Miami QB Cam Ward has high praise for Autzen Stadium after experiencing ‘The Swamp’

Cam Ward would know.

The former Washington State quarterback who now plays for the Miami Hurricanes has played in some of the loudest venues in the country as an opponent — places like Husky Stadium , the Los Angeles Coliseum , and of course, Autzen Stadium.

Ward played his first game as a Hurricane in The Swamp, the infamous home venue for the Florida Gators , and according to Ward, The Swamp was loud, but it doesn’t compare with those West Coast places.

“I played at USC. USC wasn’t packed, but it was louder than this,” Ward said after Miami defeated Florida 41-17 in the season opener for both teams. “I played at Oregon and it was louder than this. The Pac-12 gets misspoken for. The Pac-12, that’s where I believe real football is played. Washington was one of the loudest environments I’ve played (in).”

Now it’s entirely possible Ward was poking the bear of sorts as Florida and Miami has quite the rivalry going, but hopefully now these former Pac-12 stadiums get their due with how tough it is to play in for opponents.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was the first coach from one of the big names in college football to comment on the noise generated at Autzen.

“They are very difficult to beat at home. The crowd is, from every report I get, from every coach I’ve spoken with, a real factor,” Carr said before he took his Wolverines to Eugene. “You have to learn to communicate without talking because talking doesn’t do you any good.”

And then after Oregon defeated Michigan in 2003 where the Ducks won 31-27, he said this.

“That’s the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in,” he said.

Beginning here in 2024, the rest of the Big Ten is going to find out how right he was.

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