“The Swamp is a magical place”: Tailgating fans split on whether Gators can upset Tennessee

For the first time in two decades, the odds have flipped in Gainesville.

The last time Tennessee beat Florida at The Swamp was in 2003, but this year, No. 9 UT enters as favorites against the unranked Gators and are feeling confident that Saturday is the night that streak will fade into the humid, North-Central Florida night.

With that in mind, we spoke to Florida and Tennessee fans before the game to see what their thoughts are.

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Brad Dyruss, a Gator fan from Jacksonville Beach, has his doubts on the Gators tonight.

“We’re a young team with some coaching that is still relatively new,” Dyruss said. “I think they are still finding their way. I think if we have a chance, it will be because of the stadium and the crowd noise.”

He could envision an outcome similar to Florida’s win over top 10 Utah to start last year, but he sees a Volunteer 31-28 win.

“We have five to six freshmen playing on defense, and they’re all good, but these guys were playing high school ball a year ago,” he said. “I do also have some judgement on the play calling.”

A group of Gator fans tailgating at the University of Florida Commuter Lot before the Gators game with No. 11 Tennessee on September 16, 2023.

Overall, Dyruss is pleased the rivalry maintains meaning again this season, and that its intensity has been passed onto the younger Gator players.

“I’ve watched all the hype videos, and I think the coaches and everyone around the program has done a great job explaining what this rivalry means,” he said. “And of course, there were players who saw the loss last year in Knoxville.”

All Tennessee native Cindy Reynolds said she yearns to see is a good game. The Volunteer fan and current Winter Garden resident has never seen Florida and Tennessee play in-person. She does believe this is UT’s year to end the streak.

Her husband of 44 years, Rod, is a little more dubious. The Florida native and fan admits the Volunteers are the better team, but the ghost of Tom Petty, on his birthday, could reveal itself in the fourth quarter.

“Their QB (Joe Milton) has never seen an atmosphere like what he’ll see tonight,” Reynolds said.

He’s picking Florida in a close game, but he also speculates Florida could win by two touchdowns if QB Graham Mertz plays well and UF’s running backs shine like they did last week against McNeese.

Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) leaps over McNeese State Cowboys defensive back Boogsie Silvera (4) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

While Cindy hasn’t seen this matchup in her life, Saturday is a bit of a homecoming for Jason Geisler.

The Florida native and current Kansas City resident returned to Gainesville this weekend for the first time in six years.

“I look forward to being back in the stadium again,” Geisler said. “I was in Knoxville for the game last year, and it made me miss college football because living in Kansas, college basketball runs the show.”

Geisler noted that all signs point to a Volunteer win, but like Rod, he just has a feeling the Saturday night magic of the Swamp will come out.

“The Swamp is a magical place, and if the Gators can get the running game going, and Mertz can hit on the play action passes, I believe the Gators can win 27-20,” Geisler said.

Geisler hopes the Gators prevail, not just to prove the rivalry is still theirs, but also because its future remains uncertain after 2024 with Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference.

“I think this year and next year are probably two of the biggest games because you are talking about bragging rights for years to come,” Geisler said. “I don’t want to hear my Tennessee friends and family I have brag for a decade.”

Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren (87) is tackled by Florida safety Rashad Torrence II (22) during Tennessee’s football game against Florida in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.

Craig Darnell has heard enough about the “magic” of the Swamp. The Kingston, Tennessee, native predicts a 32-6 Volunteer win.

This is his first time at Florida Field. Last year, the Volunteer fan said he wanted to travel to a different away stadium each year, and Gainesville was at the top of that list.

Volunteer coach Josh Heupel has arguably been Tennessee’s best since Phillip Fulmer, and Darnell feels he’s got UT on the right track.

Darnell also isn’t worried about Milton on the road.

“Last week, he had a few dropped passes, but overall, I think he’s dialing them in a bit better than before, and he’s got a cannon,” he said. “It’s hard to keep up with that if he can put it on point.”

He named establishing the run and controlling the clock as keys for the Volunteers.

All in all, though, Darnell knows games like this can mystify people.

“It’s a rivalry game, so anything can happen,” he said. “I know Florida is down a little bit, but that don’t mean nothing in a rivalry game.”

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida, Tennessee fans split on whether Gators can beat Volunteers