Leaving the Swamp with the 29-26 loss isn't the outcome many expected this past weekend for the University of Utah. However, it’s the card that they were dealt and their have plenty of more questions left than answers heading into this upcoming weekend.
Let’s revisit the burning quarters from last week and look ahead to the home opener against Southern Utah.
Is the hype around the Utah offense real?
This one is still TBD. Rising will bounce back after a slow start and then the fateful interception. Once he settled in, he actually performed well through the air and with his legs.
Utah seemed to try and keep a slower, more calculated pace in the first half of the game, which hindered the offense. Brant Kuithe will be a focal point all season, and that was on display Saturday—sometimes almost too much. He ended the night with nine receptions for 105 yards, averaging 13 ypc. He hauled in most of Rising’s targets in the first half.
In the first half, Utah had little to no run game which helped the Gators control the clock. This made Utah struggle to find a rhythm.
The offense had more options the second half with Kincaid and Vele as they started to run a hurry-up offense, which then helped open up their run game. After being held in check on the ground during the first half, Utah changed their approach of hitting the edges and ran right at Florida. Tavion Thomas would finish the night with 115 yard on 23 carries, and one touchdown, but he had two lackluster carries at the goal line when Utah couldn’t score.
Despite limited reps with mediocre numbers, is Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson for real?
Yes, he proved why he’s considered a high NFL prospect and why scouts and teams are so intrigued. The expectations were high for Anthony Richardson and he was ready for the moment. Richardson put on a show, rushing for 104 yards and three touchdowns to go with a spinning pump fake pass before finding his receiver alone in the corner of the end zone that has been viewed countless times. Richardson was a threat on every play, keeping the defenders on their toes.
Richardson will still need to showcase his arm, as most of his bigger passing plays came when Utah broke their containment and he rolled out of the pocket.
This was a great battle between two highly-regarded quarterbacks.
Which Utah defenders step up to make crucial stops?
The Utah defense was exposed Saturday, and to most who follow the recents years of Utah’s defensive dominance, this was a shock. Jonah Elliss delivered the hard hit for the forced fumble on the first drive. Aside from that, big plays were non-existent. Utah had an alarming amount of missed tackles. They also over pursued and failed to contain the edges, as Florida rushed for 272 yards on 39 attempts averaging 7.0 ypc.
With an overwhelming amount of full or part-time starters returning, this performance and the lack of clutch plays, was not what anyone has come to expect out of a Utah defense.
With Florida in the rear view mirror, this week’s questions center much more on the Utes than any threat the Thunderbirds can pose.
Will Utah look to deliberately get the wide receivers heavily involved?
The receivers had six receptions for 51 yards on Saturday. Half of those receptions came on the final drive and for 28 yards. It’s a well known fact that Utah’s playmakers in the passing game are at the tight end position, and there’s also Micah Bernard out of the backfield. The Florida cornerbacks posed a lot of challenges with their speed and athleticism, but it’s a baffling reality that the receivers—after all the preseason hype—failed to step up.
Saturday is a perfect opportunity to pad some of the receiver stats early and get those guys confidence. Utah needs to start hitting chunk plays on the outside if they want to take the offense to the next level and open things up even more for the tight ends to do their magic.
Does the defense adjust their scheme?
Utah unleashed their new relentless attacking approach along the defensive line and the results were bad. They had no sacks, they over-pursued, they bit hard inside when they needed to hold the edge—it didn’t look like Utah football, at all.
Whatever the adjustments, there needs to be something because Utah’s linebackers don’t appear ready to counteract the line’s mistakes. They also over-pursued and took bad angles.
All of this left the secondary completely exposed, especially when Richardson would roll out. Additionally, for the secondary, this is the perfect time to experiment with their three safety look which includes Clayton Isbell. This move would basically take the place of the nickel back position.
Will the Utes be motivated or play like they’re just going through the motions?
No one is doubting that the Utes could sleepwalk through this game and still win it. It’s going to be a convincing Utah win. If the Utes play motivated, that means the starters are out by halftime—after focusing on their Week 1 deficiencies, while playing pissed off and with a point to prove. If the team is still in a funk after the heartbreaker in Gainesville—followed by the travel nightmare—the starters will be in until near the end of the third quarter. The reality is, this is likely a really bad week for SUU to have to play Utah.
