The University of Utah came to conquer Thursday night against the Florida Gators and they did it with a vengeance, defeating the Gators 24-11. On both offense and defense, the Utes made a statement in their own way and sent the Gators back home with their first loss of the season.
It’s time to award the game balls:
Defensive game ball
The defense made sure to dial up pressure on Florida’s offense all night, making Graham Mertz uncomfortable in the pocket repeatedly as the Utes collapsed the pocket over and over, sacking Mertz five times.
Deciding who was the best choice for the game ball on defense, it was neck and neck between Jonah Eliss and Cole Bishop. Bishop led the team in tackles and had some punishing hits, but the game ball is going to Elliss.
The defensive line was hammered with injuries, but Elliss led a group that had four of the five sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. They also held a talented Florida rushing attack to 13 yards on 21 carries. They did all of this without Junior Tafuna, Connor O’Toole, and Simote Pepa.
Eliss was constantly in the backfield and applying pressure throughout the game. He finished with four tackles, sacking Graham Mertz twice and also had two TFLs. Elliss also helped close out the victory with a crucial pass deflection with 1:34 on the game clock. After dealing with a nagging injury last year Jonah said it feels good to be back and playing for the fans.
“I felt like last year we missed a lot of tackles, and this year we were really clean on our tackles, and everyone went and when the opportunity was presented, we really took care of it, so that’s probably what it was,” said Elliss. “It’s just tackling fundamentals and technique, which is what the coaches preach to us every week, everyday.”
Coach Whittingham also said Elliss played outstanding and relentless in tonight’s win — he’s an opponent the Gators will soon want to forget.
“Jonah Eliss is an absolute warrior out there. He’s quick, he’s relentless, he's got a motor that never stops,” said Whittingham. “He just keeps coming at you, snap after snap and chasing the ball. Doesn’t matter where it is, he’s running full tilt after it.”
Offensive game ball
There was no doubt that the offensive game ball went to Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson - this one has to be shared. The duo made sure to leave the Gators defense scrambling as the play calling by Andy Ludwig was also creative, to say the least.
Barnes provided early firepower with his arm as he connected a 70-yard pass to Money Parks’ on the first offensive play of the game. It was beautifully thrown and perfectly placed between defenders, hitting Parks in stride. Nate Johnson showcased his elite running ability, making it challenging for the Gators defense. Johnson rushed for a 27-yard touchdown, extending the Utes lead 14-3 in the second quarter.
Without Cam Rising, the two quarterbacks proved to be successful Thursday night, stepping in under center to keep the offense going without skipping a beat. Barnes finished the night with 159 yards passing and 11 yards rushing with two touchdowns. His numbers would have been even better, but there were some missed opportunities and Utah also went more conservative after gaining a comfortable lead. Johnson added 45 yards rushing and one touchdown. Barnes said after the game you couldn’t ask for a better quarterback system in the game.
“This dude’s got an extra dimension to him,” Barnes said of Johnson. “It’d be foolish not to use him as so, going back and forth. It’s like a dynamic duo. I’m in, you’re out; you’re in, I’m out. We just feed off each other and we got to keep that same rhythm, regardless of what quarterback is in.”
Utah is obviously itching to have Rising — the heart and soul of their offense back — but the duo of Barnes and Johnson have proven that they can steady the ship until the Captain is ready.
