Breaking down Florida’s game-by-game schedule for the 2023 college football season

Aug. 31 at Utah: Florida beat Utah in their season opener last year 29-26. Quarterback Cam Rising will return for his senior season and with the game being in Salt Lake City this year, the Utes may not allow a win this time around. Utah 32-26

Sep. 9 vs McNeese: Florida and McNeese will meet for the first time ever in Week 2. McNeese, an FCS school, went 4-7 overall last year, 2-4 in the Southland Conference and only won one road game. UF 45-7

Sep. 16 vs Tennessee: Tennessee beat Florida last season 38-33 and led the nation in scoring offense with 46.1 points per game. But Tennessee lost quarterback Hendon Hooker to the pros, and so has Jalin Hyatt. UF 32-20

Sep. 23 vs Charlotte: Charlotte ended its season ranked last in Conference USA with an overall record of 3-9. The team is also losing its starting quarterback and top three wide receivers. The Gators should have no problem capturing a win at home against Charlotte. UF 45-3

Sep. 30 at Kentucky: After losing quarterback Will Levis to the NFL Draft, the Wildcats picked up NC State quarterback Devin Leary from the portal who threw for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2021. But it’s hard to tell how productive Leary will be for the Wildcats in his first season, especially after returning from a torn pectoral muscle injury he sustained last year. UF 32-25

Oct. 7 vs Vanderbilt: The Commodores stunned the Gators last year in Nashville 31-24. Quarterback AJ Swann returns to the team, but they lost Ray Davis, who transferred to Kentucky and rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. UF 30-10

Oct. 14 at South Carolina: South Carolina finished 8-5 last season with prominent wins against Tennessee and Clemson. Quarterback Spencer Rattler returns for his senior season, but he hasn’t been as impressive at South Carolina than he was as a redshirt freshman for Oklahoma. UF 26-23

Oct. 28 vs Georgia: Despite losing many prominent players to the draft during the past two years, the defending two-time champions are still a huge threat in 2023. The Bulldogs named Carson Beck the starting quarterback after Stetson Bennett left for the pros in April. UGA 37-17

Nov. 4 vs Arkansas: Quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders return to the team this year, but the Razorbacks lost four of their top receivers to the draft. Considering where the game is on the schedule in between multiple SEC matchups, the Gators may have trouble grasping this win. Arkansas 28-20

Nov. 11 at LSU: Brian Kelly will enter his second year with the Tigers after a great first year last season, leading the team to win the SEC West before losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Quarterback Jayden Daniels will be at the helm too. This should be a tough one for the Gators. LSU 32-17

Nov. 18 at Missouri: Missouri lost wide receiver Dominic Lovett to Georgia, and this game could also determine Florida’s bowl eligibility. UF 25-18

Nov. 25 vs Florida State: Quarterback Jordan Travis might be a problem for the Gators. He threw for 3,214 yards for 24 touchdowns and five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 85.8. FSU 35-30