Utah is 27-4 in regular season non-conference games as a member of the Pac-12 and 33-9 in all non-conference games (including postseason) as a member of the Pac-12.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is 144-71 all-time and 75-55 all-time against current Power Five teams. Saturday's game vs. Florida marked Whittingham's 215th game at the helm and 340th on the sideline.
Utah is 77-51-1 all-time in season openers.Â
Utah won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
Offense
Quarterback Cameron Rising (216 yards passing) eclisped 200 yards in the air for the sixth time in his career. Rising had five such performances during the 2021 season.
Rising also rushed for 91 yards, one yard shy of his career-high.
Brant Kuithe (105 yards receiving) and running back Tavion Thomas (115 yards rushing) each recorded 100-yard games. It is the first time Utah has had both a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game since the Dec. 19, 2020 matchup with Washington State (Ty Jordan - 154 yards rushing; Britain Covey - 134 yards receiving).
Kuithe recorded a career-high nine receptions against Florida. It reset his previous career-high of eight catches vs. Oregon State during the 2020 season.
Kuithe now has 138 receptions in his career, the ninth best mark in program history. He passed Travis LaTendresse (135 rec.) in the contest.Â
Kuithe has caught a pass in 29 straight games, tied for the fourth-longest active streak in FBS football.
Thomas rushed for 115-yards, his eighth career-game with 100+ rushing yard game and his sixth in a Ute uniform.Â
Defense
R.J. Hubert's fumble recovery and subsequent 47-yard return were both the first of Hubert's career. The force was credited to Jonah Elliss and was the first of Elliss' career.
Hubert's 47-yard fumble return is the longest since Mika Tafua's 68-yard return in 2019 (vs. UCLA) and the eighth-longest in program history.
Cole Bishop led the Utes with 12 tackles in the game, which reset his career-high for tackles. Previously Bishop's career-high tackles was eight, which Bishop logged three times and most recently vs. Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Bishop's 12 tackles were the most by a Utah player in a season opener since Gionni Paul's 14-tackle performance vs. Michigan on Sept. 3, 2015.
Special Teams
Jordan Noyes made a career-long 43-yard field goal in the second quarter.
For the second time in his career, Noyes made two field goals (43, 31) in a contest. His first multi-field goal game was at Oregon State in 2021.
Punter Jack Bouwmeester made his collegiate debut with two punts totaling 93 yards. It includes a long of 48 yards during the second quarter.
Micah Bernard recorded his first career kick returns as a Ute (two returns for 35 yards).