Florida Gators linebacker Amari Burney (2) intercepts the ball, ending the sport with Utah, as they play in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Florida gained 29-26. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Simply when it regarded like No. 7 Utah was on the verge of snatching victory from the Gator jaws of defeat in a basic, season-opening battle amid the humidity and the ear-splitting roar of a record-setting crowd, Florida offered the ultimate chomp of the night time.
In what coach Kyle Whittingham referred to as a “gut-wrencher,” the Utes, the reigning Pac-12 champs, noticed their hopes of a notable highway victory in opposition to a SEC foe disappear as quarterback Cam Rising threw an interception in the long run zone with 17 seconds remaining.
And with that, the Gators earned a dramatic 29-26 victory over Utah in Florida coach Billy Napier’s debut.
The Utes have been projected by some across the nation as a doable School Soccer Playoff staff. It’s approach too early to inform definitively how this defeat may influence that.
However the end result didn’t change the way in which Whittingham views his staff.
“Powerful, powerful loss,” he mentioned. “However I’ll let you know what, I’m pleased with our soccer staff. There aren't any ethical victories. I’m not making an attempt to color that image. We’re well beyond that, however you speak about a gaggle of men that simply compete until the bitter finish, they confirmed toughness, grit and willpower.
“You title it, we confirmed it. We didn’t get it finished. We simply got here up brief.”
The introduced crowd of 90,799 marked the most important opening night time crowd in class historical past. It was additionally the tenth largest crowd in class historical past.
In a recreation that noticed the lead change arms 4 occasions over the ultimate 15:12, the Utes discovered themselves trailing by three with 1:25 left within the recreation.
Rising, who completed the night time with 216 yards passing on 22 of 32 makes an attempt and 91 yards speeding, drove the offense to the Florida 6-yard line with 22 seconds on the clock.
Utah may have kicked a discipline objective to drive time beyond regulation, however as an alternative it selected to go for the win. On 2nd-and-6, Rising threw a move into site visitors and it was picked off by linebacker Amari Burney simply past the objective line.
Rising, who had a 29-yard scamper earlier within the drive, mentioned working wasn’t a very good choice at that time as a result of the Utes had been out of timeouts.
“It wasn’t his greatest throw of the night time,” Whittingham mentioned. “I’m positive he needs he had it again, however he performed very well tonight. He ran the soccer successfully, threw the ball successfully. He’s our man. That’s not going to alter.”
Earlier within the recreation, Utah squandered different probabilities and left factors on the sphere.
For instance, early within the third quarter, the Utes had second-and-goal from the Florida 1-yard line, however they failed to attain on three straight performs, culminating with Tavion Thomas being stuffed on the objective line on fourth down.
And close to the tip of the third interval, after a 7-yard landing run by Micah Bernard, the Utes “botched” the two-point conversion, Whittingham mentioned.
“That will have been large,” the coach mentioned. “It will have been a scenario the place a discipline objective wins it there on the finish. A variety of shoulda, woulda, couldas.”
“It’s exhausting,” mentioned tight finish Brant Kuithe, who caught 9 passes for 105 yards and a landing. “A variety of missed alternatives. We sort of shot ourselves within the foot. However give (Florida) credit score. They made stops when wanted. They’re a very good staff.”
The Gators had been led by dynamic quarterback Anthony Richardson, who accomplished 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards. He managed to gash the Ute protection together with his legs, ending with 11 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns.
Richardson recorded a 45-yard TD run with 1:42 left within the second quarter, which put Florida on high 14-13 at halftime. Then with 1:25 remaining within the fourth quarter, his 2-yard TD turned out to be the game-winning rating.
Whittingham famous Richardson’s “damaging runs” in opposition to his protection.
“He’s going to get his. He’s 6-4, 240 and he runs a 4.3,” he mentioned. “There’s no approach you’re going to maintain him bottled up. He’s a terrific participant.”
Many questioned how the Utes would deal with the warmth, humidity and the extraordinary, loud atmosphere at The Swamp.
However Kuithe mentioned the hostility of the gang wasn’t an element within the recreation for the offense.
