When the Utah football team opened its 2022 season last Sept. 3 against Florida, the Utes went in with huge expectations, and figured to emerge from “The Swamp” with a tone-setting victory.
But the then-No. 7-ranked team never quite played the way it wanted, and wound up dropping a 29-26 decision.
Now, with the Utah football team opening its 2023 season Thursday night against Florida, the Utes once again go in with huge expectations, and figure to thrill the Rice-Eccles Stadium faithful with a tone-setting victory.
(Phelan M. Ebenhack | AP) Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla.
And they insist that this time, they’re better-equipped to pull it off.
Several players have said in the lead-up to this game they believe they’re far more prepared for Florida this year, that a review of the ’22 film drove home just how much small factors could turn into huge problems.
“It just made me realize how important the details are, as far as gaps, footwork — it seemed like we were off by a half-step a lot of the times, and that resulted in 25-yard plays [over and over],” said linebacker Karene Reid. “So just taking the details more seriously this year.”
Indeed, the much-vaunted Utes defense was decimated last year by Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, who racked up 272 total yards of offense and finished with three rushing touchdowns — a brilliant premiere in a season that would culminate in him being selected No. 4 overall in the NFL draft.
As undeniably talented as Richardson was and is, though, the Utes maintain that much of the damage done was self-inflicted.
And they don’t intend to make the same mistakes again.
“It was just bad football,” said linebacker Lander Barton. “We got beat — beat in our gaps, beat in technique. So there’s cleaning that up, and then be disciplined in what we do, and it should be a different outcome.”
Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz will be Florida’s starting quarterback this year against the Utes, and even if the viewpoint from Gainesville is that he’s a bit of a game-manager and perhaps a one-year stopgap, those on the Utah team say they are taking nothing lightly.
The Utes may be ranked No. 14 in the nation, while the Gators come in unranked, but as a vaunted SEC program, Florida has plenty of talent.
Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) remains in the end zone after Florida linebacker Amari Burney made a game-saving interception near the end of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
“The SEC personnel that they have — you look at the NFL, and the SEC has more players there than anybody, and it’s not even close,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “And that’s what you see with Florida, you see a bunch of guys that are physical, they’ve got great size, speed, strength, quickness, just what you’d expect out of a dominant SEC team.”
Nevertheless, the Utes aren’t going in intimidated.
The offense mostly played well against the Gators last year, with a turnover on downs on the 1-yard line, and a game-sealing interception thrown by Cam Rising the only significant blemishes.
And while there will be new wrinkles and schemes to adjust to, with the Gators employing a new defensive coordinator in Austin Armstrong, Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said his team is well-versed in both the philosophies that Armstrong employed in his previous stop at Southern Miss as well as the Florida personnel.
Though the Utes’ quarterback situation remains in flux, as Rising attempts to come back from a torn ACL suffered in the Rose Bowl, the team’s other offensive players say they are motivated to face someone new, motivated to atone for last year’s loss to Florida, and motivated to prove they can be an elite unit.
“We don’t want to dwell too much on the past, but we understand that last year we kind of let that one slip,” said Utes receiver Devaughn Vele. “So we’re grateful for the opportunity to show the world that we’re gonna take this win against Florida.”
The biggest improvements will need to come on the other side of the ball, though.
Because of all those big plays surrendered a year ago, the Utes came into fall camp this time with a different approach.
“Definitely felt like we needed to tackle more, for sure. Now, you look at the missed tackles that we missed in Game 1, and you’re going up against pretty good dudes, the [Trevor] Etienne kid and I think the quarterback [Richardson] probably accounted for the majority of our missed tackles — they’re pretty good,” said Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. “That’s not going to change; they’re going to be good this year, too. So yeah, we definitely felt coming out of fall camp, or at least looking at that first game last year, that we were not prepared enough for full-speed tackling, and we got enough in this year.”
Some of Scalley’s defensive players echoed that thought of being more prepared this time around.
It’s not that they were unprepared last season, but they do feel that the attention to detail has been superior on this occasion.
“We’re way more prepared, I believe,” said Barton. “Last year we believed we were prepared going in the game, but I mean, truly this year versus last, there’s a difference and you can just feel it in the rooms, and the D-unit room. So I mean, I feel ready.”
Reid said there’s been better technique this fall, better focus and preparation among his teammates, as, “These guys have been working their butts off.”
Still, beyond the gap assignments, beyond the improved footwork, beyond the extra tackling, there are some intangibles at play for the Utes, too, the linebacker added.
“A lot more talent, a lot more confidence, as far as mentality, and just everyone seems ready,” said Reid. “… Just experience. I think the leaders have more confidence. The year before, we lost a lot of leaders and star power. But I feel like this year those that are leading have a couple of years under their belt, so that’s what’s driving the confidence.”
Now it’s time to see if it’s justified.
