BYU football: Cougars' offense has been a no-show

"Brandon will be given the choice to be wherever he feels most comfortable, wherever he thinks the team needs him and wherever he can be most effective," Mendenhall said. "That's a decision I wouldn't want to impose on him or one I wouldn't want imposed on myself. The bottom line is where can he help our football team the most and where can he be most effective from. With his personality and his strengths, I am comfortable with where he is at the moment."

BYU has become a very one-dimensional team, with an unproductive running game. The Cougars gained only 11 yards rushing against the Utes.

"If I knew the answer, we'd fix it," Heaps said. "It matters to our offense to run the ball. When defenses drop back eight guys, we have to make them pay for it and be able to run the ball."

In the national rankings, BYU checks in at No. 118 (out of 120 teams) in rushing offense.

Mendenhall said the scheme, the plays, and the running backs need to be evaluated.

"The design has to be looked at first and foremost and what runs are we doing. And then we need to look at with whom are we doing it and in what situation. That needs to become clear. It has to fit into the offensive plan as to when those plays are called. Really, we haven't seen what the run game should look like in relation to our offense."

Cougars on the air

Central Florida (2-1) at BYU (1-2)

Friday, 6 p.m. MT

TV: ESPN Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

Punchless offense

BYU's offense is among the nation's worst in several categories. Below is where the Cougars rank, out of 120 teams, in several offensive categories.

Category National Rank

Rushing offense No. 118 (48.33 yards per game)

Passing offense No. 43 (253.33 ypg)

Total offense No. 104 (301.67 ypg)

Scoring offense No. 111 (13.33 ppg)

Pass efficiency No. 101 (107.40)

Fumbles lost No. 113 (6)

Turnovers lost No. 116 (10)

Email: jeffc@desnews.com