Utah vs. Florida Game Thread…

[Mic]

Early 2nd Qtr.: Utah 7-3 after a missed FG by Florida (after a false start on 4th and 1 just outside the 10.  Pays to be lucky sometimes.  Could be the combination of noise and altitude .  Utah is not looking very impressive to me, but then Cam Rising isn't playing.  Go Utes.

[idontrollonshobbas]

UF’s starting DT goes 435lbs!  And Utahs 275lb center just hip dozed him about 5 yards on that last run up the gut!

Edited September 1, 2023 by idontrollonshobbas

[Mic]

On 8/31/2023 at 5:56 PM, idontrollonshobbas said:

UF’s starting DT goes 435lbs!  And Utahs 275lb center just hip dozed him about 5 yards on that last run up the gut!

Leverage.  Just like the coaches teach ya.  Leverage.  

[Mic]

Penalties are a big difference in this game so far.  Exactly why I worry so much about the Ducks' proclivity to get them.  14-3 Utah

[Mic]

Former Duck Micah Pittman (aka USC Trojan) just drops a big one on 3rd down.  Florida dodges a bullet. 17-3 Utah. Typical 1st game jitters, both teams.  THIS is what I watch to see on first games of the season - how well has Lanning got the Ducks ready to play.

[Mic]

Bottom line: Utah leading but not playing very well themselves.  It's just Florida playing poorly.  Whittingham can't be very happy despite leading at the Half.  This game look sluggish and like a few more days of practice for both teams definitely needed.  I sure hope Lanning has his team ready to play better than this.  We won't be able to compare tho, PSU isn't Florida. 17-3 at the Half. 

 

I do have to hand it to the Utah fans, tho.  Everyone is wearing Red.  I've never see Autzen get all Green, all Yellow or all Black like this.

[SoGaDawg]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:31 PM, Mic said:

Bottom line: Utah leading but not playing very well themselves.  It's just Florida playing poorly.  Whittingham can't be very happy despite leading at the Half.  This game look sluggish and like a few more days of practice for both teams definitely needed.  I sure hope Lanning has his team ready to play better than this.  We won't be able to compare tho, PSU isn't Florida. 17-3 at the Half. 

 

I do have to hand it to the Utah fans, tho.  Everyone is wearing Red.  I've never see Autzen get all Green, all Yellow or all Black like this.

Yeah, I agree with your assessment.  On a bright note for FL, Mertz has looked ok.  Not great on short and screen passes but not terrible.  They need to block much better though.

[Santa Rosa Duck]

Utah looking awfully good playing their third string QB.

[jrw]

Utes have an outstanding punter.

[idontrollonshobbas]

Whittingham is Belottiesque in his ability to do more with less.

[Mic]

On 8/31/2023 at 7:29 PM, idontrollonshobbas said:

Whittingham is Belottiesque in his ability to do more with less.

I think he's being entirely too conservative in this 2nd Half.  They are not putting an awful playing Florida away on their home field.

[TexasDuck]

On 8/31/2023 at 8:20 PM, Mic said:

Former Duck Micah Pittman (aka USC Trojan) just drops a big one on 3rd down.  Florida dodges a bullet. 17-3 Utah. Typical 1st game jitters, both teams.  THIS is what I watch to see on first games of the season - how well has Lanning got the Ducks ready to play.

Michael Pittman Jr was at SC.  Micah is the younger brother.

[Mic]

On 8/31/2023 at 7:41 PM, TexasDuck said:

Michael Pittman Jr was at SC.  Micah is the younger brother.

You are correct.  After leaving Oregon he went to FSU.  Guess things didn't work out for him there either.  I once told a friend of mine I thought he was gonna be a great one at Oregon.  Boy, was I wrong!

[GatOrlando]

Congrats to the Utes! I don't know how good of a win this will be looked upon down the road, but you can only focus on the now in college football. Utah was the better team throughout the game, they have a great home environment, and they play really solid defense.  Hopefully their QB Rising can come back soon. They'll need him against all the great QB's in the PAC this year.

[Mudslide]

Thanks for the info on this game, gents.  I, unfortunately, subscribe to Spectrum.  They refused to pay Disney's asking price for their programming and Disney/ESPN shut down the feed...right at game time.  There is no word on when we may (or may not) see ESPN again on Spectrum. 

 

Gads I hate cable.  The only reason I'm not on DirecTV was to get the Duck games.  Guess I'll have to find a decent streamer channel for sports or maybe go to Direct and fubo. 

 

Ugh........... I hate this stuff.  Our cost increases for everything is getting out of hand.

