Utes still struggling to shake sluggish start

I don't have a problem getting started in the mornings. When my newspaper flies toward the driveway, I'm there to intercept.

Just call me Mr. Early. I tried to get my swine flu shot in June.

Consequently, I have a hard time figuring out what's up with the Utes. Here they are, tied for first in the conference standings, nationally ranked, and yet they can't arrive for their games on time.

I'm talking philosophically, not literally.

I know. I'm nitpicking. They're 8-1. But to me, they're a lot like a friend who shows up late for everything, yet when he finally does arrive, he's the life of the party. You wonder: How does he pull it off? Does he think he's special? How come 7 o'clock means 7:45 to him?

Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes recorded another win, this one a 45-14 rout of New Mexico. The outcome was never in doubt. But that doesn't mean they dominated from end to end, either. In the first half, they fumbled four times and threw an interception. They were tied 7-7 after the one quarter, which might not seem like a big deal, except they were playing the Lobos. Same Lobos (0-9) that haven't won since the Taft Administration.

So by now I'm starting to expect Utah to start slowly.

Why mess with dinner when you can skip straight to dessert?

For some inexplicable reason, the Utes have been doing this all season. Early kickoffs, late kickoffs, it hasn't mattered. In eight of their nine games, they started like a crank engine. They trailed USU 3-0 and led just 14-10 after one quarter. Against San Jose State, they were tied 7-7 at the half. At Oregon, they trailed 14-7 after one quarter, 21-7 at halftime. They were tied 3-3 at the half against CSU. They trailed UNLV 3-0 and led just 7-6 in the second quarter. They trailed Air Force 10-6 after one quarter. Against Wyoming, they fell behind 3-0 and 10-3.

Haven't they ever heard of caffeine?

Or an alarm clock?

Why are they doing this?

"No idea. No idea at all," said offensive tackle Zane Beadles.

"I honestly don't know. I don't know," added running back Sausan Shakerin.

Consequently, this hasn't been a team for blowouts. That was the domain of previous Ute teams. The 2004 Utes beat almost everyone by a mile. They blasted USU 48-6, UNLV 63-28, BYU 52-21, Pittsburgh 35-7.

Even last year's team, which had some close ones, also won by margins 48, 33 (twice) and 49.

The 2009 Utes haven't beaten anyone except New Mexico by a landslide. For this team, a two-touchdown margin is a rout.

Meanwhile, hardly any opponent has been easy. Not Air Force (23-16), not Wyoming (22-10), not San Jose State (24-14) and not Colorado State (24-17).

It's not that Utah isn't good, it's just that it isn't convincing.