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SALT LAKE CITY — Midway through the third quarter Thursday night, lead running back Ja'Quinden Jackson jogged off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium seemingly hampered by an injury after just five carries and 15 yards of production.
Utah was already up 24-3 on the visiting Florida Gators and didn't appear to be in risk of blowing its lead, even with an anemic run game that had only put up 87 net rushing yards by the time Jackson carried the ball for the last time in the game — a 4-yard scamper to the left of the line — so it wasn't a major concern.
Winning cures all ails.
But the lack of production in the run game remained a nagging area of focus for Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who described it in one word as "disappointing" Monday.
The team finished with 105 net rushing yards, but 45 yards of those yards came from speedster quarterback Nate Johnson, who managed a 27-yard rushing touchdown and several designed run plays, and backup-turned-starting quarterback Bryson Barnes, who added an additional 11 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own.
"We didn't run the ball as effectively as we needed to or as efficiently as we needed to," Whittingham said. "We're typically a very good run team."
For a running back room that features several players appeared destined for a breakout season, there was little to point to or celebrate even in a win. Veteran back Micah Bernard breathed some life into the room with 45 rushing yards, but it was far from the production Utah expected to have, even against the larger-stature defensive front of Florida.
In short, Utah didn't get it done.
"We've got a lot of things to work on, a lot of things to clean up," Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said, speaking generally about the offense. "It's great to win a game like that knowing there's so many things that we can improve on and put better plays on tape."
So why the lack of production in what has traditionally been Utah's best strength on the offensive side of the ball?
Whittingham sees it as a two-pronged problem, even if just as a minor concern after the first game: The offensive line needs to be better at creating holes for the running backs to run through, and the running backs need to be more physical in their style of play.
If a third factor were added to the mix, it was the big bodies on Florida that lined up against Utah's offense. Whittingham said that was "part of it," but the offense simply needed to execute better.
"I don't feel like they overpowered us or we felt like we couldn't compete, it was just Week 1 things," running back Jaylon Glover said. In the sophomore's view, it was more about the offensive line and the running backs needing to play more in sync with each other and getting back into the rhythm of the season.
There was no colossal failure or a sign that Utah will struggle in the run game, but a breakdown in the system.
"We have all the talent in the room, and most importantly, we've just got to be on the same page as the guys in front of us as long as we're doing our jobs," Glover said. "Week 1, we wasn't happy with the performance; we knew we could do more, but that's why we've got 11 more opportunities guaranteed and we can continue to prove that."
One game doesn't make a problem trend, and Utah hopes to prove that Saturday against a wounded Baylor team that will be looking for its own opportunity at getting back on the right track after falling to Texas State at home.
"I feel real confident about our team," Glover added. "I think we can raise a lot of eyebrows. I think we've got the guys around who can do it, and, personally, I'm just excited to keep going throughout the season."
As for Jackson's health, Whittingham said his running back was "nicked up" as something that had bothered him during fall camp "showed up again."
"We planned on him being more involved, but he got slowed down by an injury, and hopefully he's going to be available this week," Whittingham said.
Regardless of whether Jackson suits up against Baylor or not, both the coaching staff and players on the roster are eager to prove their worth on the field and make a statement in Week 2 on the road.