[Nevada Dawg]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:07 PM, Mudslide said:

Thanks for the info on this game, gents.  I, unfortunately, subscribe to Spectrum.  They refused to pay Disney's asking price for their programming and Disney/ESPN shut down the feed...right at game time.  There is no word on when we may (or may not) see ESPN again on Spectrum. 

 

Gads I hate cable. 

All I have to say (as a Spectrum customer) is they  d--n well better find a way to settle this pronto or I'm almost certainly off to Direct TV.

 

I had to keep up with the game by finding a game summary on-line and updating it every five minutes or so. Just ridiculous in this day and age.

 

As for the hated Gators, I went to the Talkin Dawgs site and looked at the game thread there. There are a lot of knowledgeable fans there, including several football coaches, and the consensus seemed to be that the biggest Gator weakness was their horrendous OL play. I can't confirm, of course, with my own eyes, but if that line couldn't handle a somewhat undersized Utah DL, what happens when they hit the SEC horror show of Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Some of the pundits who picked the Gators to finish 5th in the 6-team SEC East might not be as far off as I had earlier suspected they were.

 

Incidentally, I fully expected Utah to win this game, though am surprised how easy it was given that Cam Rising could not go.

[SoGaDawg]

On 9/1/2023 at 1:23 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

All I have to say (as a Spectrum customer) is they  d--n well better find a way to settle this pronto or I'm almost certainly off to Direct TV.

 

I had to keep up with the game by finding a game summary on-line and updating it every five minutes or so. Just ridiculous in this day and age.

 

As for the hated Gators, I went to the Talkin Dawgs site and looked at the game thread there. There are a lot of knowledgeable fans there, including several football coaches, and the consensus seemed to be that the biggest Gator weakness was their horrendous OL play. I can't confirm, of course, with my own eyes, but if that line couldn't handle a somewhat undersized Utah DL, what happens when they hit the SEC horror show of Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Some of the pundits who picked the Gators to finish 5th in the 6-team SEC East might not be as far off as I had earlier suspected they were.

 

Incidentally, I fully expected Utah to win this game, though am surprised how easy it was given that Cam Rising could not go.

Florida made way too many mistakes in this game.  But if their O-line had played decent they probably would have been in the game IMO.  If they fix the mistakes and play better up front they could be a tough team.  But if not, the SEC is gonna eat Mertz alive!  But it wasn’t just not pass blocking.  FL has talent at RB and they couldn’t find the run game.

 

Hats off to Utah, they controlled the game!  Florida is lucky Risen wasn’t healthy, or it would’ve looked much uglier.  

Edited September 1, 2023 by SoGaDawg

[Autzen Magic]

To me, Florida’s OL play wasn’t just assignment errors that can be easily fixed.  It looked like a real weak spot. 

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

On 9/1/2023 at 1:23 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

All I have to say (as a Spectrum customer) is they  d--n well better find a way to settle this pronto or I'm almost certainly off to Direct TV.

 

I had to keep up with the game by finding a game summary on-line and updating it every five minutes or so. Just ridiculous in this day and age.

I have Spectrum as well. I signed up for Sling TV with their sports package and will be cutting the cord this weekend. It’s half the price of my cable bill.

[Mic]

On 8/31/2023 at 7:24 PM, Santa Rosa Duck said:

Utah looking awfully good playing their third string QB.

Later, in the 2nd Half, I thought Johnson hurt the team more than helped them.  I don't understand why a coach as savvy as Whittingham kept bringing him in late in the game.  A better team than Florida (allowed to stay in the game like that) beats Utah.  It was as much (imo) a bad effort by the Gators as a decent one by the Utes that won this game.  Johnson needs lots more work to be ready.

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:17 AM, DrJacksPlaidPants said:

I have Spectrum as well. I signed up for Sling TV with their sports package and will be cutting the cord this weekend. It’s half the price of my cable bill.

I finally got the kinks in Sling ironed out.  I had to reboot it to get it to work.  Fortunately it was 2 hours before the Utah game kicked off.  So far, Sling's working out fine.  Where I live cable is not an option and dishes down't get things done come bad weather.  Our biggest problem with streaming is our Internet speed here in the mountains is barely adequate.

Edited September 1, 2023 by Mic

[Tandaian]

I dropped DishTV last week.  They had been arguing with FOX since November 2022.  Not all DishTV areas are arguing with FOX, but I was tired of using my antenna and not being able to record FOX.  I switched to Xfinity/Comcast.  

 

It is funny how dropping cable will likely end up costing us more money in a few years.  If every TV station does their own streaming service, that is really going to make it expensive to watch everything.

