Former Gators QB Noah Brindise to be honorary 'Mr. Two Bits' this week
This Saturday, former Gators QB Noah Brindise, who helped orchestrate arguably the most memorable win in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium history, will return to the Swamp as Florida’s honorary Mr. Two Bits.
In 1997, loses to LSU and Georgia derailed the Gators’ hopes of repeating as national champions. But if they couldn’t win the title, at least they could stop arch-rival FSU from taking it.
And what’s happened on that Nov. 22 at the Swamp.
That evening, the No. 10 Gators shocked unbeaten and No. 1 FSU 32–29 before a packed house at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. And Brindise, a fifth-year walk-on, had a big part in the win.
Brindise rotated very snap against the country’s No. 1-ranked defense at QB with Doug Johnson. The plan hatched by Gators coach Steve Spurrier proved to be a brilliant one.
“I had somebody tell me that Florida State had all our signals,” Spurrier said after the game. “So I said let’s eliminate the signals. It gives you a chance to coach the quarterbacks between every play. We didn’t come in here to get a 10-7 game. We were going to throw out ball plays out, and if we couldn’t hit them, than they were just better than us.”
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Per the Associated Press, “Johnson was 13-of-25 for 218 yards, including his first touchdown pass since an Oct. 4 victory over Arkansas. Brindise was 5-of-9 for 100 yards, and the Gators finished with 499 yards.”
The loss ended FSU’s championship dreams.
Brindise passed for 695 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions that season, starting a handful of games. He finished his Gators career with 723 yards passing in all.
His story proves you don’t have to be a legendary player to be part of a legendary moment. And now, Noah Brindise is coming home.
“You kind of become a nervous wreck,” Brindise told Chris Harry of FloridaGators.com. “I haven’t been down on the field with the pressure to perform in a long time.”
