Florida football: Ranking Florida’s 2022 Opponents
By Sean Doty
Florida football opponent rankings: Utah Utes (9/3)
Metric Score: 8
Taking the bronze medal on this list is the inaugural game of the Billy Napier era at Florida.
This Saturday the Gators host the reigning PAC-12 champion Utah Utes in a highly anticipated East vs. West showdown. It will be the first time in 45 years that the Gators and Utes have competed against each other on the gridiron.
Despite starting the 2021 season with a 1-2 record, the Utes under 18-year head coach Kyle Whittingham managed to finish the season 10-3. This included two wins over a top 10 ranked Oregon team by 28 points or more.
The Utes have earned their no. 7 preseason ranking, returning 17 of their starters from 2021.
Second team All-PAC 12 quarterback Cameron Rising returns for his third season at Utah. In 2021 Rising completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,493 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. Rising also rushed the ball for 499 yards, including six touchdowns.
Utah’s defense, which ranked 23rd nationally in 2021, has four starters named to the preseason All-PAC 12 teams. One notable defender on Utah’s roster that was named an honorable mention to the preseason All-PAC 12 team is former Florida linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, who is projected to be the starting middle linebacker for the Utes this Saturday night.
Saturday’s matchup against Utah is the first time in five years that the Gators have opened their season against a ranked opponent.
The only other time the Gators have opened a season inside the Swamp against a top 10 ranked opponent was back in 1969. In Ray Graves’ final year as Florida’s head coach, the unranked Gators upset the no. 7 Houston Cougars 59-34 and went on to finish the season 9-1-1.
The entirety of Gator Nation has been anticipating this moment since Napier’s introductory press conference back in December. According to the University Athletics Association, tickets for this game are sold out.
Vegas oddsmakers currently have Utah listed as a 2.5-point favorite this Saturday night over the Gators, which is a generous betting line considering there are a plethora of unknowns surrounding this Florida team.
However, one thing fans should expect to see is a heavy ground attack from both teams. Especially if there is rain in the forecast on Saturday night.
In 2021 the Utes ranked 11th nationally in rushing yards per game (219.2). Meanwhile the Gators ranked 22nd (206.4) and Billy Napier’s Louisiana Lafayette ranked 26th (202.0).
If it is a close contest entering the 4th quarter, the outcome may be determined by which quarterback can make the most important plays late in the game.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson has received a generous amount of hype over the past year. Mainly because of his freakish athletic abilities and the amount of big plays he made in small sample sizes on the field in 2021.
If Richardson wants to live up to his hype of being a potential 1st round draft pick in April, and Napier wants to carry over the tidal wave of momentum he created this summer from the recruiting trail onto the field, a win against a potential playoff contender this weekend would do wonders for both.