Florida football: Five things the Gators must do to beat Utah

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: Anthony Richardson #15 of the Florida Gators takes the field before the start of a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: Anthony Richardson #15 of the Florida Gators takes the field before the start of a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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After months of anticipation, the roller coaster of summer recruiting, and a bunch of pundits picking Florida football to go 7-5, the 2022 college football season is here.

The Gators enter the season opener against Utah as three-point underdogs. Considering Florida is unranked and Utah is ranked 7th in the country, that’s a sign that Vegas believes in the Gators.

We previously looked at Utah’s offense as well as a look at Utah’s defense.

Florida has a very real pathway to victory, but there are five things that have to go right for the Gators to give Billy Napier a victory in his debut.

Florida football
Nov 27, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) runs with the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Florida football keys to victory: Get Anthony Richardson moving

The opening game is notorious for poor tackling. Think back to the 2019 game vs Miami as a reference point. This isn’t exclusive to Florida though. As contact in practice has been limited and there is no preseason in college football, the opening contest is the first chance teams across the country get at tackling another human being.

Anthony Richardson is hard enough to bring down as it is. Against Utah, if Napier can draw up a handful of plays that dares Utah to bring Richardson down it may provide huge dividends. Don’t be surprised if Florida can steal a touchdown simply because the Utes can’t bring him down even though they are in a position to stop him.