WHAT HAPPENED: Quarterback Bryson Barnes threw a 70-yard touchdown pass on Utah's first play from scrimmage and the 14th-ranked, injury-hampered Utes never looked back in handing Florida a 24-11 defeat in their Thursday night opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Barnes, starting for injured fifth-year senior Cameron Rising, teamed with speedy redshirt freshman Nate Johnson under center to make just enough plays to run up a 21-point lead second-half lead, while the Utah defense thoroughly frustrated the UF offense in the debut of quarterback Graham Mertz. Barnes, making just his second career start, completed 12 of 18 passes for 159 yards, the long touchdown and also rushed for a second-half score. His opening-play, deep-post bomb to wideout Money Parks was a beauty and sailed over the top of the UF defense (beating cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.and Michigan transfer safetyR.J. Moten) for the tone-setting TD just 110 seconds into the game. Johnson, in his limited series, did his damage on the ground, rushing six times for 45 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown dash in the second quarter. Barnes's long TD pass and Johnson's long TD run accounted for 97 of Utah's 270 total yards (just 38 in the second half), but turned out to be plenty to send the Gators to just their second season-opening defeat over the previous 33 years in the second season under Coach Billy Napier. Mertz, the redshirt-junior transfer from Wisconsin, had a rough orange-and-blue intro. Yes, he hit 31 of his 44 attempts for 333 yards and a touchdown, but also threw a costly an interception in minus territory and was sacked five times. His struggles were unit wide, though, as the Gators got next to no help from the Montrell Johnson Jr./Trevor Etienne-led rushing attack that was supposed to be a strength of the UF offense. The UF ground game managed just 13 yards on 21 carries, despite facing a Utah defense that lost one of its best players, junior linebacker Karene Reid, to a concussion early in the first half. The Gators also failed on their first nine third-down conversion attempts (and finished 1-for-13 for the game), their first two fourth-down attempts, were penalized nine times, including three brutal flags on third-and-1s in Utah territory and missed a 32-yard first-half field goal that would have made the score 7-6. Johnson's scoring run, aided by an illegal substitution special penalty that kept a drive alive after the UF defense forced a punt, and a 51-yard Cole Becker field goal had Utah up 17-3 at halftime. The margin grew to 24-3 early in the third when Mertz threw a deflected interception deep in his own territory and Barnes took advantage with a 5-yard scoring scramble on third-and-4. Mertz's lone TD of the night, a 19-yard fade to sophomore Caleb Douglas (plus a two-point conversion catch byEugene Wilson III) with 9:22 left, cut the Utah lead to 13, but UF's last-ditch possession to close the gap included a penalty that nullified a first down, a sack and, finally, a deflected pass on fourth-and-14 with 1:39 go play at the Utes' 33.
Quarterback Graham Mertz (15) had a tough UF debut Thursday night.
WHAT IT MEANS: Winning on the road, two time zones away, in a notoriously hostile environment (at altitude, no less) was a tough ask to begin with. Everyone knew that. The Gators got a break, what with the Utes minus their superstar quarterback and best receiving threat (tight end Brant Kuithe was out with a knee injury), plus some missing bodies on defense, but couldn't capitalize. That first Utah play was a killer and UF never recovered. Now, the Gators get the next three games (and four of the next five) at home to reset.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Utah's defense, particularly a front seven that harassed Mertz all night and completely prevented (or deterred) the Gators from running the ball. In UF's 29-26 win last season at Gainesville, the Gators rushed 39 times for 283 yards (albeit with Anthony Richardson at quarterback) and averaged 7.3 yards per carry. This time: 21 attempts, 13 yards and a 0.6 per. Florida's longest running play was an 11-yard scramble by Mertz.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators have lost four in a row (this one, plus defeats at Vanderbilt, at Florida State and vs. Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl to close the 2022 season) for the first time since the 2017 season.
UP NEXT: Florida (0-1) will be back in Gainesville for the 2023 home opener Sept. 9 against McNeese State, an FCS program out of the Southland Conference. The Cowboys open their '23 season Saturday night at home against Tarleton State. UF and McNeese will play for the first time.
