JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Whether rooting for the Cardinals or the Bulldogs, visitors in Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer Bowl were hoping for some Florida sunshine.
"It's cool. Much cooler than we thought," Louisville fan Albert Sarkas said. "The biggest complaint is, you're in Jacksonville. You're in the Sunshine State, and what is this? Cloudy."
"We did not bring the big coats, but we are still ready. We will tough it out just to see our Bulldogs play," Mississippi State fan Rhonda Sanders said.
Tailgaters toughed out temps in the 40s Saturday morning. As the 41,310 fans filed into the stadium, it reached into the 50s. The sun finally broke through in the second half.
Local football fans not terribly passionate about these college teams might not have stayed around long enough to feel the warmth.
"I'm going to give it 30 minutes and if I don't warm up, I'm Ubering back to the Strand," Lisa Ganey said.
Jaguars fans in the crowd did say this was a good warm-up for next weekend's playoff game. The long-range forecast calls for similar temperatures but more sunshine next Saturday and Sunday.