Florida's Week 1 loss to Utah marks yet another setback in non-conference games for the Gators in the last 34 years
Florida Gators did not have an ideal start to the 2023 college football season. The 24-11 loss at the hands of Utah Utes kicked off coach Billy Napier's second season with the team. Florida, who were once at the top of the pyramid, going on to win the 2009 national championship, are now not even favored to finish in the top half of the rankings.
Following the departure of quarterback Anthony Richardson to the NFL this year, the starting QB job was wide open. Their season opener against Utah also marked the debut of their Wisconsin transfer, Graham Mertz, who was picked as the starter for the season.
However, Mertz struggled with the offensive line, despite Utah's starting QB Cam Rising not featuring due to his ACL injury. Utah kept their composure and began the season on a winning note.
As confirmed by college football analyst Brett McMurphy, the loss meant that the Gators have not won a single non-conference game outside of Florida in the last 34 years.
The last time the Gators won a non-conference game outside of their state was back in 1989. This was when they played Memphis on September 23rd that year, winning the game 38-13. Since then, they played only one non-conference game outside of Florida, which was a 38-21 loss against Syracuse in 1991.
The Gators were once considered to be a great team under coach Urban Meyer over a decade ago. They had the likes of Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, and others, who led the team to glory. But the past few years have not been kind to the Gators, as they are finding it difficult to replicate the erstwhile success.
Florida Gators have had disappointing campaigns in this decade
The 2022 campaign marked the Billy Napier era. However, they could only manage a 6-7 record, which was a grim reminder of how they had to improve on both their defensive and offensive lines. However, Anthony Richardson was a crucial part of the roster that defeated Utah 29-26 when they last met in September 2022. His absence has definitely left a void in the offensive arsenal of the Gators.
The Gators finished 6-7 in 2021 as well. This led to the management deciding to fire coach Dan Mullen, who was in his fourth year with Florida. With the way things have been playing out for the Gators in the past few years, they have their work cut out for them.
It might turn out to be impossible for Napier to replicate the success the team enjoyed during Urban Meyer's era. But the only thing that he can hope for at the moment is to have a far better season than they have been having over the last few years.