Florida Gators crowd against Alabama among the largest in school history

The crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday for the game between Florida and Alabama is the fifth-largest in Gator history, per Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger. A total of 90,887 fans were in attendance for the top 15 matchup between SEC powers.

The Gators crowd stayed engaged all afternoon as the game remained close.

The Crimson Tide jumped out to an early 21-3 lead after the first quarter, but Florida wasn’t ready to fold. The Gators fought their way back to make the score 31-29 late in the fourth quarter.

Emory Jones led the team on a 99-yard touchdown drive and finished it off with a quarterback sneak. They failed the 2-point conversion that would have tied the game.

Jones finished 18-of-28 passing for 195 yards and an interception. He also had 18 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.

The Florida offense did the majority of its damage on the ground, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Running back Malik Davis led the team with 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Dameon Pierce added a pair of scores as well.

Backup quarterback Anthony Richardson did not play because of a right hamstring injury. His absence was a huge loss for the Gators. The freshman starred in the first two weeks with touchdown runs of 80 and 73 yards.

Although it lost, Florida made a huge statement with this game Saturday. The Gators showed an ability to compete with the best team in the conference and nearly came away with a win. They could get another chance to face the Crimson Tide if they can make the SEC Championship Game.

The Gators will look to rebound next week with another home game against Tennessee. Although it probably won’t be at the same level as the Florida-Alabama game, expect the crowd to once again make things difficulot for the opposing team.

The Crimson Tide continue their quest for another undefeated season when they face Southern Miss next Saturday.