The Swamp Proving to Be Among Best Home Field Advantages

The crowd inside the Swamp was felt in Florida's win over Texas.

Over 90,000 fans were in the Swamp for Florida's upset over Texas. | Florida Gators on SI

The product on the field over the past four seasons under Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier has been anything but perfect. The Gators have lost games they should not have, and they have consistently made a mess of themselves each season. 

However, Florida’s Week 6 win over Texas on Saturday showed what everyone already knows, which is that, even in turmoil, The Swamp is one of the best home-field advantages in college football. 

“As players, we have pure gratitude, and Coach has pure gratitude for this fan base, staying loyal, showing up, making the Swamp one of the hardest places to play in,” Gators defensive back Devin Moore said after the win. “That had a big effect on the game.”

On top of Moore’s praise, the 90,714 fans inside the Swamp were also the first thought on Napier’s mind during his post-game press conference. 

“I'm going to tell you what, our fans showed up tonight, or today I should say,” Napier said. “They showed up and showed out. They were a huge factor in the game. We're thankful for that.”

It is easy to see why these two highlighted the crowd’s efforts in Saturday’s game. Gator fans did their best at making the Longhorns’ day a miserable and loud one in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, screaming from the bottom of their lungs and playing a part in generating several penalties against Texas. 

There were 10 penalties called against Texas in the contest. Five of them were false starts, and one was a delay of game. Moreover, on two separate possessions for the Longhorns, they had back-to-back penalties that cost them 10 yards on each drive. Both happened in the fourth quarter, too. 

It first happened during Texas’s first drive of the fourth. Longhorns offensive lineman Nick Brooks had back-to-back false starts that moved his team backwards 10 yards. These were two vital penalties, as Texas quarterback Arch Manning immediately threw an interception on the following play that cut what looked like a scoring drive short. 

Then, on their third possession of the quarter, the fans helped discombobulate the Longhorns’ offense again. 

On 3rd-and-17, Manning lost track of the play clock, leading to a delay of game penalty. Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo then gave the fans even more to cheer for after that by moving a little too early before the snap, which pushed the offense back an additional five yards. 

"I could not hear anybody when it was third down in the Swamp. So we had to use hand signals," linebacker Myles Graham said. "I didn't even hear my green dot. I didn't even hear the microphone in my helmet. So that's definitely an experience. But The Swamp, it was so loud, and it really helped us. It threw their communication off. I could see it. They were struggling to talk to each other, so it was great for us."

It was not just the players who could feel the crowd's effects. This energy from the crowd left a lasting impression on the traveling media, as well. 

Following the Gators' victory, On Texas Football's CJ Vogel stated that the Swamp's stadium atmosphere is the most impactful and loudest one he has ever attended. 

"I’ve gotta tip my cap to The Swamp. Far and away the loudest, most impactful stadium atmosphere I’ve attended," Vogel posted on X. "More than Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Michigan, Arkansas. The Swamp firmly at No. 1 for me after today."

There are three more home games left in the 2025 season for the Florida faithful to leave this kind of impression, with the next opportunity coming on Oct. 18 against Mississippi State.