The Utes scored their most points in a game since the 2004 season, totaled 446 yards against the Aggies, averaged 5.6 yards a play and, most importantly, improved to 3-0.

Yet Johnson knows full well that, as dominating as the Utes were Saturday against their in-state rival, they have areas in which they can improve.

The offense, as good as the numbers were, stalled on several opportunistic drives and the punt returns were disastrous.

"Just as you can find good things in a loss, you can find bad things in a win," Johnson said. "We have to pick this apart and the coaches will coach this apart and we'll get it corrected."

It would be good for the Utes, who moved up two spots to No. 20 in the polls, to get their issues corrected by Saturday, when they play at Air Force.

The Falcons (3-0, 1-0), who defeated the Utes 20-12 in Salt Lake last season, prevailed over Houston 31-28 Saturday in a game moved from Houston to SMU's campus in Dallas because of Hurricane Ike.

In conditions that were rainy and gusty, the Falcons ran the ball 71 times for 380 yards and didn't complete a pass on their seven attempts. The Falcons average 358 rushing yards a game, second only to Navy (370.3).

Utah's defense has held up extremely well against the run thus far despite injuries to linemen, but the Falcons present another level of competition, defensive end Koa Misi acknowledged.

"It will be way different," he said. "Air Force comes off the ball a lot faster and lower than other teams."

Thanks to their run game, the Falcons possess the ball an average of 36 minutes and 40 seconds a game, second only in the national rankings to TCU (37:27). Utah is fifth at 35:06.

The Utes wasted scoring opportunities against the Aggies and that can't happen against the Falcons, Johnson said.

"Your possession will definitely be limited in that game with the way they control the clock with the triple option," Johnson said.

The one thing the Utes can't afford are mistakes on punt returns like the Utes had Saturday. John Peel lost one return that was recovered by the Aggies, which led to Utah State's only touchdown Saturday. He was pulled after juggling another return and replaced by Jereme Brooks, who also recovered his own fumble.

Those miscues took some of the satisfaction out of Saturday's win for coach Kyle Whittingham, who said the search for a new returner starts immediately.

"We have to start from scratch and look at all possibilities," he said.

lwodraska@sltrib.com

Utah is ranked 96th nationally out of 119 schools in punt returns, averaging 5 yards.

* The worst punt return teams are SMU and Washington with a minus-1 average.

* The best is Central Michigan with a 34.75 average.

* Surprisingly, Utah isn't the worst in the MWC; that distinction goes to San Diego State (2.14).