What happened to the Utah Utes in their loss to Florida?
There's really no sugarcoating this one. In yet another big game against one of the top programs in the country, the Utes came up just short and are left wondering what if, rather than celebrating what would've been some of the biggest wins in program history.
So what went wrong against Florida in Gainesville? Well, there appears to be several key factors that led to a Utah loss instead of victory in SEC territory.
3. The decision to go for it on fourth down near the goal line in the third quarter put them in a bad spot
Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts during the second half against the Florida Gators at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports.
Sure, you can argue and say this easily could've turned out to be a great decision had Utah scored and put more points on the board, but the fact of the matter is, they didn't.
Now, its obviously an immense challenge to make decisions in the red zone, especially from the one yard line, but after several attempts to punch it in with the run game, Florida held their ground and Utah walked away with absolutely nothing on their first drive of the second half.
With how tight the game was and how many times they had just failed to punch it into the end zone on the previous plays, it's difficult to understand why the coaching staff elected to try on fourth down rather than just take three points. When you are on the road, especially in a hostile environment like the swamp, a more reserved approach would've paid dividends and even given them the lead.
This was early in the second half, not a do or die situation late where they needed seven points in order to remain in the game. It also proved to be incredibly costly down the stretch as they trailed by three and needed a touchdown to win. If only they would've taken those three points, a late field goal would've given them the lead, rather than the desperation for a touchdown which resulted in an interception.
Simply put, take the points however you can get them, especially in close games.
2. The defense missed too many tackles and Anthony Richardson took advantage
Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) points after he scores a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the first quarter at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports.
As expected, the passing game for the Gators wasn't really a factor, but the ground game sure was. For the night, Utah gave up 283 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns. Of those, quarterback Anthony Richardson had 106 yards on 11 carries (9.6 average) and three touchdowns.
"He's gonna get his, I mean, there's no way, the guy's 6-foot-4, 240 and runs like a 4.3, so there's no way you could keep him bottled up. But he just did the damage in key points in the game, key times in the game. He's a terrific player," Whittingham said about Richardson.
Like Whittingham said, it really was key moments in the game where Richardson burned Utah. While he did slither his way through the defense for a majority of the night, it was the fourth quarter where he got pretty much whatever he wanted.
The first example that comes to mind is the two-point conversion that Richardson single-handedly kept alive. Even though Utah loaded the left side with Lander Barton and Mohamoud Diabate, Richardson somehow managed to escape them both thanks to an incredible ball fake and some quick feet.
This really should've ended in a sack and kept it a one point game, but a missed tackle resulted in a different outcome.
The other was a converted fourth down on the Gators final scoring drive where Richardson was able to yet again escape a sticky situation and pick up nine yards for a first down to the Utah 17.
Throughout the entire game, Utah obviously had troubles tracking down Richardson, but these two plays proved to be absolutely critical. If Utah stops the two-point attempt, they simply would've needed a field goal at the end to win. Or, if Richardson doesn't convert that fourth down on their final scoring drive, Utah takes over on downs and runs the clock out. Regardless, missed tackles greatly cost the Utes and they have to better moving forward.
1. Rising's interception was just simply a poor choice in an intense moment
Florida Gators linebacker Amari Burney (2) celebrate as he intercepted the ball against the Utah Utes during the second half at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Despite what was actually a great game for Cameron Rising, intensity got the best of the talented quarterback and the Gators took full advantage to finish off the Utes.
With 22 seconds left and on just second down, Rising forced a pass into double coverage and that was it for Utah.
When you look back at the tape, Florida did have this very well covered and that pass never should've been delivered. With two tight ends and a receiver left, Florida stacked that side and there was really no space anywhere. Neither Brant Kuithe, Dalton Kincaid, or Solomon Enis were open whatsoever, and Devaughn Vele was just as well covered on the right side.
What this came down to was just a poor decision in the heat of the moment. It happens, even to the best of the best. Should Rising have just thrown this away or waited a few more seconds to see it develop? Probably. But he didn't and thats the end of it.
Overall, Utah still played a great game. They went head-to-head with a highly touted SEC program that will probably win a lot of games this season behind Richardson. So no, the season is not ruined, Whittingham is still a great coach, the defense will improve, and Rising is still that guy. It just turns out some key mistakes were made but rest assured, Utah will bounce back strong and are still the team to beat in the Pac-12.
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