25 Cheers for 25 Years: Perine’s Run Brings Back The Swamp

Lamical Perine #2 of the Florida Gators runs for yardage during the second quarter of a game against the Auburn Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The early October clash between Florida and Auburn in 2019 had the feel of a heavyweight SEC fight.

The No. 10 Gators and No. 7 Tigers were both undefeated, and ESPN’s College GameDay was in Gainesville for the first top-10 matchup in The Swamp in years.

A raucous crowd of 90,584 packed the stands, mimicking an atmosphere reminiscent of Florida’s glory days under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.

For three quarters, the game was a defensive slugfest with turnovers and momentum swings. But with just over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, senior running back Lamical Perine delivered the knockout punch – a breathtaking 88-yard touchdown run that shook the stadium to its core.

With a 17–13 lead and backed up at its own 12-yard line, the Gators were looking for a spark. Perine provided it on the first play of the drive.

Taking a handoff up the middle, he broke a tackle at the line, shedding Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt, then bounced outside. In a flash, Perine was off to the races down the left sideline, and no one was going to catch him.

It was Florida’s longest TD run in more than 30 years (since an Emmitt Smith 96-yarder in 1988).

The Swamp crowd erupted for a noise that was like an earthquake. I was there. It was the loudest I’ve heard The Swamp.

The moment was overwhelming even for Perine himself, an Alabama native who grew up watching SEC classics.

“It almost brought tears to my eyes,” the senior said of hearing the roar of the crowd after his score. “Just a big-time atmosphere and big-time crowd. I’m glad I was able to make that big-time play.”

​Perine finished the day with a career-high 130 yards rushing on 14 carries​, but it was the final 88 that etched his name into Gator lore. Adding a poetic twist, Gator legend Emmitt Smith, whose record Perine’s run approached, was waiting to congratulate him after the game​.

Beyond its highlight-reel brilliance, Perine’s long touchdown run carried a lot of weight for Florida’s season. The win pushed the Gators to 6–0, their best start since 2015, and proved that Dan Mullen’s second-year program was a legitimate contender.

“Just another day at the ‘Swamp,’ right?” Mullen quipped afterward. “You talk about the ‘Swamp’ as it used to be? This is what the ‘Swamp’ is, and what we expect it to be.”

Indeed, Florida’s defense smothered Auburn’s offense all afternoon, forcing four turnovers and harassing freshman quarterback Bo Nix into mistakes​. “That’s the kind of defense we expect to play around here,” Mullen said of the unit’s dominance​.

Though Florida would stumble in its next game at LSU, the 2019 Gators rebounded to finish 11–2, capped by an Orange Bowl win.

But the defining moment of that season remains Perine’s 88-yard run. One lightning bolt run had electrified the crowd and lifted Florida to a win that still makes Gator fans smile.