The Road Game Journal feature will detail our excursions to various Miami Hurricanes road games over the years. Hide the children, because when you wear orange and green to an opposing team’s stadium, well, they tend to not take to it kindly. The below article details our trip the see the Canes take on the Florida Gators in September of 2002.
Miami 41, Florida 16 (2002, Gainesville): Having not played the Gators in the regular season since 1987, I was excited to make the trip to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Canes were loaded, ranked #1 and defending national champs. Florida – led by Sexy Rexy Grossman – was actually favored in this game by 1 or 2. My buddy Khalil and I made sure to arrive early to see what all the fuss about Florida fans was about. I had heard that they were among the worst. And, um, let me say that of all the schools I’ve been to…and that’s 20+…none were as obnoxious as Florida fans.
We met up with a couple friends at the local Hops restaurant (mmmm, glazed croissants) where the hostess took one look and my Canes shirt and said, “Oh. We don’t like your kind here.” Your kind? What am I, a minority in the 1950s? I was beginning to see that the town of Gainesville was kind of like traveling back to the ‘50s. Lots of mullets and mustaches. And that was just the women. So the hostess sat us down in the back, right next to the kitchen. I’m not as strong willed as Rosa Parks, so I just sat there and took it. Plus, I didn’t want them spitting in my food (or should I say spitting more into my food).
As we made the post meal walk to the stadium, I prepared myself for the usual verbal barrage when wearing orange and green at a visiting stadium. “F**k Miami!!” “F**k the Hurricanes!!” Really? That’s the best you can come up with? What was surprising, however, were the F bombs launched by little 18 yr old girls. What happened to southern hospitality? These teenage girls were using language that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush. This sweet looking 78 yr old lady with a Gators visor told me to go f**k myself with a baseball bat. Well, that part didn’t really happen, but it really was a constant barrage. I have thick skin and don’t mind it…as long as those toothless hillbillies didn’t get their tobacco spit on me while doing so.
We made our way into the stadium and I must say, it is one of – if not the – loudest stadiums I’ve been to. Those rednecks sure do know how to holla. You get enough Natty Light in Grandma’s belly and she’ll scream as loud as anyone. As for the game…it was beautiful. Willis McGahee went off for 204 yards rushing. Ken Dorsey threw 4 TDs. Miami rolled 41-16. My most 
vivid memory is the TD Dorsey threw to Andre Johnson in the 2nd quarter. My seats were about five rows from the field in the very same corner that Andre caught his touchdown. Dorsey released the ball before Johnson even broke. There was virtual silence as the ball sailed in the air. When Andre leapt up, I distinctly heard the ball hit his hands as he secured the touchdown. I almost had an accident in my pants, I was so overjoyed. Florida played them close early, but talent took over and Miami never looked back. I remember Vince Wilfork getting an unsportsmanlike conduct late in the 4th quarter after he mocked the Gator chomp after a sack. And I remember Jerome McDougle mockingly shielding Dorsey from photographers as they walked back into the tunnel after the game. Ahhh. What an enjoyable win. It was nice to give payback to those inbred hillbillies after dodging us for all those years.
