest the guy returning the opening kickoff wasn't knocked unconscious.

 

[Iam4utalways]

So you admit your original claim that UT was "always Spurrier's first choice" was garbage.

Sweet.

Not at all. He was a fan of the program and was not wanted by UT so he went to Florida. And has been bitter about it all, until he got the Neyland award at the O&W game. He showed respect to the award and the program.

Do your research and then you will understand that what I'm telling you is what happened. He wanted to play football at UT, he didn't get an offer and went to a Florida school his birth state.

Jump higher Vols.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Not at all. He was a fan of the program and was not wanted by UT so he went to Florida. And has been bitter about it all, until he got the Neyland award at the O&W game. He showed respect to the award and the program.

Do your research and then you will understand that what I'm telling you is what happened. He wanted to play football at UT, he didn't get an offer and went to a Florida school his birth state.

Jump higher Vols.

You're doubling down on stupid now.

 

[Iam4utalways]

You're doubling down on stupid now.

I feel you are uninformed concerning this matter.

Spurier born in Florida, raised in Tn, going to UT games, wanting to play for UT, he did not fit UT's system and I don't think he even got an offer from UT, so his 2nd choice was to play for Florida.

He did show respect for the award and the program at this years O&W game, but until then has acted bitter towards UT.

Jump higher Vols.

 

[Iam4utalways]

That's incorrect. UT has NEVER been Spurrier's first choice. He and I graduated high school in 1963 and it was well known, throughout the state, that he was not going to any university, anywhere, that ran a single-wing offense. A plethora of newspaper articles were written about this.... well-known fact.

Exactly. Well know fact that had it not been for the system(single-wing), he would have gone to UT, but went with his 2nd choice of Florida.

Thank you for the help.

Jump higher Vols.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

So you admit your original claim that "UF was always Spurrier's second choice after UT" was garbage.

Sweet.

Spurrier grew up a Tennessee fan and wanted to play at Tennessee. The problem was, he was a quarterback and Tennessee was running the single wing which had become an antiquated offense. He simply did not fit the Tennessee offense. Who knows what might have happened if he had been a quarterback at Tennessee. I am positive that Florida's football recent past would have been much different and that Tennessee would have many more SEC championships and another NCAA championship, maybe two or three.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Neyland is an awesome venue for college football, it's my favorite road trip in the SEC. But it's nowhere close to being the loudest venue in the SEC. LSU wins, hands down.

I would agree. If you take out any one game against a heated rival and just consider how difficult the hostile environment makes it for every single opponent, it Tiger Stadium/Death Valley.

 

[gordonr24]

Death Valley on a Saturday night is the gold standard in college football for consistent noise. Neyland gets loud at times, but it's not consistently loud for 4 quarters every game like Death Valley. Props to the Cajuns.

 

[08Vol]

Neyland gets loud AFTER big plays. It needs to be loud before they happen. A lot of our fans sit on their hands during the game and only get loud before 3rd down once the team had lined up. We need to make it hard for them to hear plays on every down and even on the sideline. And lord have mercy if the other team completes a big offensive play, about as loud as a mausoleum in there. If UF scores first, goes up by a score, or scores at all it will get quiet in there.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Spurrier grew up a Tennessee fan and wanted to play at Tennessee. The problem was, he was a quarterback and Tennessee was running the single wing which had become an antiquated offense. He simply did not fit the Tennessee offense. Who knows what might have happened if he had been a quarterback at Tennessee. I am positive that Florida's football recent past would have been much different and that Tennessee would have many more SEC championships and another NCAA championship, maybe two or three.

This is the most accurate characterization of the context within which Spurrier made his decision to attend Florida. Corroboration straight from the proverbial "horse's mouth" can be seen in this interview excerpt:


Having attended high school in Johnson City, Tenn., did the fact that Tennessee was still running the single-wing offense keep you from seriously considering the Vols?

SS: "I think that’s where I probably would have gone in a heartbeat if they had been running a different offense. I grew up a Tennessee fan, but Bowden Wyatt was in his last year and they didn’t fire him until after I decided to go to Florida. They were still running the single-wing under the interim coach [Jim McDonald] before Doug Dickey came that next year. So if Dickey had come a year earlier, I might have been a Vol." South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier has still got it - SEC Blog- ESPN

 

[KBVol]

Death Valley on a Saturday night is the gold standard in college football for consistent noise. Neyland gets loud at times, but it's not consistently loud for 4 quarters every game like Death Valley. Props to the Cajuns.

This, unfortunately, is the truth. Neyland can be an incredibly loud, damn near deafening place when all is going well or at key points of an important game and everybody is fired up and into it. However, I've also experienced it to be the quietest collective 100,000+ people imaginable when things are going poorly. I've neither been to Ben Hill Griffin stadium in Gainesville nor Death Valley in Baton Rouge so I can't make a personal comparison.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Neyland gets loud AFTER big plays. It needs to be loud before they happen. A lot of our fans sit on their hands during the game and only get loud before 3rd down once the team had lined up. We need to make it hard for them to hear plays on every down and even on the sideline. And lord have mercy if the other team completes a big offensive play, about as loud as a mausoleum in there. If UF scores first, goes up by a score, or scores at all it will get quiet in there.

This, unfortunately, is the truth. Neyland can be an incredibly loud, damn near deafening place when all is going well or at key points of an important game and everybody is fired up and into it. However, I've also experienced it to be the quietest collective 100,000+ people imaginable when things are going poorly. I've neither been to Ben Hill Griffin stadium in Gainesville nor Death Valley in Baton Rouge so I can't make a personal comparison.

Based on my nine trips to Neyland, these two posts are spot on.

At Death Valley, and to a lesser extent The Swamp, the team feeds off the crowd noise, and the noise is consistent on every down.

At Neyland the crowd feeds off the team.

I will say The Swamp isn't as loud as it used to be, primarily because all the students don't show up on time, and a good number of them are chained to their smartphones instead of making noise.

 

[VolsRule]

Loudest visiting stadiums I've been to in the SEC

1. Auburn
2. Texas A&M
3. LSU
4. Alabama
5. Florida