SALT LAKE CITY, Uta. – The University of Florida Gators begin the 2023 football campaign on the road against the Utah Utes on Thursday, Aug. 31.
When/where: Thursday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT
Recommended Videos
Where to watch: ESPN
How to listen: Gators Sports Network Sirius XM Channel 136 or 190
Odds: Utah -6.5, O/U 46.5 (Vegas Insider)
This will be the second game in a home-and-home series between Florida and Utah. Last season, the Gators won in a 29-26 thriller in their home opener against the Utes, who were ranked No. 7 at the time. The Gators have a 2-0 record against the Utes.
Florida will be on the road for the first game of the season for the first time since 2020 when the Gators played against Ole Miss. Their record for season openers on the road is 8-13 all-time. Last year’s win over Utah was the first win over a ranked opponent for the Gators in 53 years.
Head Coach Billy Napier will begin his second season at the helm following a 6-7 season in 2022. He was the first Gators coach to defeat a ranked team in his debut.
Napier announced transfer quarterback Graham Mertz will get the start. Mertz transferred from Wisconsin, where he played in 34 games with a 19-13 record and 5, 405 passing yards and 38 touchdowns.
In the SEC media preseason poll, Florida was projected to finish fifth in the Eastern Division. Other teams in the division include Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt.