Whether its screaming expletives at officials or booing four second-quarter turnovers, the University of Tennessee student body has been almost as emotional as the UT-Florida series itself.
Students across campus say the game has as much of an effect on student life as it does on the Vols’ season.
“It just sets the tone for the season and its disappointing when you lose early like they (the Vols) have so many times,” Matt Rose, a senior in electrical engineering said. “You can just tell it affects everyone.”
Like last season, that effect can be sometimes negative, according to junior Alexis Bernacchi.
“The Florida game last year was the first time I have ever heard a school boo their own team,” Bernacchi said. “I was just astounded. Since it’s a school like Florida, that negativity shines through more than other games like Duke or Fresno State or whoever.
“The student emotional effect was just shocking.”
Disappointment isn’t the only emotion Vol fans have taken from the series, though.
To celebrate UT’s memorable 2001 win against the heavily favored Gators, fervent students went crazy and were intent on tearing down the goal posts at Neyland Stadium.
The idea might have worked if the game hadn’t been in Gainesville.
“Chants about bringing down the goal posts started up in Presidential Court,” Christian Dickson, a senior in psychology said. “So hundreds of us started running for the stadium, but the cops had already circled it off.
“Tearing down the posts represented us going to the national championship – it didn’t work out – but that’s how important it is to us (the students).”
Rose was also in Knoxville the night Tennessee won in the Swamp.
He said it’s hard to find the campus as emotional as it is during and right after Florida week.
“It was crazy,” Rose said. “People were burning Florida flags, everybody was like, ‘We’re going to the Rose Bowl!’
“You can’t find that after other games.”
The trip to Pasadena didn’t work out, but the results of the rivalry have spurred both teams to national success in most years.
The exception was last year, when the two teams combined to lose 10 games.
Nevertheless, according to UT senior Laura McKinney, an Orlando native, the Florida series is still always important for both sides.
“You go down there and see how they look at (the game) and how they talk about it and you know it’s still a big deal,” McKinney said. “It doesn’t matter what’s happened against Georgia, they’re still big SEC rivals and it gonna take a lot to change that.”
Some have said the rivalry toned down after the object of most Vol fans aggression, Steve Spurrier, left Florida to coach the Washington Redskins.
But the game hasn’t lost it’s luster in the eyes of the student body, according to senior Rachel Weeks.
“He was so fun to watch,” Weeks said. ” Throwing his hat and everything. We all loved making fun of him.
“But the emotion and love for each team is still there, so I didn’t think its changed that much.”
