Thunder and rain are common party crashers for college football fans, but the Florida Gators vs the Georgia Bulldogs experienced something scarier. It made fans at the EverBank Stadium wonder whether someone was playing a prank, even on the day after Halloween eve. Yes, that’s how the schemes turned scary during the Cocktail Party. Videos have been doing the rounds on the internet that have spread panic among college football fans. 

Dawg Nation analyst Jeff Sentell posted a clip on X. The caption read, “This smoke is rising outside the stadium. Looks ominous.” In the final moments of the game, the fourth quarter to be exact, smoke started encircling the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home ground. At the time, it got people anxious as the cause of the smoke was unclear. Later, it was reported that an ATV caught on fire, and that was the reason for the smoke. Luckily, there were no injuries. 

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is Florida’s first game since the Gators fired head coach Billy Napier. Already, things have been heating up in the Gainesville camp with the interim head coach, Billy Gonzales, making his debut. Additionally, this is the last time the two teams play in Jacksonville for the next two years due to stadium renovations at EverBank Field. 

The neutral-site setup has little to do with geography. Sure, Jacksonville sits just 74 miles from Florida’s campus and a 345-mile haul from Georgia’s, but the real reason is simple: money. The deal gives both schools $1.5 million apiece, plus an even split of ticket revenue. When smoke was spotted, all Florida and Georgia fans could pray for was to come out of the game safely. After all, EverBank Stadium does have some bad memories in the recent past. 

Back on June 20, this year, a fire broke out at the stadium. At about 10:30 a.m., smoke curled up from the stadium, caught live by a tower camera, as fire trucks sped into the parking lot. One construction worker said he was told to drop everything and get out while drilling on the east side, though he never saw the cause firsthand. The smoke scenes from the November 1 game must have triggered a memory among the Florida Gators fans from five years back. 

In September 2020, a video went viral showing smoke pouring out of Florida’s home ground, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Shortly after, it was reported that a fire came from a maintenance tractor. Since Florida was not playing on that Saturday, nobody was harmed. While we are yet to find out the cause behind this incident, how did the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party end?

The Florida Gators struck fast, but the Georgia Bulldogs struck back

This marked the 103rd meeting between Florida and Georgia. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs held a 56-44-2 lead in the series, walking into the Saturday game. This time at the beginning, things favored Florida as the Gators won the toss, giving the Bulldogs the ball first. And who would have thought that the Bulldogs would turn things their way? Florida tasted a 20-24 loss to Georgia. 

There have been some controversial calls, too. On third down, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway aired one out to Eugene Wilson III, but the pass was ruled incomplete. The replay showed Wilson might’ve gotten his wrists under it, yet officials decided it was too close to call. Safe to say, Florida fans won’t let this one go anytime soon, with things already in a sour mood in the Gainesville camp. 

Florida and Georgia were tied 10-10 at the half, but the Bulldogs ran nearly twice as many plays as the Gators. From the beginning, Smart did not take the Florida quarterback lightly. During the pre-game presser, he talked highly of Lagway, “He’s big, he’s physical, he’s hard to tackle, uh, he’s elusive, he sees down the field, and he throws a really good deep ball. He’s great with the RPO game. I mean, he’s very talented.” But was Lagway enough for Florida?

Clinging to a 20-17 lead in the red zone, the Florida Gators came up empty when DJ Lagway was stopped short on third down and Jadan Baugh was stuffed on fourth. Georgia seized the momentum, and Gunner Stockton went to work. Kirby Smart’s quarterback completed three passes for 38 yards. Moments later, Chauncey Bowens ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run to put the Bulldogs ahead 24-20 with 4:36 to play. That’s how Florida allowed Georgia to move to 7-1 and stay in the SEC title race. With Kentucky being their next destination, can the Gators bounce back?