The Opening Kickoff: Gators at No. 14 Utah - Florida Gators (2024)

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — They arrived at their downtown hotel here late Wednesday afternoon, about 24 hours before Thursday night's kickoff against No. 14 Utah at nearby Rice-Eccles Stadium. That was the plan all along.

Gators head coach Billy Napier and his staff researched various scenarios on how to deal with the elevation increase whenplaying at Utah, where the Utes' home stadium sits 4,657 feet above sea level.

"Get in and get out,'' Napier said.

Of course, Napier expected his team to practice Wednesday morning in Gainesville, not in a Dallas suburb. But Hurricane Idalia blew that plan away, forcing the Gators to depart a day earlier than scheduled and spend Tuesday night in Texas.

While so much of the pregame chatter has been about altitude, travel plans and the weather, Napier refused to be distracted. In his second year on the job and a year after facing the Utes in his first game as Florida's head coach, Napier will match wits against Utah veteran coach Kyle Whittingham once again to open the season.

Locked In.

Game 1 Trailer 🎥#GoGators | #jOURney pic.twitter.com/v9rLmrELwL

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 31, 2023

Whittingham has become an institution around this city on the Wasach Front. He replaced former Gators coach Urban Meyer when Meyer left Utah for Florida in 2005 and is now the second-longest tenured FBS coach in the country.

Florida upset Utah a season ago at The Swamp to kick off the Napier era in memorable fashion.

"I think it's more about the football,'' Napier said of the Thursday night's challenge. "I mean, I think the altitude, obviously everybody likes to talk about that, but Coach Whittingham and his team and the way they play football have been ultimately more important than that. I think he's done a fantastic job creating an identity for his team that's allowed them to be consistent."

Utah has won back-to-back Pac-12 titles. The rematch against the Gators has locals buzzing entering the ESPN primetime matchup.

The Utes have never hosted a team from the Southeastern Conference.

"I think it speaks to our national brand," Whittingham told the Salt Lake Tribune."We are certainly in a different place now than we were even 10 years ago."

The Gators are in a different place than 10 years ago, too. They want to get back to where they were with Napier leading the way.

A road win over the Utes would certainly elevate their status to start the 2023 season.

For more on Thursday night'sgamebetween the Gators and Utes, here isTheOpening Kickoff:

THREE STORYLINES

• The Gators open their second season under Billy Napier with a deeper roster and more stable foundation thana year ago when they went 6-7. Florida is showing signs on the recruiting trail of being ready to rejoin the elite programs in the country. The Gators'2024 class iscurrently ranked in the top five. That bodes well for the future. What about the present? We get our firstglimpse on Thursday night.
• Florida's trip to Utah is big news in Salt Lake City. The Utes have never welcomed a school from the Southeastern Conference to Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game completes a home-and-home series with the Gators that opened with Florida's 29-26 win over the Utes last season atThe Swamp in Napier's first game as Florida's coach.
• With 48 new players on the roster, including starting quarterback Graham Mertz, the Gators are a much different team than took the field eight months ago and lost to Oregon State 31-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Florida also has a new defensive coordinator in Austin Armstrong. Mertz's play will likelydetermine the tone in Gator Nation considering his veteran presence as the focal point of Florida's revamped roster.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Utah quarterback Cam Rising created trouble for the Gators in last year's opener. Rising passed for 216 yards and rushed for 91. Rising is listed as Utah's starter heading into Thursday night's game, but according to an ESPN report Wednesday afternoon, Rising is doubtful. Whittingham has kept Rising's status close to the vest and called it a game-time decision.Rising suffered a knee injury in last season's Rose Bowl and was limited in preseason camp.
• Sophom*ore running back Trevor Etienne has as much upside as any player on Florida's roster. He rushed for 718 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry as a true freshman. Etienne and backfield partner Montrell Johnson Jr. are the centerpiece of the offense and will be relied upon to help keep pressure off Mertz in the passing game. The Gators rushed for 283 yards against the Utes last season, with Johnson (76) and Etienne (64) combining for 140.
• Gators fourth-year junior Princely Umanmielengarnered preseason accolades coming off a season in which he registered 39 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Umanmielen is considered a player on the rise and the Gators hope his production rises as one of the proven playmakers on defense.

