Three keys to a Utes victory: No. 7 Utah at Florida Gators

As the No. 7 Utes travel to Gainesville this week for a matchup with Florida, there are three areas of focus that could help them defeat the Gators.

With the college football season now upon us, the Utah Utes are making their final preparations for their week one matchup with the Florida Gators. While there has been plenty of planning and scheming over the last few months, there are several key areas that could help the Utes walk away with a victory against a respected SEC opponent.

3. All Gas, No Breaks From Kickoff 

Florida Gators fans gesture and yell on third down during a football game against Samford University, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville Fla. Nov. 13, 2021 / The Gainesville Sun-USA TODAY NETWORK

Not that this is anything out of the ordinary, but a fast start would greatly benefit the Utes in what will be a relentless environment in Gainesville. Whether they're on offense or defense to begin Saturday's game, either a touchdown or quick defensive stop would go a long way in terms of a potential victory. 

"Yeah, this may may be the most hostile I mean, it's first game of the year, night game, new coaching staff, a lot of excitement. We're sure that that place is going to be very, very loud and difficult to play in...they're right on top of you there. I don't know if you've ever been to the swamp but they're right on top of you. The crowd is a big factor in games in the swamp," Utah Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said in his Monday press conference.

First off, the SEC is just different. Football is not a game, it's a religion out there and when nearly 90,000 fans are screaming at you, you've got to suck the life out of that place. If Utah can eliminate the fans impact early, they can control the atmosphere and somewhat erase the home-field advantage.

Second, the Utes need to set the tempo and assert themselves as the dominate force right from the beginning. Do not allow Florida to think they have any chance of controlling this football game and get in their heads by coming out swinging. 

2. The offensive line and running backs have got to be on top of their game

Jaylon Glover, Utah Utes Fall Camp / Courtesy of Utah Athletics

"The offense goes as the offensive line goes," and that will very much be the case for the Utes in Gainesville. Obviously each and every game, the offensive line is going to be a primary factor in whether or not a team wins but it will be absolutely critical for Utah's offensive line to be ready right from the start.

Over the past few years, it's taken the offensive line a few games to figure things out and thats been somewhat problematic for Utah. Last season, both the line and running backs struggled for the first few games which lead to notable losses against BYU and San Diego State. That cannot happen against Florida. Not only will Cameron Rising need protection, but Utah will need to have a solid run game, and they can only go as far as the offensive line allows them by creating seams and gaps.

As for the running backs themselves, it's time to live up to all that preseason hype and prove they are one of the best rooms in the country. With how solid Florida's secondary is, passing may prove to be difficult and a solid rush-game could be the answer.

Looking back at last season, the difference in terms of yards allowed in wins vs losses for the Gators was sizable. In their seven losses, the Gators allowed an average of 205 yards compared to just 116 in their victories. Obviously it's a new season, but if Utah can get around 200 yards on the ground they should walk away with a W. Lucky for the Utes, the same group that averaged 216 yards per game last season is back and should be even better in 2022.

1. Contain Anthony Richardson

Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) makes a pass as he is tackled in the first half. The Florida Gators lead 21-0 at the half over the Vanderbilt Commodores / Doug Engle-USA TODAY NETWORK

At 6-foot-4, 232 pounds, Richardson is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who can hurt you in a plethora of ways. Last season, Richardson completed 59.4% of his passes and recorded 930 total yards of offense, including 401 rushing and 529 passing.

Richardson then built on last season with a great spring game performance, finishing 18-25 for 207 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also found the end zone with his legs on a 12-yard touchdown run.

While Richardson has come a long way in the passing game, Utah shouldn't have an issue defending against it with their stacked and experienced secondary. However, in terms of the linebacker group, there are quite a few new faces and a considerable amount of inexperience. This very well may be where the game is determined defensively. If Utah's linebackers can do a good job at helping to contain Richardson, he's going to have a really tough time picking apart Utah through the air.

Whether or not the linebackers are ready is yet to be determined, but according to Karene Reid and Kyle Whittingham, confidence is high heading into the Swamp.

Karene Reid on the LB room: “For the linebacker group as a whole, I might be more confident than last year. We had superstars playing last year but for the group as a whole, I’m super confident.” #GoUtes

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) August 31, 2022

Kyle Whittingham: “Very confident [in the linebackers]. We lost a lot of production but we feel this is a good group. Not a lot of experience obviously but a lot of upside.” #GoUtes

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) August 31, 2022

Facebook - @FanNationAllUtes

Twitter - @FN_AllUtes

Instagram - @fannation_allutes