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Provo • Along with handing him the worst loss in his head coaching career, the University of Utah did something else for BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall on Saturday night.

It finally convinced the Cougar coach that BYU's running game is just plain awful. Having rushed for 91 yards against Ole Miss and just 43 against Texas, the Cougars hit rock bottom against Utah, picking up just 11 yards on 22 attempts.

BYU had negative rushing yardage in three of the four quarters at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

"Yeah, it is [a concern]," Mendenhall said in Monday's news conference, after having said a week ago that it was too early to panic. "As there becomes increased and increased emphasis placed on it, eventually you would like to see the result, either statistically, or even signs of it that say, 'we are making progress.' Haven't seen enough yet that says we are making progress in relation to the emphasis. That's got to [change]."

And that's Mendenhall's way of saying it is putrid, after coaches worked all spring and summer to improve it, knowing they would be using the same three ballcarriers — seniors J.J. Di Luigi and Bryan Kariya and sophomore Joshua Quezada — as they did last year.

Those three averaged 152 rushing yards a game last season; this year they are picking up a combined 64 yards a game. With sacks part of a team's rushing total, the Cougars are actually averaging 48.3 yards per game, 118th in the country.

So what are Mendenhall, offensive line coach Mark Weber and running backs coach Joe DuPaix — in addition to offensive coordinator Brandon Doman — going to do about it?

"I think the design has to be looked at, first and foremost," Mendenhall said. "What runs are we doing? The second thing is: with whom are we doing it with? And in what situations? So that has got to become more clear, and then that has to fit into the offensive plan as to when those plays are called in relation to throwing the ball. So really, we haven't seen yet what the run game should look like in relation to our offense, and that is going to have to happen soon."

Like this Friday, although that doesn't appear probable. The Cougars play host to a 2-1 Central Florida team (6 p.m., ESPN) that is 13th in the country against the run, yielding just 72.3 yards per game. The Knights are No. 2 in the country in total defense and No. 3 in scoring defense, having allowed just 166.0 yards and 6.67 points per game.

Most baffling to the Cougars is why the running attack has dropped off, since the offensive line is basically the same and the running backs are the same.

"That's a great question," quarterback Jake Heaps said. "If I had the answers, I think we would have fixed them already. I don't have all the answers for you, but I do know this: It matters to these guys. The run game matters to these guys a great deal. It matters to our running backs, it matters to our offensive line, it matters to myself. It matters to our receivers. We have to have a great running game, at least well enough that we can take the pressure off the pass game so they can't drop eight guys and they have to respect the run.

"We have to make sure that that is accomplished, and I think it will be."

After the Cougars were forced to abandon the running game most of the second half against Utah because they trailed 30-10 with eight minutes left in the third quarter, Doman said all aspects will be scrutinized this week, including who is carrying the ball. It was probably telling Saturday that the first running back to touch the ball was reserve fullback Mike Alisa. He promptly lost 3 yards trying to beat the Utes to the edge.

"It is a great frustration," Doman said. "It is hard to be good when you are not running the football effectively, and we haven't been good at it this year." —

Where BYU's offense ranks

Category Actual National Rank

Rushing offense 48.3 118th

Passing offense 253.3 43rd

Total offense 301.6 104th

Scoring offense 13.3 111th —

Friday's game

P Central Florida at BYU, 6 p.m., ESPN