{"id":61489,"date":"2025-11-26T13:33:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T13:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/61489\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T13:33:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T13:33:31","slug":"noah-brindise-is-fsu-two-bits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/61489\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah Brindise is FSU “Two Bits”"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Noah Brindise got the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” call late last week and his initial reaction was one of excitement.
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\nBut then he had time to think about it.\u00a0
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\n“You kind of become a nervous wreck,” Brindise said. “I haven’t been down on the field with the pressure to perform in a long time.”\u00a0
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\nMaybe not, but his last time down there went pretty well. Anyone remember? Brindise’s last home game in a Florida uniform came Nov. 22, 1997, against No. 1 and unbeaten Florida State. Any Gator fan that doesn’t know what happened that day was either born this month or has been locked in a closet the last 28 years.\u00a0
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\nUF coach Steve Spurrier<\/a>, frustrated with the play of his offense (specifically, its inability to complete a forward pass), opted to go completely off the rails against the Seminoles by alternating sophomore Doug Johnson and Brindise, the fifth-year walk-on, every snap against the nation’s top-ranked defense. At first, it looked like high-school gimmickry. The end result, as it turned out, was an epic, fireworks-filled 32-29 upset victory for the Gators that ruined FSU’s season and made for a cherished \u2013 some who were there might say\u00a0the\u00a0greatest \u2013 night ever in “The Swamp.”
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\nThe circumstances of Saturday’s rivalry renewal will be considerably different, but it will be the Gators (3-8) vs. the Seminoles (5-6) nonetheless, so it’ll mean a great deal to both fan bases and certainly to Brindise, one of the most beloved and respected teammates of his era.
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\n“I tell people I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of playing less than half a game,” Brindise said.\u00a0
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\n@cool_hand_luke60<\/a> Noah Brindise is a great testament to the Gators and to football itself. Known as “Fat dog” in the lockeroom, Brindise made up for his lack of talent through his work ethic and ability to absorb coaching. Fat dog was the third string QB going into the 97 season, and yet he found himself mixing it up with the best the SEC and college football itself had to offer. He led Florida to big wins over Auburn, Vandy and South Carolina, and then he submitted his legacy by being an integral part of the forever iconic “Best Game Ever Played in the Swamp” against FSU. Brindise is a great example of having the chips stacked against you in terms of talent but still making it work on the field. The current administration for UF football could take a lesson from this. #floridagators<\/a> #flordiagators<\/a> #uf<\/a> #trending<\/a> #viral<\/a> #fyp<\/a> #collegefootball<\/a> #footballhighlights<\/a> #football<\/a> \u266c Who Let The Dogs Out – Original – The Doggies<\/a> <\/p>\n

\nHis humility is admirable, but so was what Brindise did \u2013 and not just in that FSU game \u2013 during the ’97 season. The Gators, reigning national champion and ranked No. 1 through five games, got knocked off in a 28-21\u00a0upset loss\u00a0at LSU, after which it was learned Johnson had missed curfew two nights before the game. He was suspended for UF’s ensuing date at Auburn, where true freshman Jesse Palmer got the start. Palmer was ineffective and\u00a0was relieved by Brindise, the little-used walk-on, who fashioned a stunning 24-10 road win by throwing for 69 yards and a touchdown in relief.\u00a0
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\nThe next week brought the lone loss to Georgia of the Spurrier era. The week after that was a listless 20-7 home defeat of lowly Vanderbilt, with Brindise throwing for 222 yards, two TDs and one interception. A week later, Spurrier tried all three QBs at South Carolina, but eventually opted to just give the ball to tailback Fred Taylor 24 times for 174 yards and three scores in a 48-21 victory.\u00a0
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\n“We used to throw the ball all over the place until I started playing quarterback,” Brindise said in his self-effacing manner. “Then, Coach started just giving it to Fred. Good move.”\u00a0
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\nBut what would Spurrier do against FSU and its vaunted defense with first-round draft picks all over the field?\u00a0
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\nSomething no one saw coming, that’s what.
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\n“He was just trying something, anything, to get us going,” Brindise said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nOut comes Doug Johnson (12), in goes Noah Brindise (17) during Steve Spurrier<\/a>‘s “QB Shuffle” game against Florida State in 1997. <\/p>\n

With their shuffling quarterbacks, the Gators went 83 yards in 10 plays on the opening drive, but missed the point-after to take a 6-0 lead. The Seminoles, though, answered with 17 straight points, including a return of a Taylor fumble for a touchdown, to lead 17-6.\u00a0
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\nJust when the UF offense seemed to be spinning its wheels, Brindise dropped and saw wideout Travis McGriff running uncovered in the FSU secondary.\u00a0
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\n“I barely had a strong enough arm to get it to him,” Brindise said.\u00a0
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\nOh, but it was plenty strong enough and good for 49 yards to set up a Florida touchdown. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth shootout, highlighted by Taylor’s electrifying 61-yard touchdown run midway through in the third quarter and, of course, Johnson’s 63-yard strike to Jacquez Green over the top of the Seminoles’ defense \u2014 the loudest moment in “The Swamp’s” history \u2014 to set up Taylor’s go-ahead touchdown run (his fourth score of the night to go with 167 rushing yards) with 1:50 to play.\u00a0
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\nUF linebacker Dwayne Thomas intercepted Thad Busby to ice the game with a minute to go and set off a one-for-the-ages celebration. Brindise, with his offense in victory formation, took a knee on his final home snap of his career.<\/p>\n

Welcome back, Noah. \n<\/p>\n

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\nNoah Brindise (left) with his family at a recent UF game. From left: wife Jennifer, daughter Caelan and son Jackson.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Brindise, who accompanied Spurrier to the Washington Redskins to tutor quarterbacks,\u00a0left the coaching profession nearly 20 years ago, settled in Jupiter, Fla., and entered the medical sales field. He’ll be joined on the field by Jennifer, his wife of 25 years, along with daughter Caelan, a UF senior on a pre-med track who will get to see her dad do the George Edmondson thing\u00a0in her final football game as a student. That’s pretty cool.\u00a0
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\nAs it happens, Brindise was in the house for last week’s Tennessee game. The player who affectionately went by the nickname “Fat Dog,” having already been extended the FSU invite, paid particular attention during the pregame festivities when Jemalle Cornelius, the former wideout from the Urban Meyer days, took his\u00a0“Two Bits” turn.\u00a0
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\n“He threw some push-ups in there at the end,” Brindise said. “I don’t think I’m gonna do that.”<\/p>\n

No, Brindise’s heavy-lifting came nearly three decades ago. When it really mattered.

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\nEmail senior writer\u00a0Chris Harry<\/a> at\u00a0chrish@gators.ufl.edu<\/a>.\u00a0Find his story archives\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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