Kyle Whittingham sounds off on ‘nightmarish’ Utah football travel situation after loss to Florida

Talk about adding insult to injury. The no. 7-ranked Utah football program shockingly lost to the unranked Florida Gators 29-26 on Saturday. Not only was it not how Utes heads coach Kyle Whittingham wanted to start the season, but the team then became stranded at a Gainesville airport when the team’s charter flight was unable to depart.

Eventually, the Utes made it home, touching down on Sunday night. But the experience was one that the team would not soon forget. Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham spoke to reporters on Monday about the ‘nightmarish’ situation, per Josh Newman of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Whittingham on the travel: “In my 30-plus years, that was the most nightmarish, ridiculous situation I’ve ever come across.”

— Josh Newman (@Joshua_Newman) September 5, 2022

Kyle Whittingham said the travel situation was the ‘most nightmarish, ridiculous situation he’s ever come across.” And that’s in 30-plus years of coaching!

It’s one thing for a team to have trouble getting back home after a win. But for Utah football, who lost a heartbreaker to Florida, it had to be demoralizing.

The Utes’ plane was scheduled to take off on Saturday night, but mechanical issues postponed the takeoff, leaving the university’s players and coaching staff stranded on the aircraft for about four hours in the early parts of Sunday morning.

Whittingham and the rest of the Utah football program were then stuck at the Gainesville Regional Airport, which was backed up due to Labor Day travelers. Fortunately, the Florida Gators offered a helping hand, finding the Utes a hotel partner, buses and meals until they could depart, per KSL Sports.

Still, this ‘nightmarish’ experience is one that Kyle Whittingham and the rest of the Utes will remember for a long time.