Brad Rock: A Utah Utes football team in carbon copy – still not offensive

SALT LAKE CITY – Another season is in full swing and another Utah team is again on the sidelines. The goal of winning the South Division Championship remains accessible, but the 21-7 loss to Washington on Saturday did not help.

When life gives you lemons, do not make lemonade. Find different fruits.

It's the same team as last season.

Washington beating Utah is not a shock. This falls in the conservative election department of Utah. Aside from a win in Seattle in 2015, the Utes have never defeated the Huskies.

Forget USC. Do not pay attention to Stanford. The team that Utah can not pose is Washington. That makes the Huskies 11-1 against the Utes, but especially 5-1 since Utah joined the Pac-12. Nobody has resisted better.

At this point, the Utes must ask themselves what they can do.

The hopes were high, they could win a division title this season for the first time. It's still not inaccessible. But it's always something with them. Utah has the habit of losing the main conference games as soon as it is released. In 2011, the problem began with a loss for USC. The following year, it was Arizona State. The following year, the Oregon State – a 4-5 regular season team – was the culprit. In 2014, the Utes opened the conference game with a loss to Washington State, having started the season 3-0.

Things improved in 2015, when Utah won 3-0, and five wins in its first six games. Consecutive losses in November baked their chances. Another good start to the conference was in 2016 with a win against USC, which was lost a week later to Cal. Last season, they started with a win in Arizona but quickly lost to Stanford, USC, Arizona State and Oregon.

They are rarely far in time before someone throws the helmet at them. Which raises the question: is "competitive" as good as that? Not if they intend to achieve their goals. They are good enough to fill the stadium, having sold 53 consecutive games. Kyle Whittingham showed that his teams were competitive with everyone, but not better than many.

Utah is only 28-36 years old since joining the Pac-12.

Utah have won eight games against Arizona State, five against USC, four against Stanford, nine against Oregon, five against UCLA, 29 against Colorado.

But just one against Washington – in 11 tries. Their only victory is a 34-23 decision in 2015.

Just for the occasion, on Saturday, Utah wore all the black, just like the fan base. Yes, again. Utah got a record of 8-2 in these games. If that meant beating Washington, the Utes would wear peas and cashmere.

Even though Washington's talent was a threat to the Utes, it was their own clumsiness that had almost cost them the northern part of Illinois. They cleared seven bags, revealing a serious security breach.

Utah did their best by expelling two players on Saturday.

It took two and a half minutes for U-Dub to take the lead. Utah opened the match with a hat-trick, while the Huskies started at five.

One evening, as wildfires surrounded them, the Utes had the hope of cleaning up with smoke and mirrors. Their nifty first game – a setback against Britain Covey – won just four yards. One later only won one.

The Utes looked a lot like all teams in Utah: good but not great, dangerous but not dominant. Tyler Huntley started a pick at the end of the match. Although they almost doubled in the first semester in distance, they still led 14-7 at the break.

It's the Utes.

Keep the score and hope for some offense.

They have half the equation.

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A significant downward movement is still a problem for the Utes. The team that finished ninth in attack at the conference and eighth overall last year is back to its old ways. The attack spat a fumble to start the second half. Washington was shortly before 21-7.

An interception led Utah to fourth place in Washington 2 in the second period. The game failed.

Even though this year's talk focused on an improved offense, it did not happen. Utah has two touchdowns in the last two weeks.

As long as it does not change, Utah will stay where it is.