As always, this is a standard conversation topic that comes up every offseason. To give you all something to debate about on this fine Tuesday, here’s a topic:
If it’s not Sanford, then what is the most hostile or challenging stadium for an opponent to play? Personally, I think there’s two elements at play in that question – hostile could be Bobby Dodd just because of how sh*tty the fan base is (ditto Tennessee), but a challenge? LSU is probably one of the few places I’ve been where I feel like the shift in a crowd can absolutely turn a game on its ear.
Have at it in the comments.
There’s no doubt it’s LSU, those people are nuts in that stadium.
That stadium has nothing to do with those peeps being nuts, crazy, different wave length….I, gaironntee….GO DAWGS!!
Loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. Couldn’t talk to the person beside me.
Ranking The 30 Best Tailgating Schools In College Football (msn.com)
I would agree with that. The Tiger Stadium crowd, especially for a night game, can be a game changer.
LSU at night is the answer. Auburn has voodoo, and South Carolina in September is hotter than the sun somehow. They’ll have games closer than they should be, but Saturday night in Death Valley is the gamechanger. The LSU crowd at an early kick is practically a nonfactor.
I’ve been to Auburn, bama, lsu, ut all more than once. The outcome of the games I’ve seen in those places were pretty consistent with the quality of the respective teams. You could have played them in an empty stadium and had similar outcomes. The only time I remember feeling like the crowd jumped on us, never let up and impacted the game throughout was:
10/6/12 in Columbia, SC.
They may have beaten us in an empty stadium, but not 35-7.
I was there, totally agree. Might have been the most miserable game I ever went to.
TripleB,
I agree. I also was there, and I don’t want to talk about it.
9/9/2000 in Columbia was a close second. Every Gamecock fan in the fairground was playing “Who Let the Dogs Out” full blast when we did our walk of shame through the tailgaters.
The real Death Valley @ night….Tuscaloosa a close 2nd.
Agreed. I saw firsthand in ’93’ when we had a chance to beat the Tide in Bryant Denney; the mammoth swell of noise and rage in that place was phenomenal. Big factor down the stretch. They knew, and they knew we knew, and they knew they knew we knew they were gonna win that game.
lol they knew we knew they knew
The loudest I have ever heard. Painful… Not sure it changed anything tho. Our “coaching” took care of that outcome. Not one to blame coaches for an entire half of football, but for that one I make an exception.
Losers that never won anything argue about “how scary” their little stadium is. Road games are never a picnic and thankfully Between the Hedges, the sound the enemy hears is our guys talking with their helmets and pads.
As bad as I hate to give them credit for anything or to validate them on any way, Aubren is a tough place to play.
I’ve been to UTk, and Auburn multiple times, LSU and Bama once each, all have included a night game. All in terms of fan involvement. They get to close to the same level of volume. LSU gets there quickest and most often, further the LSU game wasn’t ever in much doubt of going LSU’s way. The fans were there and ready to get loud for a late TD that was scored on them. Bama was the 2010 Iron Bowl so you know they were fired up. But, I’d put UT in 2nd when the fans believe it is going to be a good year.
I’ll say this about Sanford stadium, when Georgia fans want to bring it, we can bring it. Several times I’ve been in the stands when I could feel my eardrums were actually vibrating.
I agree with LSU but Williams Brice is under rated because the gamecocks aren’t any good right now. When the gamecocks are good and that techno music fires up it’s a sight to behold. I was there in 2012 and 2014 and both were great experiences (other than both being losses)
2012 was a night game and they flat kicked our ass from the first whistle and that stadium was rocking the whole time
2014 had a long weather delay. Seemed like we were behind by 2 scores the whole game but somehow Pruitt made a great defensive call and our DB intercepted a pass and returned it inside the 5 with 3-4 minutes to go. Then Mike Bobo had a brain fart and didn’t just hand it to the best player in the country four times, we missed a field goal, and they won the game on a very questionable measurement on a 4th down conversion that allowed them to run out the clock
stadium was swaying and deafening the whole time in both instances
That ‘12 game up there was when I decided it was most likely never going to happen under Mark Richt. They were pretty good that year so I could see going up there and losing but a bed shitting like that was just inexcusable. That ‘14 game should not have been a loss. They were nothing special and Sean’s long return should have been enough but we know what happened next and I’m not even a Bobo hater. I remember during that weather delay thinking somehow that would end up benefiting the Old Ball Sack. Stuff like that always seemed to go in his favor.
redstick
I know y’all are talking about college home stadiums, but to me the hardest place for other teams to play us – besides Dooley Field – are Mark Richt field and the Benz, both in Atlanta. Maybe because we own both when we play there.
We had best score deep, frequent and consecutively come October in Austin or we might find out what DKR is like as a stadium .
I hate Texas. Tuck Fexas . FTLHMF.
Sanford has become much more hostile as of late. I’m old enough to remember Sanford being more of a country club with the blue hairs screaming at fellow dawg fans for standing during games. Historically, LSU’s Death Valley at night has been the most intimidating by a mile. Billy Brice at night is Temu Death Valley.