10:04 pm | July 9, 2019 | Go to Source | Author: Robbie Andreu
It was June of 1992 when Steve Spurrier, fresh off Florida’s first official SEC title, called The Sun columnist Mike Bianchi with a new name for the stadium that would eventually bear his name.
The Swamp.
In the years that followed, there have been some unbelievable games and players. Sun writers Pat Dooley and Robbie Andreu came up with their rankings of the 25 best moments since 1992 when Spurrier gave it that moniker.
No. 6 — Sept. 26, 2015
Vanquishing the Vols
The set-up: Tennessee came to The Swamp for this late September showdown determined to end the Gators’ 10-game winning streak in the rivalry, and late in the third quarter, it looked almost like a sure thing. UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs was killing the UF defense with his arm and his legs, and the UF offense was sputtering against a fast and aggressive UT defense for most of the first three quarters. As a result, with less than five minutes remaining in the game, the Gators found themselves down 13 points, 27-14. But, with a great sense of urgency, quarterback Will Grier and the UF offense finally started making things happen, even though it was far from easy. The Gators cut the deficit to 27-21 with 4:09 remaining with a 5-yard TD pass from Grier to Brandon Powell. The play culminated an 86-yard drive that featured two clutch fourth-down conversions by Grier. The UF defense then forced the Vols to punt, giving the Gators one last chance to pull out the win.
The moment: UF’s final drive did not start well. After a screen pass lost yardage, Grier had back-to-back incompletions. Suddenly, the Gators were facing a must conversion on fourth-and-13 from their own 37-yard line against a hard-charging UT defensive front. Grier dropped back to pass in a clean pocket and found wide receiver Antonio Callaway, who had found an opening in the middle of the UT secondary. Callaway made the catch past the first-down marker, spun away from two defenders, received a great block from Powell and streaked down the sideline for the 63-yard TD that put the Gators up 28-27 with 1:26 to play.
The result: The Swamp erupted with the stunning score. But the game wasn’t over. The Vols had a chance to win the game on the final play, but Aaron Medley’s 55-yard field goal attempt missed wide right by just inches, sending the Gators to their 11th consecutive victory over the Vols.
The quote: “What I still remember most about Grier’s fourth-and-13 pass to Callaway and what happened next is the look on the faces of Tennessee fans after Callaway found the end zone and insanity ensued. The Gators were about to beat the Vols for the 11th consecutive time and those Vols fans who made the trip to The Swamp looked ready to vomit. Down 13 points with less than five minutes remaining, the Gators created the kind of magic the home fans craved following a pair of very difficult seasons. Little did we know at the time another rough patch was ahead, but if you were in The Swamp that day Grier found Callaway, you’ll never forget it.” — Scott Carter, Floridagators.com
Editor’s note: You have one Swamp game moment that comes to mind? Tell us what it is. Maybe it’s already on our Top 25 list. We’ll update readers on top moments from fans as the countdown proceeds.
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