[Pennsylvania Duck]

 

Backup quarterbacks lead No. 14 Utah to season-opening win over Florida

PAC-12.COM

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No. 14 Utah beat Florida 24-11 on August 31, 2023 in Salt Lake City. The Utes were without starting quarterback Cam Rising in...

 

 

 

[savagefund]

That was not a pretty game but it sure is a better way to start off the season than last year.  It usually takes Utah's o-line a few games to start opening holes so if the Utes can get past Baylor I think they will be in good shape come conference time.  I saw a few guys playing who didn't even show up on the depth chart.  In the end, 1-0 is a lot nicer to look at than 0-1.

[Pennsylvania Duck]

Gold: Forget the long bomb, Utah showed its might on 2 big defensive stands

 

Well, that didn’t take long.

 

For anyone wondering how Utah’s offense would look on Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium with Cam Rising sidelined for its rematch with the Florida Gators, Bryson Barnes answered the question in about 3 seconds.

 

On the Utes’ very first play of the game, Barnes uncorked a 70-yard touchdown bomb to the aptly named Money Parks, giving the team an early lead it would not relinquish in an eventual 24-11 win.

 

But, believe it or not, that was not Utah’s most impressive play of the game.

 

That was razzle-dazzle, good timing, and a bit of zigging when Utah normally goes zagging, which head coach Kyle Whittingham highlighted in a halftime interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, telling her, “We’ve opened up, fairly conservatively the last several years, I figured let’s change it up this year.”

 

Exciting or not, relieving or not, stomach-settling or not — that’s not Utah football.

 

What they did on defense on back-to-back drives in the third quarter?

 

Now, that was Utah football...

 

Gold: Forget the long bomb, Utah showed its might on 2 big defensive stands

SATURDAYOUTWEST.COM

---

Utah's offense did enough -- including a Bryson Barnes-to-Money Parks 70-yard touchdown pass on its very first play -- but the...

 

 

 

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 9:03 AM, savagefund said:

  I saw a few guys playing who didn't even show up on the depth chart. 

Utah opened the season with a lot of injuries, not the least their starting QB.  Should be a serious wake-up call to the Florida people who had a mostly intact roster and still looked awful.

[EastBayDuckDad]

On 8/31/2023 at 7:27 PM, jrw said:

Utes have an outstanding punter.

I believe he is an Aussie like Dunne.

Good on ya, Mate!

 

Florida looked sluggish and a bit out of shape. Maybe the altitude in spite of everyone having a personal oxygen cylinder. Ute D is solid and disciplined. How many sacks they get, like six? 

 

Biggest concern for Utah is how their offense petered out in the second half. They'll be better once they get Rising and Kuithe back. It'll be a great game in Rice-Eccles against the Ducks. 

[KCDuck1]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:49 PM, Mic said:

You are correct.  After leaving Oregon he went to FSU.  Guess things didn't work out for him there either.  I once told a friend of mine I thought he was gonna be a great one at Oregon.  Boy, was I wrong!

Mic, Thanks for the information on Micah Pittman. With a lot of humility and hard work, Micah could have been so. But attitude (and timing) are critical, and I believe it was all about Micah. When Micah was "on", Micah could be spectacular. I hope the Ducks will minimize his success when we play the Utes.
 

Otherwise, the Utes have played a different than expected first half - that is related to no Cam Rising. Loved that 70-yard bomb right between a S and a DB.

 

VR,

KCDuck1

Edited September 1, 2023 by KCDuck1

[DanLduck]

Utah seems to have more depth then previously reported.

Without starting qb and key starters on offense and defense, they looked very solid for a first game.

 

Missed assignments, missed tackles, dropped passes, are all part of game one, but the Utes weren't excessive on this aspect. 

 

Florida on the other hand looked slow on defense and weak on offense. Plus I thought offensive play calling was very weak.

 

After watching both USuC, and Utah, the Utes look much more solid with their O-line and definitely on their defensive front.

 

Our game in Salt Lake is looking much tougher to me than the home stand against usc.

 

I'm actually looking forward to watching the Beavers play San Jose on Sunday to compare against USuC.

 

But first, Saturday. 

Go Ducks!!

[Jon Joseph]

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/kirk-herbstreit-8-word-reaction-florida-embarrassing-loss-utah

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 11:03 AM, EastBayDuckDad said:

Biggest concern for Utah is how their offense petered out in the second half. They'll be better once they get Rising and Kuithe back. It'll be a great game in Rice-Eccles against the Ducks. 

If Whittingham is as smart as I think he is (he certainly knows how to coach football) he'll be done with this revolving door QB thing.  UNLESS, he's doing it to try and keep Johnson and/or Barnes from the Transfer portal.  The portal monster has got to be a nightmare for every coach in America.  My guess is Johnson played even when he clearly wasn't ready strictly to try and hang on to him for the future.

