Utah coach Kyle Whittingham grimaces as he and his gamers exit the sector after Utah and Florida performed in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. What occurred later that night time and into the subsequent day was additionally irritating. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
It was unhealthy sufficient that No. 7 Utah suffered a gut-wrenching 29-26 loss at Florida Saturday night time at The Swamp.
However the expertise returning residence — a longer-than-expected journey — made a troublesome state of affairs even worse.
The Utes have been stranded in Gainesville till Sunday on account of a mechanical subject with their airplane. The group didn’t arrive in Salt Lake Metropolis till 7:20 p.m. MDT, and didn’t arrive on campus till 8:30 p.m.
“We weren’t superb on protection. Far too gentle within the run sport, missed too many tackles, not ok within the pink zone.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham
“In my 30-plus years of teaching, it was probably the most nightmarish (journey) state of affairs I’ve come throughout. I’ll depart it at that,” coach Kyle Whittingham stated Monday throughout his weekly information convention. “I really feel unhealthy for the gamers. Whenever you play a bodily sport like that — any sport is bodily, however particularly that one. You haven't any time to relaxation and get well. You’re sitting on a bus after which sitting on a airplane at a terminal. I felt unhealthy for these guys. It’s unlucky to have them undergo that.”
Utah senior communications athletic director Paul Kirk tweeted early Sunday morning that an “different plan” was being devised to fly again to Salt Lake Metropolis, including that the College of Florida labored to assist the state of affairs.
With no lessons because of the Labor Day vacation, the Utes held a walk-through Monday. Whittingham stated the plan Tuesday is to placed on pads and “get again after it.”
Utah hosts Southern Utah Saturday (11:30 a.m., MDT, Pac-12 Community).
Actually, the Utes have a lot to work on after the setback at Florida.
Whittingham stated the offense performed “exceptionally properly with the one evident exception of red-zone manufacturing, which is a giant exception.”
The sport primarily ended when quarterback Cam Rising threw an interception into the top zone with 17 seconds remaining. On that play, tight finish Dalton Kincaid fell down.
“That’s who (Rising) was going to,” Whittingham stated.
The go was picked off by Florida linebacker Amari Burney. “(Florida) performed a pleasant scheme,” Whittingham stated. “I don’t assume Cam noticed (the defender).”
Whittingham was happy with the offensive line play.
“We didn’t play as properly within the first half as we did within the second. We allowed zero sacks. Cam had loads of time on a lot of the dropbacks,” he stated. “He left the pocket a few occasions the place he didn’t even have to as a result of the safety was clear. I give them a B-plus grade. They have been bodily.”
In a late transfer, the teaching workers moved Sataoa Laumea from proper guard to proper sort out, changing Jaren Kump. That swap paid off.
“He carried out admirably on the market,” Whittingham stated of Laumea. “That’s a transfer that’s going to stay … He performed sort out in highschool. We felt like after lengthy analysis and examination that that was our greatest choice and it proved to be the case.”
Freshman Michael Mokofisi was moved from left guard to proper guard.
“He was very bodily,” Whittingham stated of Mokofisi. “I do know his finest days are forward of him. We’ve acquired the appropriate 5 on the market. I believed they performed very properly. It wasn’t excellent however they have been enjoying towards actually good guys.”
In the meantime, Whittingham was annoyed by the defensive efficiency. The Utes surrendered 541 yards of offense to the Gators, together with 283 speeding yards.
“For those who watch the tape,” Whittingham stated, “our run protection was abysmal.”
Added the coach: “We weren’t superb on protection. Far too gentle within the run sport, missed too many tackles, not ok within the pink zone. That was disappointing to see our protection not play in addition to we all know they’re able to. We’ve acquired to teach them higher. It begins with us as coaches.”
Nothing actually shocked Whittingham concerning the opponent and the environment at The Swamp.
“A tricky, bodily sport down in Gainesville. Simply as we anticipated. They’re an excellent soccer group. Their quarterback (Anthony Richardson) is an incredible participant,” he stated. “They’re bodily and so they’re quick. It’s all the things you’d anticipate from an upper-level SEC group. That’s what they're. Hostile atmosphere. It was loud. Nothing took us without warning. We have been anticipating precisely what we acquired so far as the environment and the matchup.”
Whittingham simply wasn’t relying on the problems his group confronted leaving after Saturday’s sport. Actually, the Utes are joyful to be again residence after an extended, powerful weekend in Gainesville.
Southern Utah (1-0) at No. 7 Utah (0-1)
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. MDT
Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: Pac-12 Community
Radio: ESPN 700