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Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier works the sideline against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Florida loss another humbling moment for program stuck in neutral

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 9/1/23

The Florida Gators are a long way from their glory days, and we got another reminder of that on Thursday night, when they were on the losing end of a lopsided 24-11 game at No. 14 Utah to open their season.

When you consider the way the 2022 season ended under head coach Billy Napier, it does not exactly paint a promising picture for what could be ahead this season.

The Gators were bullied all over the field — especially along the lines — and seemed completely overwhelmed by the hostile environment that Utah can present for road teams. Florida managed just 13 yards rushing on 21 attempts offensively, looked slow on defense and did not actually generate a touchdown drive until late in the fourth quarter when the game was already wrapped up for the Utes.

With that loss, the Gators have now lost four consecutive games going back to the end of the 2022 season and been outscored by a 130-76 margin.

It also adds to a rather infamous streak that has seen the Gators go 34 years without winning a true non-conference road game outside of the state of Florida.

With Florida's loss at Utah, Gators still have not won a true road non-conference game outside the state of Florida in 34 years since beating Memphis on Sept. 23, 1989. Of course, UF has only played two true road non-SEC games outside of Florida in last 34 years since the UM win
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 1, 2023

We already knew SEC teams do not like to travel for non-conference road games, but that really takes it to the extreme. It might be a good reminder as to why those teams do not like to travel. Whatever benefit they might get from a win on the road does not outweigh what happens to them if they lose. The risk-reward just isn't there, and when you already play a tough in-conference schedule it is understandable why they want to make things easier out of conference.

Florida is finding that out already after Week 1.

On one hand, you do not want to make too much out of a season-opening loss against a ranked opponent on the road, especially at a place like Utah that can traditionally be a tough place to play.

But this had to be more than a little concerning for the Gators, especially after the way the 2022 season ended with some ugly losses, including a dreadful loss at Vanderbilt.

If Florida is unable to run the ball or defend at Utah, and if that environment rattle the team, what is going to happen when the Gators actually get into the meat of the SEC schedule? They still have four more ranked opponents on their schedule, including three top-10 teams (Georgia, LSU and Florida State). One of those games is on the road (at LSU) while another (Georgia) is at a neutral site.

Unless something dramatically changes after Thursday, the Gators could be staring a third consecutive losing season in the face. That sort of thing has not happened at Florida since the 1940s.

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