“We labored for a few weeks on crowd noise,” he mentioned. “We ready for it.”
Whittingham acknowledged how troublesome it's to play in Gainesville.
“It’s a troublesome place to play,” he mentioned. “That’s a troublesome atmosphere on the market.”
On the sport’s opening drive, Florida was carving up the Utah protection, driving deep into Ute territory when security R.J. Hubert scooped up a fumble attributable to Jonah Elliss and raced 47 yards.
That play arrange Utah’s first rating of the sport — a 7-yard landing move from Rising to Kuithe, who caught the ball on the 3-yard line and bulled into the tip zone, knocking the helmet off a Gator defender.
And with 11:23 left within the first quarter, the Utes seized a 7-0 benefit.
Florida tied the sport at 7-apiece with 39 seconds remaining within the first quarter on a 3-yard landing run by Richardson.
The Utes regained the lead early within the second quarter after a drive stalled at Florida’s 25-yard line. Jordan Noyes boomed a 43-yard discipline objective to place Utah up 10-7.
Noyes struck once more with a 31-yard discipline objective with 3:18 left within the first half after the Gators stopped the Ute offense on the 13-yard line. At that time, Utah led 13-7.
However Florida wasted little time responding. 4 performs later, Richardson received free on a 45-yard landing run to offer the Gators their first lead of the sport, 14-13 with 1:42 till halftime.
Utah’s ultimate drive of the half went nowhere and it entered the locker room at intermission trailing by one level.
Within the second half, it was clear that Utah’s recreation plan was to determine the run.
“Within the second half, our offense received right into a rhythm,” Whittingham mentioned. “We began working the soccer, which is what we’re all about. We begin working the soccer and the whole lot else opens up.”
And the Utes did simply that on the opening drive of the third quarter — Thomas ripped off 22 yards on the second play from scrimmage — driving all the way in which to the 1-yard line. However after second-and-1 from the Gator 1, the Utes failed to attain on three straight performs, culminating with Thomas being stuffed on the objective line on fourth down.
Nonetheless, Utah’s protection pressured a punt and the offense stepped up, piecing collectively a powerful nine-play, 89-yard scoring drive that took 5 minutes off the clock. It was highlighted by a 37-yard reception by Kuithe and capped by Bernard’s 7-yard landing run.
The next two-point conversion strive failed, making the rating 19-14 for the Utes with 12 seconds left within the third quarter.
When Florida went up 22-19 within the fourth quarter, Gator followers celebrated by chanting “S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!”
“Give credit score to Florida. The cabinet was not naked when (former coach) Dan Mullen left,” Whittingham mentioned. “They've some nice athletes, beginning with the quarterback. He’s a terrific participant. If he stays wholesome, they’ll win a bunch of video games this 12 months.”
The Utes silenced the gang momentarily by retaking the lead on a 14-yard run by Thomas, who completed with 115 yards on 23 carries.
However in the long run, Utah couldn’t make the performs it wanted to in a raucous environment.
“Disappointing that we couldn’t get the final cease that we would have liked on protection,” Whittingham mentioned. “We had two probabilities on the finish of the sport to both get a cease on ‘D’ or end that final drive. We got here up oh-for-two on these. Once more, our guys put us in place to have that chance.”
So 9 months after supplying the nation with a basic Rose Bowl recreation — a 48-45 loss to Ohio State — the Utes supplied up one other basic within the season opener at The Swamp.
“So long as we stick collectively and proceed to work exhausting, which I don’t have any doubt we’ll try this, this staff will win a bunch of video games this 12 months,” Whittingham mentioned. “But it surely wasn’t to be this night.”
Utah hosts Southern Utah subsequent Saturday.
EXTRA POINTS: The Gators had been an underdog in a house opener for the primary time since 1978. Florida has gained 33 straight house openers, greatest within the nation. Napier grew to become the primary Florida coach to beat a ranked opponent in his debut. Utah is now 1-7 all-time in opposition to SEC opponents. Utah rolled up 446 yards of whole offense, in comparison with 451 for Florida.