Miami quarterback Cam Ward praises Autzen Stadium after visit to the Swamp

Cam Ward would know.

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

Ward played his first Hurricane game at The Swamp, the infamous home of the Florida Gators. He said The Swamp was loud, but it didn’t compare to the West Coast venues.

“I played at USC. USC wasn’t packed, but it was louder than here,” Ward said after Miami beat Florida 41-17 in the teams’ season opener. “I played at Oregon, and it was louder than here. The Pac-12 is misnamed. The Pac-12, I think, is where they play real football. Washington was one of the loudest environments I’ve ever played in.”

It’s entirely possible that Ward was just trying to tease the Bear a little, as Florida and Miami have a fierce rivalry, but let’s hope these former Pac-12 stadiums get what they deserve considering how difficult they are for opponents to play in.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was the first coach from one of college football’s most popular teams to comment on the noise being generated at Autzen.

“They’re very hard to beat at home. The crowd, from every report I get, from every coach I’ve talked to, is a real factor,” Carr said before taking his Wolverines to Eugene. “You’ve got to learn to communicate without talking, because talking doesn’t get you anywhere.”

And then, after Oregon beat Michigan in 2003, with the Ducks winning 31-27, he said this.

“It’s the loudest stadium I’ve ever been to,” he said.

Starting in 2024, the rest of the Big Ten will see how right he was.

This story originally appeared on Ducks Wire