Utah Football: In-Game Notes vs. Florida

General

Attendance for the game is 53,644. It is a Rice-Eccles Stadium record, resetting the previous facility record of 53,609 vs. USC in 2022.
Utah has sold out Rice-Eccles Stadium in 77 consecutive games, dating back to the 2010 season opener. Capacity currently sits at 51,444 with the completion of the Ken Garff Red Zone in 2021. Previously, capacity was 45,807.
Utah won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Utes defended the North goal to begin the game.

Offense

Quarterback Bryson Barnes made his second carer start and first inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. He was 4-for-4 on his first four pass attempts for 108 yards and a touchdown.
On Utah's first offensive play of the game Barnes threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Money Parks. It was a career-long pass for Barnes and a career-long reception for Parks.
The last time Utah scored a touchdown on its first offensive play of the game was in 2012 at Colorado, when Travis Wilson threw a 16-yard score to Dres Anderson. (via Greg Mroz / STATS Inc)
Parks' touchdown reception was his fourth as a Ute (one in 2021, two in 2022).
Converted tight end (from defensive end) Miki Suguturaga made his first collegiate reception during the first quarter (17 yards).
Quarterback Nate Johnson entered the game during the second quarter and contributed a 27-yard rushing touchdown; it was a career-long rush for Johnson surpassing a 21-yard rush during the Stanford game in 2022.
Johnson's score capped a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive. It was Utah's first scoring drive of 80-plus yards since an 81-yard touchdown sequence in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship vs. USC.
True freshman Spencer Fano started the game at left tackle. Since at least 1996, Fano is the first true freshman (redshirts not included) at Utah to start a season opener at left tackle.
Across the entire offensive line, Fano was just the third true freshman since 2005 to start a season opener (2020 - Jaren Kump RT; 2019 - Johnny Maea RG)

Defense

Utah forced three-and-outs on Florida's first two drives of the night.
Dating back to the 2022 regular season finale at Colorado, it was the third time in Utah's last four games that the Utes held its opponent to a three-and-out on its opening drive.
Safety Cole Bishop contributed a 12-yard sack during the second quarter. It ties a single-game career-high and brings Bishop to 5.5 sacks in his career.
On a double-tip (including one to himself), safety Sione Vaki recorded his first career interception during the third quarter.
Utah's four TFL (as of the third quarter) surpass the team's two TFL at Florida in the 2022 season opener.
Defensive end Jonah Elliss recorded his second sack of the night during the third quarter; it was a fourth-down stop and set a single-game career-high for Elliss.
Making his return to the Utes, linebacker Sione Fotu reset his career-high tackles (previously four vs. USC in 2020).

Special Teams

Kicker Cole Becker made his Utah debut. Becker made a 51-yard field goal during the second quarter; it was the first make of 50-plus yards by a Utah kicker since Jaden Redding made a 50-yarder as the first half expired in the 2021 Pac-12 Championship vs. Oregon.
Including his time at Colorado, Becker has made four career field goals of 50-plus yards; it is tied for sixth-most among active FBS kickers (via Greg Mroz)
Punter Jack Bouwmeester had a 61-yard punt during the third quarter; it is a career-long for Bouwmeester and the longest by a Ute since Ben Lennon booted a 62-yard punt vs. Northern Illinois in 2019.
Later in the third quarter, Bouwmeester blasted a 64-yard punt from his own end zone. It was the longest punt by a Ute since Mitch Wishnowsky's 68-yarder against Oregon in 2018.
Bouwmeester is the first Utah punter since 2014 to have multiple 60-yard punts in a game. Tom Hackett was the last to accomplish the feat, booting a 65- and 70-yard punt at Colorado on Nov. 29, 2014. (via Greg Mroz / STATS Inc.)

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