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As they line up to pose for a picture, Utah's big, grungy offensive linemen fuss over one another like prom queens getting ready to make their big entrance.

Should they smile? Should they cross their arms? Should they pull their jerseys down over their stomachs or let their bellies hang out? No little detail gets past the guys as they banter back and forth among themselves.

While the scene is amusing, it also provides a glimpse into what makes Utah's offensive linemen so dang good. No detail seems to escape them, which means no defender sneaks past them.

The starters have yet to give up a sack this season. The only one allowed this year by the unit overall was in the closing moments of the win against New Mexico, when Griff Robles was sacked.

The Utes have no intention of seeing their streak end today against Wyoming, which has the fifth-worst defense in the country, giving up 469.7 yards a game with just five sacks this season.

"We want to keep it at zero," center Zane Taylor said. "We want our QBs to have that time and have that split second more to make those reads. It's a huge difference."

The Utes have scored more than 50 points in their past three games and are averaging 49.0 points a contest, which is on track to break the school record of 45.3 points per game the Utes set in 2004.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham credited the offensive line for much of the production.

"It starts with the offensive line play," he said. "They are protecting the quarterback in the throw game. It all starts with what is in front of you. If you don't have a solid front, it's very difficult for the QBs to get the ball out on time."

Quarterback Jordan Wynn missed two games with a thumb injury suffered as he put his hand down on the ground to brace himself during the Pitt game.

However, he doesn't fault the offensive line for that scramble, saying he has more time this season than he did last year in the pocket.

"Even in the Pitt game, I was sitting back there thinking, 'I should be running,' but I could see they were holding their blocks," he said. "It makes it easy to get to your third and fourth progressions when they are playing like that."

The Utes gave up 20 sacks last year. While they have yet to play their toughest opponents, the offensive linemen believe they can continue to give Wynn all the time he needs.

"We take a lot of pride in that," said left tackle John Cullen, the newcomer of the group. "It's not just one guy out there on an island. We get blocking help from all of us, and the running backs and tight ends, too. "

The Utes lost star Zane Beadles to the NFL from the 2009 team, but Cullen, a junior-college transfer, has fit right in — not only from a talent standpoint but also as a teammate, the Utes say.

He joined one of the most veteran lineups the Utes have ever had, with Taylor starting his third year, senior left guard Caleb Schlauderaff starting his fourth and right tackle Tony Bergstrom and right guard Tevita Stevens starting their second.

"We have all been together for a while, so there is a lot of good chemistry between us," Bergstrom said. "We dropped John right in with us. Everybody knows their roles well enough, we can pick up on anything through preparation and chemistry."

The offensive linemen fostered that chemistry in the offseason by working out together and watching film together.

They have talent and beef, but the attention to detail gives them an added edge, Taylor said.

"We are big, strong, hard-nosed guys and we play nasty, but the biggest thing we have is our communication," he said. "We study film so much and go over blitzes and schemes so much that when we see them in the game, it's second nature to us."

Such communication has helped the Utes cut down on mistakes, keeping defenses from getting to their quarterback, Schlauderaff said.

"Everything has come together for us," he said. "We've played so much football together, me and Zane hardly have to make offensive line calls because we know what each other is thinking."

Now if they could just get those poses right.

lwodraska@sltrib.com Twitter: @lyawodraska; sltributes —

Utah's starting five

Left tackle, John Cullen, 6-5, 285, Jr. • Joined the Utes this year as a junior-college transfer

Left guard, Caleb Schlauderaff, 6-4, 300, Sr. • Second-team All-MWC player in 2009

Center, Zane Taylor, 6-2, 309, Sr. • Preseason all-conference pick

Right guard, Tevita Stevens, 6-1, 290, So. • One-time walk-on in his second year as a starter

Right tackle, Tony Bergstrom, 6-6, 310, Jr. • Second-year starter can bench press 405 pounds. —

Offensive line's accomplishments

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham credits the line for Utah's production this season. Here are some of the highlights:

• Utes have lost just 21 yards on rushing plays compared with 130 yards lost by opponents

• Tied with Boise State with just one sack allowed this year

• Utes have scored on 24 of 26 attempts in the red zone, with 18 touchdowns —

Utah at Wyoming

P Kickoff • 4 p.m. MDT, War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo.

TV • the mtn

Radio • ESPN 700 AM

Records • Utah (5-0, 2-0); Wyoming (2-4, 0-2)

Series history • Utah leads 50-31-1

Last meeting • Utah, 40-7, Oct. 11, 2008

About the Utes • They are averaging 49.0 points a game, which is higher than the school record of 45.3 set during the 2004 season. ... Utah has won six of the past nine games in Laramie. ... A win Saturday would make the Utes bowl eligible.

About the Cowboys • They are coming off a 45-0 loss to TCU. ... QB Austyn Carta-Samuels is expected to play after sitting out the TCU game with an injury. ... Wyoming ranks second to last in rushing offense in the nation (69.2). ... The Cowboys average 12.5 points a game and give up 30.8. —

Utah at Wyoming

P Saturday, 4 p.m.

TV • The Mtn.