No. 14 UTAH 24, FLORIDA 11
Quarterback Bryson Barnes made a statement right from the start, throwing a 70-yard touchdown pass on Utah’s first play against Florida. Despite facing injuries and a challenging match, the 14th-ranked Utes dominated the game and secured a 24-11 victory over the Gators in their Thursday night opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. With fifth-year senior Cameron Rising sidelined, Barnes, in just his second career start, connected with redshirt freshman Nate Johnson to build a commanding 21-point lead in the second half. On the defensive end, Utah successfully frustrated Florida’s new quarterback, Graham Mertz. Barnes finished the game with 159 passing yards, including the long touchdown, and added a rushing touchdown in the second half. Johnson contributed to the ground attack, rushing for 45 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown run. Together, these two plays accounted for the majority of Utah’s total yards. The loss marked only the second season-opening defeat for the Gators since 1990 under Coach Billy Napier. Mertz, despite his 333 passing yards and a touchdown, faced significant challenges as he was sacked five times and threw an interception in a crucial moment. The Gators’ rushing attack, led by Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne, failed to deliver, managing only 13 yards on 21 carries. The game also saw Florida struggling with penalties and missed opportunities, including unsuccessful third-down and fourth-down conversion attempts. Ultimately, Utah’s dominant performance on both ends of the field secured their victory over Florida.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators faced a challenging task of winning on the road in an unforgiving environment, but they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities. Despite missing key players, Utah’s defense, especially their front seven, constantly pressured Mertz and effectively shut down Florida’s running game. In contrast to their victory over Florida last season, where the Gators excelled in rushing, this time they struggled to gain yardage on the ground. The loss marks the fourth consecutive defeat for the Gators since the 2022 season, a streak not seen since 2017.
UP NEXT: Florida (0-1) will have a chance to bounce back in their 2023 home opener against McNeese State on September 9. McNeese State, an FCS program, will be facing Tarleton State in their season opener on Saturday.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
