Utah Utes football: Offense seeking to find rhythm

When it comes to opinions about the Utah football team's offense, it's a matter of perspective.

If you talk to your co-worker around the water cooler or your neighbor at church, or read some of the comments on Internet message boards, you get the impression there's something seriously wrong with the Ute offense.

Whether it's offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's play-calling, quarterback Brian Johnson's uneven performances, the offensive line's inability to block or something else, there's a level of frustration about Utah's offense, despite the team's perfect 7-0 record.

On the other hand, if you ask the Ute coaches and players, they say things are fine offensively, while acknowledging it could always be better.

In the eyes of the Utes, the offense glass is more than half full.

The Utes are averaging 37.6 points per game, the second-best average in school history and 18th-best in the country this year. They rank in the top four in the Mountain West Conference and in the top 50 in the nation in every offensive category. Utah's pass efficiency of 146.74 is the sixth-best in history.

However, to many fans and observers, the offense looks disjointed, like a herky-jerky jalopy, running smooth at times but often sputtering along.

Against Oregon State, the Utes struggled much of the game but came through when they had to, gaining more yards in the final two minutes than they had in the previous 28 minutes of the half. Against Wyoming, the Utes had to punt a season-high nine times, went just 4-of-17 on third-down plays and, aside from a 41-yard pass play, gained just 201 yards against perhaps the worst team in the conference.

"It's not like the offense has been nonproductive," says coach Kyle Whittingham. "The offense has done a good job in a lot of areas. What we've lacked so far is we need to get that rhythm more so than we have to this point in the season."

Ah, rhythm. That's the word everyone was using earlier this week while discussing the offense.

"We've got to find a way to do something in order to get that rhythm and get guys in position to make plays," said Johnson. "I feel like it's really close, but football's an 11-man game and you've got to have all 11 people on the same page. You've just got to keep playing."

"I can't pinpoint any one thing," said starting left tackle Zane Beadles. "We definitely haven't put together a complete game. It's been something different every game, and trying to get in a rhythm is the biggest thing. ... We need to get better production."