No. 7 Utah (0-0) at Florida (0-0)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 5 p.m. MDT
- Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548 capacity)
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: KALL 700
- Series: 1-0, Florida. The Gators beat the Utes 38-29 in Gainesville in 1977.
- Weather: Cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff with a chance of scattered thunderstorms.
The trends
For Utah: Expectations are high for the No. 7 Utes (their highest ever preseason ranking), who are picked to repeat as Pac-12 champions and are widely regarded as a darkhorse to reach the College Football Playoff. Can Utah open the season by earning a big road win in Southeastern Conference country at The Swamp?
For Florida: The Gators are coming off a disappointing 6-7 season and this marks the debut for new coach Billy Napier. Florida finished the 2021 campaign with a 29-17 loss to Central Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Gators will be an underdog in a home opener for the first time since 1978. Florida has won 31 straight home openers.
What to watch for
This Utah-Florida game is one of the marquee matchups of Week 1 of the 2022 college football season, which is why it will be televised by ESPN in prime time.
While the Utes have a staff that’s been together for years, led by Kyle Whittingham, who’s entering his 18th season at the helm, first-year Florida coach Billy Napier has been hired to turn things around in Gainesville. Napier and his staff previously coached at the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Though Utah has stability, a lot of returning starters, including quarterback Cam Rising, and a top-10 ranking, it is only a slight favorite on the road against Florida.
The raucous environment at The Swamp, the humidity and possible inclement weather, could be equalizing factors.
Key player
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida: At 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, the Gainesville native is the undisputed starter after splitting time in 2021 with Emory Jones, who transferred to Arizona State during the offseason. A tremendous athlete, Richardson was inconsistent a year ago. At times, he showed glimpses of his potential but he’s hoping to be a better passer this season. He completed 59% of his attempts, throwing for 529 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 401 yards and three TDs during his two years in Gainesville.
Quotable
“The season’s here. We’re looking forward to the trip down to Gainesville. It will be a great opportunity for our football team. Florida is a really talented team with a lot of really good players — fast and athletic. It will take our best effort to try to get the win.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham
“We’re obviously excited about it being game week. We really look forward to our fans showing up. We all understand Gainesville transforms on game day, and I’m certainly excited about experiencing that for the first time being on this side, right? So be there early, know that you’re a part of the team and that you can contribute and help our team in terms of the game.” — Florida coach Billy Napier
Next up
Utah hosts Southern Utah in its home opener next Saturday.
Florida hosts Kentucky in its SEC opener next Saturday.
Utah schedule
Sept. 3 — at Florida (5 p.m., ESPN)
Sept. 10 — vs. Southern Utah (11:30 a.m., Pac-12 Network)
Sept. 17 — vs. San Diego State (8 p.m., ESPN2)
Sept. 24 — at Arizona State (TBD)
Oct. 1 — vs. Oregon State (TBD)
Oct. 5 — vs. Arizona (TBD)
Oct. 15 — vs. USC (TBD)
Oct. 27 — at Washington State (8 p.m., FS1)
Nov. 5 — vs. Arizona (TBD)
Nov. 12 — vs. Stanford (TBD)
Nov. 19 — at Oregon (TBD)
Nov. 26 — at Colorado (TBD)
All times MT.