Utah endured a discouraging start to the 2022 season with a 29-26 loss to Florida. The team’s troubles didn’t end after the final whistle.
Utes communications director Paul Kirk confined Sunday that a charter flight scheduled to leave Gainesville Regional Airport late Friday night got delayed because of mechanical issues. A Twitter user posted photos of players stranded at the airport at 5:25 a.m. local time.
According to Dan Orlovsky, who called the game for ESPN, the team sat in the plane for four hours before getting let off.
KSL.com’s Josh Furlong reported Sunday that they were still stuck in Florida. Some Utah coaches were on his flight from Jacksonville in an effort “to get them home however they can.”
Utah athletics director Mark Harlan said they expect to fly home “later today” and thanked the Gators for offering them assistance with hotels, busses, and food during the ordeal.
Utah opened No. 7 in the AP poll before falling to Anthony Richardson and the Gators. Losing on an end-zone turnover in the game’s closing seconds is bad enough before adding arduous travel hassles.
Once the team finally gets home, they’ll stay in Utah for two home games against Southern Utah and San Diego State. Let’s hope their next trip to and from Arizona State on Sept. 24 goes smoother.