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The 10 Stages of a Gator Football Game

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Tomorrow is gameday! I repeat…. Tomorrow is gameday! There’s absolutely nothing like a night game in The Swamp, and I think it’s the perfect setting for everyone to forget about… well, everything having to do with last year’s football season. If you’ve never experienced gamedays in Gainesville, I must warn you: They’re often more like roller coasters of emotion. As you practice your Gator Chomps, I give you the 10 stages of a Gator football game because, girl, you need to be prepare yo’self:

1. It’s game time. You walk into the Swamp all like…

and welcome the boys into the stadium with open arms.

2. The team charges down the field on the opening drive to score a touchdown.

But while you’re trying to celebrate, some random girl brings over the dude in the red shirt to tell you that you’re in the wrong seat.

3. Meanwhile, he says you’re in the correct seat and that she’s wrong. All the while our defense is on point when the visiting team has the ball. So you’re just like…

4. But then we miss (another) field goal in the second quarter…

5. While everyone is begging for Sturgis to come back, the 90-degree weather we all love to hate leaves you nearly dying of thirst.

So, you run down the stairs from your seat in row 89 to the concession stand to ask for a cup of ice.

6. While you’re gone the visiting team scored a touchdown.

But you’re relieved because it’s halftime, and you don’t know how much more you can take.

7. When the boys finally return to the field, it’s a new day.

8. But then comes a penalty against the Gators…

Muschamp looks like this:

But the ref is all…

Meanwhile you’re just freaking out…

And the ref is still like…

Because Muschamp still looks like this:

9. But then “We are the Boys of Old Florida” comes on, and everyone is happy again (even if it’s only for a minute). So, you sing at the top of your lungs.

10. Throughout the fourth quarter, it goes back-and-forth, but now there’s only 1:30 left. We’re down by a touchdown with 4 yards to go…

Now there are two possibilities. We either didn’t pull it off or we shoved that football down their throats.

If we lost…

It’s time to drink.

If we won…

It’s still time to drink.

 

Win or lose, it’s always great to be a Florida Gator!
Remember: In all kinds of weather…

*Her Campus does not condone underage drinking. 

Cara oversees Her Campus Media's community department and serves as strategic lead for the expansion, development and management of all HCM communities, including the Her Campus Chapter Network, InfluenceHer Collective, College Fashionista, Spoon University, Campus Trendsetters, alumni and high school. She works closely with company leadership to develop new community-related sales offerings and the Integrated Marketing team to support all community-focused client marketing programs from end to end. Cara has experience working with high-profile talent, such as Jessica Alba, Andrew Yang, Amber Tamblyn, Aja Naomi King, Troian Bellisario, Jessica Marie Garcia, Nico Tortorella, Nastia Liukin, Rebecca Minkoff, Cecile Richards and Samantha Power, as well as brands like Coca-Cola, L'Oréal Paris, The New York Times, HBO, Uber, H&M and more. Having been a part of the HC family since 2011, Cara served as Campus Correspondent of the HC chapter at the University of Florida where she studied journalism, women’s studies and leadership. A New Yorker turned Floridian, Cara has a Friends quote for any situation. You can usually find her with her friends and family at the beach, a concert or live sports event or binge-watching Grey's Anatomy or Sons of Anarchy. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @thecararose.