The Florida Gators play host to No. 7 Utah during Week 1’s action on Saturday, giving us one of the more interesting non-conference showdowns we’ll see this season. The Utes are entering one of their most anticipated seasons in the program’s history, but entering The Swamp this week means one of the tightest points spreads of any top-10 team.
The Gators are entering a new era under freshman coach Billy Napier, who led the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to a 33-5 record over the past three seasons. However, Napier has work to do to rebuild Florida from a disappointing 2021 6-7 effort that derailed in the second half of the season.
The Utes have just started one of the best seasons in the program’s history. After starting a 1-2, Utah took nine wins in the next 10 games en route to winning its first Pac-12 championship. Running back Tavion Thomas was among the national leaders in rushing touchdowns with 21 scores and 1,108 yards in a breakout season.
Florida and Utah have only played once in the program’s history. The Gators defeated the Utes 38-29 on November 19, 1977, when Utah was a member of the WAC. However, both programs have gained national prominence over the past 45 years. Watch the Florida vs. Utah and follow live coverage during the game.
florida vs. Utah: must know
Tight end U: Few teams use their tight ends as dynamically as Utah. Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid combined 86 catches and 1,121 yards with 14 touchdowns in a sensational 2021 campaign. Third series Cole Fotheringham also saw 561 snaps, although mainly as a run-blocker. Whittingham uses his versatile tight ends in various ways to create mismatches against opposing defenses. In some ways, its versatility and physicality mimic what Florida might look like years into Napier’s tenure.
A new quarterback emerges: Gainesville-born Anthony Richardson showed incredible flashes during his freshman season in Florida, throwing for 529 yards, running for 401 yards and posting nine total touchdowns in limited appearances. Now the reins have been handed over to Richardson for the opener. He will be relied upon early and often as the Gators replace their top receiver and top three rushers with one of the most physical defenses in the country.
Key Pac-12 Moment: The Pac-12 hasn’t placed a team in the College Football Playoff since 2016, and Utah remains the league’s top contender heading into the season. However, traveling to a highly skilled Florida squad is one of the most visible games of the season. While Florida isn’t among the top teams in the SEC, a win over a talented opponent could do wonders for the Utes in the rankings — just look at UCLA last season after beating LSU. This is a game you need to win not just for Utah, but for the entire Pac-12.
How Florida vs. Watch Utah live
Date: Saturday 3 Sept. | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Place: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
florida vs. Utah forecast, choices
Featured game | Florida Gators vs. Utah Utes
The Utes are entering a culmination year as Florida enters Year 1 of a remodel, and the stakes have never been higher for the Utes. While there is a major recruiting gap between these two programs, Utah has not shied away from star recruiting in the past. Utah took the state of Ohio to the limit in the Rose Bowl. The Utes also crushed Oregon twice to ruin the Ducks’ College Football Playoff case. Write this down as a historic win for the program. Prediction: Utah -3
Which college football choices can you make with confidence in Week 1, and which big favorite is going down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread—all from a tried-and-true computer model that’s brought in nearly $3,600 in profits over the past six seasons—and find out.
#florida #Utah #Live #Stream #Channel #Watch #Online #Prediction #Choose #Spread #Football #Match #Odds