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 12:17 PM, Jon Joseph said:

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/kirk-herbstreit-8-word-reaction-florida-embarrassing-loss-utah

It'd be easy to dump on Florida after that performance but I won't.  I'm glad Utah won and doing so without all the starters they had out was a huge indicator of how badly prepared Florida was for the game.  Maybe Napier isn't quite the coach everyone was telling us.  It's not easy being a head coach nowadays (if it ever was).  

And this is precisely the same concern I have about Dan Lanning.  While almost everyone thinks he's the cats meow, my vote is still out on him.  I like him but liking a guy personally isn't the point here.  Winning games is.  Especially at today's salaries.

[Log Haulin]

On 9/1/2023 at 12:28 PM, Mic said:

It'd be easy to dump on Florida after that performance but I won't.  I'm glad Utah won and doing so without all the starters they had out was a huge indicator of how badly prepared Florida was for the game.  Maybe Napier isn't quite the coach everyone was telling us.  It's not easy being a head coach nowadays (if it ever was).  

And this is precisely the same concern I have about Dan Lanning.  While almost everyone thinks he's the cats meow, my vote is still out on him.  I like him but liking a guy personally isn't the point here.  Winning games is.  Especially at today's salaries.

Dude won 10 games as the youngest first year head coach. Then turned around and put together a top 10 class while bringing in Dudes from the Portal.

 

He is on the cusp of a second top 10 class. And his third class is sitting at #4 right now.

 

All of this in the wake of a NC win as the DC of one of the best D in college football history. How many did he put into the NFL from his UGA Defense? 

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 12:33 PM, Log Haulin said:

Dude won 10 games as the youngest first year head coach. Then turned around and put together a top 10 class while bringing in Dudes from the Portal.

 

He is on the cusp of a second top 10 class. And his third class is sitting at #4 right now.

I understand.  But let's see Season 2 and Season 3 and so on....  Don't misunderstand, I hope he's the best hire in CFB for the past 50 years.

[kirklandduck]

Considering they didn't have Cam Rising this was a solid win for Utah!

[Mic]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:58 PM, kirklandduck said:

Considering they didn't have Cam Rising this was a solid win for Utah!

And, against an SEC team.  The Pac-12 was always getting dissed by the SEC.  Now, in this last season of its existence, it's a big win for the Pac.

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

On 9/1/2023 at 1:23 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

All I have to say (as a Spectrum customer) is they  d--n well better find a way to settle this pronto or I'm almost certainly off to Direct TV.

 

I had to keep up with the game by finding a game summary on-line and updating it every five minutes or so. Just ridiculous in this day and age.

 

After downloading Sling I called and gave Spectrum the Lex Grossman treatment. Both companies are to blame, but Disney holds all the cards because they own most of the content, so I can’t really drop them.

Edited September 2, 2023 by DrJacksPlaidPants

[Mudslide]

On 9/2/2023 at 6:51 AM, DrJacksPlaidPants said:

After downloading Sling I called and gave Spectrum the Lex Grossman treatment. Both companies are to blame, but Disney holds all the cards because they own most of the content, so I can’t really drop them.

Apparently Sling does not carry the PAC-12 Network.  Are you keeping the cable in order to watch all things Ducks?

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

I got the sports package with Sling. PAC 12 is included.

[kirklandduck]

On 9/2/2023 at 12:05 PM, Mudslide said:

Apparently Sling does not carry the PAC-12 Network.  Are you keeping the cable in order to watch all things Ducks?

You have to add the optional sports package.

[OhioDuck]

On 9/1/2023 at 12:07 AM, Mudslide said:

Thanks for the info on this game, gents.  I, unfortunately, subscribe to Spectrum.  They refused to pay Disney's asking price for their programming and Disney/ESPN shut down the feed...right at game time.  There is no word on when we may (or may not) see ESPN again on Spectrum. 

 

Gads I hate cable.  The only reason I'm not on DirecTV was to get the Duck games.  Guess I'll have to find a decent streamer channel for sports or maybe go to Direct and fubo. 

 

Ugh........... I hate this stuff.  Our cost increases for everything is getting out of hand.

Yeah, I missed a few things I wanted to see because of that, but on the good side, I'm watching the Ducks now on the PAC channel when it isn't part of my package. Shhh....

[Mic]

On 9/2/2023 at 2:03 PM, kirklandduck said:

You have to add the optional sports package.

I have Sling Orange +Sports and yes, there are six Pac-12 channels provided thru +Sports, including 'Pac-12 Oregon'.