When you’re at the helm of an offense that ranks last nationally in scoring average, you probably wouldn’t want to do the same things all over again.

John McNulty is that person, and the Rutgers offensive coordinator insists changes are coming to a Scarlet Knights attack that ranked 124th nationally in passing, 106th in rushing and 128th in total offense while averaging 13.5 points-per-game.

“I think we all have to be better,’’ McNulty said Monday following Rutgers’ third practice of spring camp. “We have to coach them better and we have to get better schemes. We have to get better (at) everything. When you were 1-11 and we were where we were ranked (offensively) … we need to improve.’’

That may be easier said than done, but McNulty insists there are a few specific areas of attack for a unit that returns nearly a dozen players who have starting experience.

“The good thing is we have a lot of great kids and we’ve got enough talent, that’s for sure,’’ said McNulty, who enters his second season as Rutgers’ offensive play-caller. “I think it’s working together. We know each other a little bit better now. I think I have a better understanding. A year in sometimes you just throw it all at them and wonder why they didn’t respond one way or the other and as the season goes you kind of learn the guys. So I think we have a better feel for who can do what and we’re going try to maximize those talents. But we’re staring at Mount Everest here so every day we gotta just kind of chip away at it.’’

A deep dive into Rutgers’ inefficiencies offensively show that Rutgers ranked 124th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (32.4 percent) and ranked last nationally in offensive plays of 10-yards or longer and next-to-last in plays of 20- and 30-yards or longer.

“I think the biggest thing (to improve) is third downs,’’ McNulty said. “We weren’t very good in that area and that stops your drives and doesn’t allow you to have a lot of plays to advance the ball. No. 2 is explosive plays. We’ll keep running them out here and try to generate them against our defense, taking the shots as much as we can while still being smart. I just told these guys — you can’t miss the easy ones. Sometimes we have an easy (pass) and the (receiver) drops it. It’s going to be hard enough to convert these things in this conference.

“So I would say those are the two biggest things we want to address this spring. A lot of those explosive plays come off the run game. We have two real good (running) backs right now. We got a couple of guys coming. I think we’re going to be more of a run-the-ball, try-to-spread-people-out, and pound-the-ball type of team and that needs to lead to the (big-play) shots. I think that’s what we have to get better at this spring.’’

Of course, much of that success depends on getting improved play out of the quarterback position. Returning starter Art Sitkowski, who suddenly finds himself in an open competition this spring, will split first- and second-team reps with Boston College transfer Johnny Langan and true freshman Cole Snyder, according to McNulty.

“Ultimately if you were the quarterback of the operation the production a lot of times falls on you,’’ McNulty said. “We just need to see production, particularly on third down and with the throws down the field. I think the top two things that we need to improve on are the top two things that the quarterbacks need to do well. They’re the guys with the ball in their hands trying to make these plays. We’ll be explosive with the run game. I’m not as worried about that. But in terms of trying to hit balls down the field and convert third downs and be accurate in the red zone, that’s the quarterback.’’

Rutgers isn’t about to reinvent the wheel offensively, but McNulty says the playbook is evolving in terms of designing plays for the team’s few proven home-run hitters such as tailbacks Raheem Blackshear and Isaih Pacheco.

“It has to (evolve) a little bit in terms of who we have available,’’ McNulty said. “We had a bunch of tight ends, there was a way to crunch people down and try to pound on them a little bit and slow them down in the pass rush. But personnel-wise we don’t have the big hulking tight ends now. I think it’s going to be more spread-it-out, use our guys as much as possible.

“I’d say right now if we played a game Raheem and Isaiah would be the guys we’re trying to get the ball to as many times as possible. Hopefully there will be some other guys who try to get themselves in that mix. In terms of what we have for personnel, I think we’re going to try to spread it out a little bit more.’’

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.