FIVE DIGITS

123 —Career starts the Gators added via the transfer portal (13 players) in the offseason.
14 —Consecutive wins for Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah's last home loss was to Southern Cal on Nov. 21, 2020.
29 —Missed tackles by the Utes in last year's loss to the Gators.
82 —Percentage of receptions for Gators WR Ricky Pearsall that ended with a first down (27 of 33).
49.7 —Percentage of time opponents converted on third down last season against Florida, which ranked 129th nationally.

INJURY REPORT

GATORS — QUESTIONABLE: C Kingsley Eguakun (lower body), DL Chris McClellan (lower body), QB Jack Miller III (upper body); OUT — DL Justus Boone (knee, out for season), RB Cam Carroll (knee, out for season), TE Keon Zipperer (lower body). UTAH— DOUBTFUL:QB Cam Rising (knee).QUESTIONABLE:QB Brandon Rose (upper body), TEBrent Kuithe(knee).

NOTES FILE

• The Gators are playing a regular-season game on a Thursday night for the first time since 1992, a loss at Mississippi State.
• With Rising doubtful, Utes junior Bryson Barnes is is expected to start. Whittingham said dynamic redshirt freshman Nate Johnson will also play in a change-of-pace role. Barnes is a former walk-on who replaced the injured Rising last season at Washington State.
• Gators quarterback Graham Mertz made 32 starts in three seasons at Wisconsin and is the most experienced quarterback for the Gators since Tim Tebow made 41 starts from 2007-09.
• Utah is 1-7 all-time against SEC schools, including 0-2 against the Gators. Florida defeated the Utes 38-29 in 1977 and in last year's opener. Utah's only victory against an SEC opponent came against Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
• Florida is opening a season with a true road game for the first time since playing at Miami in 1987. The game is Florida'sfirst true road game against a non-SEC opponent or in-state opponent since playing at Syracuse in 1991.
• This is the first time Utah has hosted a game against an SEC opponent. Utah has sold out 76 consecutive home games, a streak that started with the 2010 opener.
• Gators receiver Ricky Pearsall has a reception in 28 consecutive games dating to his time at Arizona State. Pearsall had four catches for 67 yards last season against Utah.
• LSU's Jaydon Daniels (43) and Ole Miss' Spencer Sanders (41) are the only SEC quarterbacks with more career starts than Mertz's 32. Mertz is tied with Mississippi State's Will Rogers for third in the SEC.
• Utah nose tackle Simote Pepa, who tips the scale at 330 pounds, led all FBS freshmen a season ago with four sacks.
• Utah receiver Mycah Pittman played at Florida State last season. He had one reception for 12 yards and two punt returns for seven yards in FSU's 45-38 win over the Gators.

THEY WROTEIT

• Gators seek second consecutive season-opening win against Utah writes the Associated Press.
• Thankfully, talking season is over and the fans are the real winners writes David Whitley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Florida's visit 'speaks to our national brand' says Utah coach Kyle Whittingham writes Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune.
• Utah's quarterback uncertainty swirls heading into Florida game writes Joe Coles of the Deseret News.
• Can Napier's Gators make Year 2 jump is question posed by Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.

BOTTOM LINE

The Gators are a 4-point underdog according to Las Vegas, a spread that would be higher if Rising was healthy. Florida's upset victory over No. 7 Utah in last season's opener was the highlight of the season. Florida vaulted from unranked to No. 12 in the national polls following Napier's debut. The Gators then lost seven of their next 12. It would be easy to pick against UF in this one. The Gators are on the road, playing a Top 25 opponent, and had their travel schedule altered due to Hurricane Idalia. Still, considering the late news about Rising being unlikely to play and with UF's upgraded roster, some pundits have the Gators surprising the Utes for the second consecutive year. I had my doubts about their chances a month ago, but the Gators are confident and have a different aura about them in 2023. Expect a close game and another upset by the Gators.