What Should the Florida Gators Expect From Utah in the Season Opener?

Scouting the first Florida Gators opponent of the season in the Utah Utes with help from head coach Billy Napier and select players.

The Gators' regular season countdown clock is just hours from expiring.

Hosting the No. 7 Utah Utes at home in The Swamp to open Billy Napier's tenure as head coach is a daunting task that could kickstart the program in the right direction with a win or set a benchmark for how depleted the team really is following the previous regime.

As Florida heads into the 2022 season under the lights, the time for talk is (almost) over. However, before that time comes, All Gators breaks down what to expect from the visiting Utes team on Saturday night, with the help of Napier and select players from media availabilities leading up to the contest.

"I think they have a fantastic system on offense," Napier said. "They're balanced. This is a well-designed running attack, in my opinion. I admire the brand of football that they play."

Offensively, Utah employs a run-first system that will see a potential four-headed monster toting the rock out of the backfield. Equipped with the likes of veterans Tavion Thomas, Micah Bernard and Chris Curry, as well as a true freshman from Lake Gibson (Fla.) Jaylon Glover, the Utah rushing attack, will be the premier focus of Florida's defensive efforts.

When they don't rush the football, Utah will look to target the seams using two veteran tight ends in Dalton Kincaid and Brant Kuithe. The duo ranked as the first and third leading receivers on the team a season ago (in terms of yards) and return to give incumbent starter at quarterback Cameron Rising reliable faces in the passing game.

Their balanced attack, which leans heavier towards the run — with about 58% of their play calls being on the ground in 2021 — can wear opposing defenses out if they struggle to stymie the run on early down to force third and long/intermediate situations.

That's been a struggle for Florida of late.

However, fifth-year senior linebacker Amari Burney thinks the Gators are ready to do that.

"In scrimmages, we stopped the run pretty well," Burney said. "I feel like we're ready. It's going to be a great ability for us to stop the run and show you guys that we can stop the run. Utah is a run-heavy offense. They come in 12, 13 personnel and try to run the ball. We're going to get grimy and dirty and stop the run."

He added that co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney's gameplan makes them feel prepared to take on the challenge. A piece of that feeling of preparedness comes from a similar offensive attack they see in practice, one that uses a heavy dose of the run, 12 personnel sets to create mismatches with tight ends and a respectable passing attack.

If they can combat the dominant Utah rushing attack, the Gators will eliminate some of the play-action and run-pass option (RPO) opportunities for Rising to take advantage of the necessity to respect the ground game.

Defensively, Utah has a complementary identity to its offense with toughness and physicality. It can be the strength of their team if the pieces fall correctly into place.

However, after losing the likes of Devin Lloyd and Noah Sewell in the second level, the Utes are reeling to find their quarterback of the defense this season. Clark Phillips III, their star cornerback, and former UF 'backer Mohmoud Diabate are the most likely suitors to fill the leadership void on that side of the ball.

Tight end Dante Zanders is expecting Florida to replicate Utah's physicality on both sides of the ball as they have with each other all off-season.

"Forever prepared because we're a physical team as well, constantly playing against each other during the fall camp, spring, head butting every day," he said on Monday about the challenge of playing a physical unit. "So I feel like we're definitely going to be prepared."

Not only does Utah operate a similar scheme, but the program is established in a way Napier admires and will try to emulate as he rebuilds UF.

Returning 17 starting players from a season ago with a coach entering year 18 in Salt Lake City, the Utes are slated to be one of the most disciplined units in the nation.

"Coach Whittingham, I think is one of the best in the business and certainly runs a very consistent program, one that's always in contention. They've got a great identity in all three phases and we look forward to the challenge."

The two have faced once before during Napier's stint at Arizona State as offensive coordinator in 2017. The Sun Devils got the better of the Utes in Salt Lake City as Napier's offense hung 30 points on that year's 26th-ranked defense in yards allowed per game that season.

With vastly different rosters and circumstances, Napier will look to do much of the same to get a program-altering victory in week one.

It's a tone-setting opportunity against a highly regarded team.

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