Could The Florida Gators Versus Utah Utes Rematch Be A Thursday Night Game?
Jan 12, 2023, 1:16 PM
Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) fights to keep his balance on a run up the middle as Utah and Florida play in Gainesvillle, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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SALT LAKE CITY – Could the Florida Gator’s much anticipated visit to Salt Lake City to take on Utah football now be a Thursday night thriller?
The 2022 football season just officially ended with the National Championship Game on Monday and attention is already being turned to the 2023 season. For the Utes that means their season-opener with the Gators- a game that many fans have had circled since the series was originally announced back in 2019.
Florida’s visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium will be the biggest home opener for the Utes since they hosted Michigan in 2015 for Jim Harbaugh’s return to college football. Utah won the game 24-17 after nickelback Justin Thomas returned a 55-yard interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was also a Thursday night game.
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Rumor Has It…
Rumors have been circulating Thursday that Florida versus Utah could now be a Thursday night game to open the season, moving from Saturday, September 2, to Thursday, August 31. Nothing official has been released yet.
Utah and the rest of the Pac-12 Conference are still waiting on their official 2023 football schedules after being delayed for various reasons. There is hope the schedules will finally be released sometime next week.
Florida Versus Utah Turning Into A Game Of Intrigue
A game that was already intriguing just keeps getting more intriguing as time goes on.
The fact these two teams don’t regularly meet, and that the SEC rarely comes out west already made the game one to watch. Add in how good the game was last season at the Swamp (especially if you’re a Florida fan) and the fact the Utes will want some revenge on their turf and the game got kicked up a notch more.
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Now there will most likely be some “smoke and mirrors” and “cat and mouse” games heading into the opener with the return of quarterback Cam Rising and the unknowns of his injury he sustained in the Rose Bowl and whether or not he’ll be ready in time.
The Gators will also have questions to answer heading to Salt Lake City for Billy Napier’s second season, after quarterback Anthony Richardson declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.
If the game does in fact end up being played on Thursday instead of Saturday to open the season, all college football eyes will most certainly be focused on Salt Lake City and what happens next.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
